Clinical Efficacy of Combined Probiotics and Immunotherapy in Childhood Allergic Rhinitis.

Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) is considered a safe and beneficial treatment for allergic rhinitis (AR). Probiotics are unusual treatment options for AR and have lately created great concern in the scientific community. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of combined probiotics plus SLIT on nasal symptoms in AR children. In this study, the SLIT only group (n = 15) received SLIT for 6 months, combined treatment group (n =15) received probiotics plus SLIT for 2 months and then SLIT for another 4 months. After 6 months of therapy, all symptoms of AR were significantly improved in both groups. The nasal obstruction was significantly resolved in both groups, p < 0.001. Total nasal symptom score (TNSS) was significantly decreased after treatment in both groups (p< 0.001). However, a significant difference was observed between the percent change in TNSS between both groups (P= 0.031). Also statistically significant difference was found between the studied groups regarding decrease use of anti-allergic medications (P= 0.034). In Conclusion: combined probiotics plus SLIT showed efficacy in improving symptoms of AR in children.