ABSTRACT
History of Standardization in Europe Specific allergy treatment, i.e., specific immunotherapy or specific allergy vaccination, has been performed for almost a century, since it was first described by Noon in 1911 (1). The discovery in 1966 of the IgE molecule (2), and the central role of IgE in allergy facilitated a better understanding of the immunological mechanisms, led to an improvement of diagnostic tools, and consolidated the concept of specific allergy diagnosis and treatment. Scientific methods were introduced to standardize allergen extracts in the seventies and eighties (3) and, in combination with gradual improvement of the clinical procedures, established specific allergy treatment as a scientifically based, reproducible, and safe treatment for allergic diseases.
