Table 3: Benefits of subcutaneous and sublingual immunotherapy among participants with allergic rhinitis.
| Comparison; author | Population | Allergen | Unadjusted standard mean difference (95% CI*); I2; k | AMSTAR score‡ | Search date | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total combined symptom-medication score | Symptom score | Medication score | Disease-specific quality of life | Treatment discontinuation† | |||||
| SLIT v. placebo | |||||||||
| Yang et al.,20 2016 | AR | Cedar pollen | -0.94(-1.75 to -0.14);93%; 4 | - | - | - | - | 6 | April 2016 |
| Di Bona et al.,21 2015 | ARC | Grass pollen | - | -0.28(-0.37 to -0.19);54%; 13 | -0.24(-0.31 to -0.17);22%; 12 | - | SLIT: 6%,placebo: 2.2% | 9 | April 2014 |
| Devillier et al.,24 2014 | ARC | Grass, tree or ragweed pollen | Hedges g -0.31(-0.39 to -0.22);NR; 11 | - | - | - | - | 5 | 2013§ |
| Dranitsaris et al.,25 2014 (Oralair) | AR | Grass pollen | - | - | - | - | RR 4.88 (2.41 to 9.79); 6 trial arms | 3 | December 2012 |
| Dranitsaris et al.,25 2014 (Grazax) | AR | Grass pollen | - | - | - | - | RR 1.90 (1.21 to 3.00); 8 trial arms | 3 | December 2012 |
| Meadows et al.,29 2013 | AR ± AA | Grass, tree or ragweed pollen, Alternaria, Parietaria | -0.40(-0.55 to -0.25);39%; 6 | -0.33(-0.42 to -0.25);42%; 42 | -0.27(-0.37 to -0.17);49%; 35 | -0.37(-0.52 to -0.22);59%; 7 | - | 10 | April 2011 |
| Radulovic et al.,33 2010 | AR | Parietaria, tree or ragweed pollen, house dust mite, cat | - | -0.49(-0.64 to -0.34);81%; 49 | -0.32(-0.43 to -0.21);50%; 38 | - | - | 10 | August 2009 |
| SCIT v. placebo | |||||||||
| Dranitsaris et al.,25 2014¶ | AR | Grass pollen | - | -0.30(-0.39 to -0.20);7 trial arms | - | - | RR 3.16 (1.40 to 7.10); 7 trial arms | 3 | December 2012 |
| Meadows et al.,29 2013 | AR ± AA | Grass, tree or ragweed pollen, Alternaria, Parietaria | -0.48(-0.67 to -0.29);22%; 8 | -0.65(-0.85 to -0.45);57%; 17 | -0.55(-0.75 to -0.34);57%; 16 | MD -0.74(-0.92 to -0.56);0%; 8 | - | 10 | April 2011 |
| SCIT v. SLIT¶ | |||||||||
| Dranitsaris et al.,25 2014 | AR | Grass pollen | - | -0.21(-0.36 to -0.07);7 trial arms; favours SLIT | - | - | - | 3 | December 2012 |
| Meadows et al.,29 2013 | AR ± AA | Grass, tree or ragweed pollen, Alternaria, Parietaria | - | SSD 0.35(0.13 to 0.59), favours SCIT;SCIT: 17 trials, SLIT: 42 trials | SSD 0.27(0.03 to 0.53), favours SCIT;SCIT: 16 trials, SLIT: 35 trials | SSD -0.52(-0.07 to 1.04);SCIT: 8 trials, SLIT: 4 trials | - | 10 | April 2011 |
Note: AA = allergic asthma, AR = allergic rhinitis, ARC = allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, MD = mean difference, NR = not reported, k = number of included randomized controlled trials, RC = rhinoconjunctivitis, RR = relative risk, SCIT = subcutaneous immunotherapy, SLIT = sublingual immunotherapy, SSD = standardized score difference.
*95% credible interval for indirect treatment comparisons (SCIT v. SLIT).
†Treatment discontinuation, not discontinuation owing to adverse events.
‡Maximum 11.
§Month not reported.
¶Indirect treatment comparisons.