ABSTRACT
I. INTRODUCTION Specific allergen immunotherapy is currently an accepted practice among allergy specialists throughout the world for the treatment of selected patients with respiratory atopic allergy or Hymenoptera venom anaphylaxis. The vast majority of placebo-controlled clinical trials support its use. Standardized protocols are of limited value because the specific allergens and the dosage necessary to optimize efficacy and safety must be tailored to each patient. Nevertheless, the basic procedures used in this form of therapy include a perennial subcutaneous injection schedule, beginning with progressively increasing quantities of allergen, that culminate in a program of stable high doses of allergen maintained for a period of several years.
