Introduction
Methods
Search strategy
Eligibility criteria
Selection procedures
Data extraction
Quality assessment
Synthesis of evidence
Results
Characteristics of included systematic review
Author, Year (Country) | Databases searched | Search period | No of studies relevant to this SR (No of participants) | Population | Intervention relevant to this SR | Allrgens | Outcomes relevant to this SR | Subgroup analyses relevant to this SR |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Abramson, 2010 (Australia) | CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, AMED, PsycINFO, and handsearching of journals and meeting abstracts | 1950–2005 | 88 RCTs (3459) | adults and children with allergic asthma | SCIT vs placebo SCIT vs inhaled steroid | HDM, pollens, animal dander, moulds, chemically modified allergoids, antigen–antibody complexes | Effectiveness, lung function, non-specific BHR, allergen-specific BHR, safety | NR |
Calamita, 2006 (Brazil) | MEDLINE, EMBASE,LILACS and the Cochrane Library | 1966–2005 | 25 RCTS (1706) | adults and children with allergic asthma | SLIT vs placebo | Mites, pollens, mould, dander, latex | Effectiveness, lung function, non-specific BHR, safety | Age, treatment duration (no details) |
Chelladurai, 2013 (USA) | MEDLINE, Embase, LILACS and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials | Up to December 21, 2012 | 4 RCTs (NR) | adults and children with allergic asthma | SCIT vs SLIT | Mites, pollens | Effectiveness, safety | NR |
Compalati, 2009 (Italy) | MEDLINE, EMBASE, LILACS, SCOPUS | Up to March 31, 2008 | 9 DBRCTs (452) | adults and children with allergic asthma | SLIT vs placebo | HDM | Effectiveness | Age (children vs adults) |
Erekosima, 2014 (USA) | MEDLINE, Embase, LILACS, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials | 1947-May 21, 2012 | 38 RCTs (NR) | adults and children with allergic asthma ± rhinitis/rhino conjunctivitis | SCIT vs any comparator | Mites, pollen, dander, mould | Effectiveness, lung function, allergen-specific BHR, quality of life, safety | NR |
Kim, 2013 (USA) | Medline, Embase, LILACS, CENTRAL, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials | Up to May 2012 | 27 RCTs (NR) | Children with allergic asthma ± rhinoconjuctivitis | SCIT vs any comparator SLIT vs any comparator SCIT vs SLIT | Dust mite, Rye, Cladosporium, Alternaria, Tree mix | Effectiveness, quality of life, safety | NR |
Normansell, 2015 (UK) | CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, AMED, PsycINFO, Clinical Trials.gov, WHO and handsearching of journals and meeting abstracts | Up to March 25, 2015 | 52 RCTs (5256) | adults and children with allergic asthma | SLIT vs placebo SLIT vs conventional pharmacotherapy | HDM, grass pollen, birch pollen, cockroach, cat dander, Alternaria, Parietaria, olive pollen, Artemisia, HDM + Parietaria (combination) | Effectiveness, Exacerbations, Quality of life, safety, BHR | Age (children vs adults) |
Polzehl, 2006 (Germany) | MEDLINE and EMBASE | 1970–2001 | 13 DBRCTs (442) | adults and children with allergic asthma | SCIT vs. placebo | HDM (D. pteronyssinus, D. farinae) | Effectiveness, safety, lung function, bronchial provocation | NR |
Tao, 2013 (China) | PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials | Up to March 2012 | 16 DBRCTs (794) | adults and children with allergic asthma | SLIT vs placebo | Mite, pollen | Effectiveness, lung function, safety | Age (children vs adults) |
Quality assessment
Author, year | Focused question | Inclusion of appropriate studies | Inclusion of eligible studies | Quality assessment of studies | Appropriateness of synthesis | Overall results of review | Accuracy of results | Applicability to local populations | Considering all relevant outcomes | Benefits vs harms/costs | Overall risk of bias |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Abramson | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | n/a | ✓ | ✓ | Low |
Calamita | ✓ | ✓ | Unclear | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | n/a | ✓ | Unclear | Unclear |
Chelladurai | ✓ | ✓ | X | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | n/a | ✓ | ✓ | Unclear |
Compalati | ✓ | ✓ | X | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | n/a | ✓ | ✓ | Unclear |
Erekosima | ✓ | ✓ | X | ✓ | n/a | ✓ | ✓ | n/a | ✓ | ✓ | Unclear |
Kim | ✓ | ✓ | X | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | n/a | ✓ | ✓ | Unclear |
Normansell | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | n/a | ✓ | ✓ | Low |
Polzehl | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Unclear | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | n/a | ✓ | ✓ | Unclear |
Tao | ✓ | ✓ | X | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | n/a | ✓ | ✓ | Unclear |