Effect of omalizumab on lung function and eosinophil levels in adolescents with moderate-to-severe allergic asthma

Background: Asthma is the most common chronic disease affecting children and altering their quality of life. The severity of asthma is often modulated by immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated allergen sensitization and is associated with comorbid allergic dis-eases. Omalizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody anti-IgE, the first biological therapy approved to treat patients aged ≥6 years with severe allergic asthma. The primary objective of our study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of Omali-zumab in Romanian paediatric patients with severe allergic asthma. Methods: In this observational real-life study, 12 children aged 6 to 18 years, (mean age 12.4 years ) with severe allergic asthma received Omalizumab as an add-on treatment. The levels of asthma control, exacerbations, lung function and adverse events were evaluated at baseline and after the first year of treatment. Results: We noticed general improvements in total asthma symptom scores and the rate of exacerbation of severe asthma. Omalizumab increased the initial variables of lung function, and no serious adverse reactions were reported. FEV1 improved statistically significant after one year of treatment with Omalizumab, [ΔFEV1 (% pred.) =18.3, and similarly, ΔMEF50 (%) = 25.8]. The mean severe exacerbation rates due to asthma decreased from 4.1 (2.8 SD) to 1.15 (0.78 SD) during the treatment year (p<0.0001) with Omalizumab. Conclusions: Treatment with Omalizumab can be an effective and safe therapeutic option for Romanian children with severe allergic asthma, providing clinically relevant in-formation on asthma control and exacerbation rate in children and adolescents. The results highlighted the effect of Omalizumab in young patients, starting from the first year of treatment.

Download Full-text

Clinical Experience with Anti-IgE Monoclonal Antibody (Omalizumab) in Pediatric Severe Allergic Asthma—A Romanian Perspective

Children ◽

10.3390/children8121141 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (12) ◽

pp. 1141

Author(s):

Elena Camelia Berghea ◽

Mihaela Balgradean ◽

Carmen Pavelescu ◽

Catalin Gabriel Cirstoveanu ◽

Claudia Lucia Toma ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lung Function ◽

Children And Adolescents ◽

Allergic Asthma ◽

Asthma Control ◽

Immunoglobulin E ◽

Real Life ◽

First Year ◽

Severe Exacerbation ◽

Exacerbation Rate ◽

Severe Allergic Asthma

Background: Asthma is the most common chronic disease affecting children, with a negative impact on their quality of life. Asthma is often associated with comorbid allergic diseases, and its severity may be modulated by immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated allergen sensitization. Omalizumab is a humanized monoclonal anti-IgE antibody, the first biological therapy approved to treat patients aged ≥6 years with severe allergic asthma. The primary objective of our study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of Omalizumab in Romanian children with severe allergic asthma. Methods: In this observational real-life study, 12 children and adolescents aged 6 to 18 years (mean 12.4 years) with severe allergic asthma received Omalizumab as an add-on treatment. Asthma control, exacerbations, lung function, and adverse events were evaluated at baseline and after the first year of treatment. Results: We observed general improvement in total asthma symptom scores and reduction in the rate of exacerbation of severe asthma. Omalizumab treatment was associated with improvement in the measures of lung function, and no serious adverse reactions were reported. FEV1 improved significantly after one year of treatment with Omalizumab [ΔFEV1 (% pred.) = 18.3], and [similarly, ΔMEF50 (%) = 25.8]. The mean severe exacerbation rate of asthma decreased from 4.1 ± 2.8 to 1.15 ± 0.78 (p < 0.0001) during the year of treatment with Omalizumab. Conclusions: This study showed that Omalizumab can be an effective and safe therapeutic option for Romanian children and adolescents with severe allergic asthma, providing clinically relevant information on asthma control and exacerbation rate in children and adolescents. The results demonstrated the positive effect of Omalizumab in young patients with asthma, starting from the first year of treatment.

Download Full-text

P107 Effectiveness of omalizumab on asthma control and lung function in severe allergic asthma patients in the Czech Republic

Thorax ◽

10.1136/thoraxjnl-2011-201054c.107 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 66 (Suppl 4) ◽

pp. A111-A111

Author(s):

V. Sedlak ◽

Keyword(s):

Czech Republic ◽

Lung Function ◽

Allergic Asthma ◽

Asthma Control ◽

The Czech Republic ◽

Severe Allergic Asthma ◽

Asthma Patients

Download Full-text

Predictors of a Minimal Clinically Important Difference Following Omalizumab Treatment in Adult Patients With Severe Allergic Asthma

Frontiers in Medicine ◽

10.3389/fmed.2021.762318 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Author(s):

Wei-Chang Huang ◽

Pin-Kuei Fu ◽

Ming-Cheng Chan ◽

Chun-Shih Chin ◽

Wen-Nan Huang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lung Function ◽

Allergic Asthma ◽

Asthma Control ◽

Minimal Clinically Important Difference ◽

Adult Patients ◽

Blood Eosinophil ◽

Asthma Control Test ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Clinically Important Difference ◽

Severe Allergic Asthma

Several factors have been found to be predictors of a good response following omalizumab treatment in patients with severe allergic asthma (SAA). However, it remains unclear whether clinical characteristics can predict a minimal clinically important difference (MCID) following omalizumab treatment in this population. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the features associated with an MCID following omalizumab treatment in adult patients with SAA. Of the 124 participants enrolled in this retrospective, cross-sectional study, 94, 103, 20 and 53 achieved the MCID following treatment with omalizumab and were considered to be responders of exacerbation reduction (no exacerbation during the 1-year follow-up period or ≧50% reduction in exacerbations from baseline), oral corticosteroid (OCS) sparing (no use of OCS to control asthma during the study period or a reduction of the monthly OCS maintenance dose to <50% of baseline), lung function (an increase of ≧230 ml in the forced expiratory volume in 1 s from baseline) and asthma control (an increase of ≧3 points in the asthma control test score from baseline), respectively. Normal weight [<25 vs. ≧30 kg/m2, odds ratio (OR) = 3.86, p = 0.024] was predictive of a responder of reduction in exacerbations following omalizumab treatment while subjects with a blood eosinophil level of <300 cells/μL (<300 vs. ≧300 cells/μL, OR = 5.81, p = 0.001) were more likely to exhibit an MCID in OCS sparing. No factor was found to be a predictor of lung function or asthma control. When choosing treatment for adult patients with SAA, our findings may help to select those who may benefit the most from omalizumab treatment.

Download Full-text