Efficacy of specific immunotherapy in children with atopic dermatitis

Allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT) is the only causal treatment for pediatric allergic diseases, but its efficacy and mechanism in atopic dermatitis (AD) are unclear. This study explored clinical symptom and biological marker changes in dust mite-sensitized pediatric AD patients pre- and post-AIT, and clarified AIT’s therapeutic efficacy and underlying mechanisms for the disease. We retrospectively analyzed 66 mild-to-moderate dust mite-sensitized pediatric AD patients receiving 1-year subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT). SCORAD index, patient‑reported symptom scores for pruritus and sleep disturbance, CDLQI, peripheral blood eosinophil counts and serum IgE levels were compared before and after treatment. All patients completed SCIT. Post-treatment SCORAD, patient‑reported symptom scores for pruritus and sleep disturbance and CDLQI scores decreased significantly (all P <0.05), with more obvious reduction in moderate AD cases, and an overall 90% response rate. Peripheral blood eosinophil counts and percentages also declined notably. AIT effectively improves clinical symptoms in pediatric AD patients, especially moderate cases, and its mechanism may be associated with regulating eosinophil-related inflammatory pathways.