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Table 6 Summary of the RCTs with cow’s milk

From: Clinical practice recommendations for allergen-specific immunotherapy in children: the Italian consensus report

Study (Author, year, country)

Design

Active group vs comparator

Sample size (AG/CG)

Age (yrs) [mean (range)]

Duration desensitization protocol/maintenance dose

Outcomes: desensitization/sustained unresponsiveness

Discontinued due to AEs

SAEs

Caminiti, 2009, Italy [125]

RCT [DBPCRT (6 pts); open fashion (7 pts)]

OIT vs placebo

10/3

8 (5–10)

18 weeks/200 ml

AG: 7 pts complete OD (200 ml of CM); 1 pt partial OD (64 ml of CM)./CG: none spontaneously tolerant, [OFC (+)]

2

In AG, 3 SAEs: two withdrawals (both severe anaphylaxis:one including shock, the other laryngeal edema); 1 pt with partial tolerance (generalized urticaria-angioedema, cough)

Longo, 2008, Italy [126]

RCT

OIT vs routine care (food avoidance)

30/30

8 (5–17)

1 year [rush build-up phase (10 days) + maintenance phase]/150 ml

AG: 11 pts (36%) complete OD (≥150 ml CM); 16 (54%) partial OD (5–150 ml)/CG: none spontaneously tolerant [OFC (+)]

3

Rush phase: i.m. E four times in 4 pts; nebulized E in 18 pts and more than once in 7 pts.

Slow (home) dosing: 2 pts treated in the emergency department (CS, AH), and i.m. E (1 case).

Martorell, 2011, Spain [127]

parallel-group, multicentre RCT

OIT vs routine care (food avoidance)

30/30

2.2 (2–3)

1 year [build-up phase (16 weeks) + maintenance phase]/200 ml

AG: 90% complete OD. Two withdrawals; one partial OD (35 ml of CM)/CG: 23% pts natural tolerance [OFC (+) in 3/23 pts]

1

None

Pajno, 2010, Italy [128]

Random single-blind controlled study

OIT vs placebo

15/15

9 (4–10)

18 weeks/200 ml

AG: 10 pts complete OD (200 ml of CM) and in 1 pt partial tolerance (100 ml)/CG: none spontaneously tolerant, [OFC (+)]

2

2 SAEs requiring i.m. E in 2 pts (withdrawals)

Skripak, 2008, USA [129]

DBPCRT

OIT vs placebo

13/7

9.3 (6–21)

23 weeks/500 mg

Median OFC threshold increased from 40 to 5140 mg after OIT in AG/all pts in the PG reacted at 40 mg

1

Median frequency of SAEs (E use): 1% (0.2%) of active doses vs none in the placebo group

  1. AG active group, AH antihistamines, CG control group, CM cow’s milk, CS corticosteroids, E epinephrine, Pt participants, SAE severe adverse event