Steroid-sparing effect of omalizumab for allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis and cystic fibrosis

2008 ◽  
Vol 43 (6) ◽  
pp. 607-610 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacquelyn M. Zirbes ◽  
Carlos E. Milla
2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. ar.2015.6.0128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keith T. Beam ◽  
Christopher A. Coop

Background Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) is a common serious hypersensitivity reaction to airway colonization with Aspergillus in patients with asthma or cystic fibrosis. While steroids are effective in controlling the respiratory symptoms of ABPA, they have many side effects that make them undesirable for long term use. Antifungals have been used to reduce dependency on systemic steroids but long term use can be limited by side effects and there is the possibility of developing resistance to azoles. Some clinicians have successfully used anti-immunoglobulin E (anti-IgE) therapy in various populations, though it is frequently added to antifungals. Objective Further describe the utility of anti-IgE therapy for ABPA for patients unable to tolerate antifungals. Methods We describe the case of a patient with serologic ABPA who did not tolerate therapy with antifungals but was able to significantly reduce her average daily steroid use while receiving anti-IgE therapy with omalizumab added to her other respiratory medications. Results After therapy with omalizumab, our patient was able to reduce her need for daily corticosteroids by nearly 80%. Conclusions Omalizumab may reduce corticosteroid dependence in patients with allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis for patients unable to tolerate antifungals, though use may be limited by cost. Additional studies are needed. ClinicalTrial.gov identifier NCT00787917.


2020 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 175346662096164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabel C. Eraso ◽  
Saveria Sangiovanni ◽  
Eliana I. Morales ◽  
Liliana Fernández-Trujillo

Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) is a hypersensitivity reaction (HR) mediated by antigens to Aspergillus fumigatus. It is estimated that 2–15% of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and between 1% and 5% of asthmatics develop ABPA, affecting approximately 4.8 million people worldwide. The goals of treatment are controlling inflammation, reducing the number of exacerbations and limiting the progression of lung damage. Systemic steroids are therefore used as the mainstay therapy, along with antifungal medications. However, many patients do not respond or develop side effects to treatment. In this scenario, biological drugs such as Omalizumab, Mepolizumab, Benralizumab and Dupilumab have been implemented in clinical practice, even though there is a lack of scientific evidence to support their use. We performed a literature review of the studies carried out which analyzed biologics for the management of ABPA in adult populations with asthma and CF. To our knowledge this is the first literature review that included all biologics. We included a total of 32 studies, all but one were descriptive studies, and the vast majority evaluated the use of Omalizumab. Biologics appeared to have more benefit for patients with ABPA and asthma than CF, specifically at decreasing the frequency of acute exacerbations and by having a steroid-sparing effect. Although a decrease in serum IgE level is considered a measure of therapy success, values may not decline as expected in the context of a significant clinical improvement, highlighting the importance of measuring patient-oriented outcomes. As evidence comes mainly from case series and case reports, randomized controlled trials are needed to evaluate further the safety and efficacy of biologics in ABPA. The reviews of this paper are available via the supplemental material section.


Antibiotics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 357
Author(s):  
Aidan K. Curran ◽  
David L. Hava

Aspergillus spp. are spore forming molds; a subset of which are clinically relevant to humans and can cause significant morbidity and mortality. A. fumigatus causes chronic infection in patients with chronic lung disease such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cystic fibrosis (CF). In patients with CF, A. fumigatus infection can lead to allergic disease, such as allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) which is associated with high rates of hospitalizations for acute exacerbations and lower lung function. ABPA results from TH2 immune response to Aspergillus antigens produced during hyphal growth, marked by high levels of IgE and eosinophil activation. Clinically, patients with ABPA experience difficulty breathing; exacerbations of disease and are at high risk for bronchiectasis and lung fibrosis. Oral corticosteroids are used to manage aspects of the inflammatory response and antifungal agents are used to reduce fungal burden and lower the exposure to fungal antigens. As the appreciation for the severity of fungal infections has grown, new therapies have emerged that aim to improve treatment and outcomes for patients with CF.


2021 ◽  
Vol 80 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 397.1-397
Author(s):  
S. Deshayes ◽  
K. Ly ◽  
V. Rieu ◽  
G. Maigné ◽  
N. M. Silva ◽  
...  

Background:The treatment of giant cell arteritis (GCA) relies on corticosteroids but is burdened by a high rate of relapses and adverse effects. Anti-interleukin-6 treatments show a clear benefit with a significant steroid-sparing effect, but late relapses occur after treatment discontinuation. In addition to interleukin-6, interleukin-1 also appears to play a significant role in GCA pathophysiology.Objectives:We report herein the efficacy of anakinra, an interleukin-1 receptor antagonist, in 6 GCA patients exhibiting corticosteroid dependence or resistance, specifically analyzing the outcome of aortitis in 4 of them, and including the long-term follow-up of 2 previously described patients (1).Methods:This retrospective study analyzed the cases of all GCA patients treated with anakinra from the French Study Group for Large Vessel Vasculitis.Patients had to satisfy the following two criteria to be enrolled in this retrospective study. First, their diagnosis of GCA should be based on the fulfillment of at least 3 criteria of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) for GCA or on the satisfaction of 2 of these criteria along with the demonstration of LVI on imaging. Second, patients should have received anakinra because of corticosteroid dependence or resistance.Corticosteroid dependence was defined as ≥2 relapses or the combination of 2 of the following criteria: a daily dose of oral prednisone >20 mg/day (or 0.3 mg/kg) at 6 months; a daily dose of oral prednisone >10 mg/day (or 0.2 mg/kg) at 12 months; and/or a treatment maintained >24 months because of a relapsing disease course. Corticosteroid resistance was defined as persistent increased inflammatory parameters at month 3 despite a steroid dosage over 0.5 mg/kg.Results:After a median duration of anakinra therapy of 19 [18–32] months, all 6 patients exhibited complete clinical and biological remission. Among the 4 patients with large-vessel involvement, 2 had a disappearance of aortitis under anakinra, and 2 showed a decrease in vascular uptake. After a median follow-up of 56 [48–63] months, corticosteroids were discontinued in 4 patients, and corticosteroid dosage could be decreased to 5 mg/day in 2 patients. One patient relapsed 13 months after anakinra introduction in the context of increasing the daily anakinra injection interval to every 48 hours. Three patients experienced transient injection-site reactions, and 1 patient had pneumonia.Figure 1.Steroid dosages before and after the introduction of anakinra in 6 patients with giant-cell arteritis and corticosteroid dependence or resistance. The black arrow indicates the time of anakinra introduction.Conclusion:In this short series, anakinra appears to be an efficient and safe steroid-sparing agent in refractory GCA, with a possible beneficial effect on large-vessel involvement.References:[1]Ly K-H, Stirnemann J, Liozon E, Michel M, Fain O, Fauchais A-L. Interleukin-1 blockade in refractory giant cell arteritis. Joint Bone Spine 2014;81:76–8.Disclosure of Interests:Samuel Deshayes: None declared, Kim LY: None declared, Virginie Rieu: None declared, Gwénola Maigné: None declared, Nicolas Martin Silva: None declared, Alain Manrique: None declared, Jacques Monteil: None declared, Hubert de Boysson Speakers bureau: Roche-Chugai, Grant/research support from: Roche-Chugai, Achille Aouba Grant/research support from: SOBI


2010 ◽  
Vol 45 (8) ◽  
pp. 764-771 ◽  
Author(s):  
Virginie Jubin ◽  
Stéphane Ranque ◽  
Nathalie Stremler Le bel ◽  
Jacques Sarles ◽  
Jean-Christophe Dubus

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