D3.202 - Allergen-Specific Immunotherapy Is Still Rarely Used: Results of an Online Survey in Lithuania

Antigen-specific immunotherapy is the essential treatment of allergic diseases. However, antigen-specific immunotherapy has considerable drawbacks, such as cost and time commitment. Objective: To survey allergic rhinitis patients to establish what percentage of these patients take treatment with antigen-specific immunotherapy.

A short online survey was conducted. Google Forms platform was used to construct the  allergic rhinitis questionnaire. The survey responses were gathered over a one-month period in January 2025. The invitation to participate in the study was shared through Facebook and using Vilnius University student Messenger group. Responders were divided into two groups according to the duration of rhinitis symptoms (by ARIA criteria).

The study included a total of 106 participants, with a mean age of 24.25 ± 8,95 years. The sample consisted of 21 (19.81%) males and 85 (80.19%) females. Of these, 56 (52,83%) individuals stated they had been diagnosed with allergic rhinitis. 18 (16,98%) respondents identified that their allergic rhinitis is intermittent, while 38 (35,84%) classified their allergic rhinitis as persistent. 50 (47,17%) patients were not treated with allergen-specific immunotherapy, while other six (i.e., 10.71% of all the surveyed patients) were treated by allergen- specific immunotherapy: 5 (83,33%) with persistent allergic rhinitis symptoms and 1(16,67%) with intermittent. Eight individuals (14,29% of all allergic patients) used a mobile application to track the symptoms to know the count of pollen and for an immunotherapy survey; four were using PASYFO app, while the other four used MASK-air app.

Here, we present the results of an online survey regarding the use of antigen- specific immunotherapy in allergic rhinitis patients. We have found that only 10.71% of surveyed patients have treatment with allergen-specific immunotherapy. Given this, we conclude that there is still a lot of potential in promoting the use of this treatment modality in Lithuania aswell as a lot of potential benefits that could be realized by the patients both in terms of the control of their disease and overall quality of life.