Abstract
Immunotherapy as a management strategy for atopic asthma has recently come into question, prompting a reevaluation of the role of immunotherapy in the treatment of asthma. Evidence that allergens play a critical role in the development of airway inflammation, bronchial hyperreactivity, and asthma is reviewed. Further, evidence that modulation of the immune response to allergens in patients with atopic asthma reduces airway inflammation, improves the clinical course of asthma, and may indeed prevent the development of asthma in atopic patients is presented. Immunotherapy appears to be an effective and irreplaceable adjunct to allergen avoidance and medical therapy in the treatment and prevention of atopic asthma.
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