[Clinical significance of allergen specific immunotherapy in adult house-dust-mite-sensitive bronchial asthma: impact on disease severity and medical cost].

: The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical significance of allergen-specific immunotherapy in house-dust-mite-sensitive adult bronchial asthma. Fifty patients treated with rush immunotherapy using house dust antigen were examined. The disease severity was compared between before and a year after the maintenance immunotherapy: reduction in the severity was observed in 27 patients (54.0%) following the treatment. The response rate was greater in the patients with step 3 (moderate, persistent) or step 4 (severe, persistent), disease period less than 10 years, or reversible airway obstruction. Patients who showed favorable clinical response also demonstrated the reduction in medical costs. These results suggest that allergen immunotherapy reduces the disease severity and medical cost in a certain population of adult atopic asthma.