Effects of Artemisia annua sublingual immunotherapy on asthma control and pulmonary function in patients with mild-moderate allergic asthma

Objective: To observe and assess the efficacy and safety of Artemisia annua (A. annua)-sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) in patients with mild-moderate allergic asthma (AS). Methods: In this retrospective study, the complete data of 60 patients with mild-moderate AS from October 2022 to October 2023 was included. Patients were stratified into two different groups based on treatment regimens: the SLIT group, 30 individuals who underwent standardized A. annua-SLIT for at least 6 months before pollen season, and the control group, the other 30 patients only received the symptomatic drug. During the 2022 and 2023 pollen season, asthma daytime symptom score (ADSS), asthma nighttime symptom score (ANSS), total medicine score (TMS), asthma control test score (ACT), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), and FEV1/forced vital capacity (FVC) were measured to evaluate the efficacy, and adverse events (AEs) were used to assess its safety. Results: There were no significant differences in all clinical outcomes between the two groups during the 2022 pollen season (all P > 0.05). However, after SLIT treatment, the level of ADSS, ANSS, TMS, ACT, FEV1, and patients’ number of well controlled AS significantly improved compared with the control group (all P < 0.01). Notably, all the clinical outcomes significantly improved compared with the baseline only in the SLIT group (all P < 0.001). No severe AEs were reported, and all AEs were mild. Conclusion: Pre-seasonal treatment of A. annua-SLIT for at least 6 months could relieve daytime and nighttime symptoms, reduce medication use, and improve asthma control and lung function in mono- and poly-sensitized patients with mild-moderate AS.