The global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the management and course of chronic urticaria

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically disrupts health care around the globe. The impact of the pandemic on chronic urticaria (CU) and its management are largely unknown. Aim: To understand how CU patients are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic; how specialists alter CU patient management; and the course of CU in patients with COVID-19. Materials and Methods: Our cross-sectional, international, questionnaire-based, multicenter UCARE COVID-CU study assessed the impact of the pandemic on patient consultations, remote treatment, changes in medications, and clinical consequences. Results: The COVID-19 pandemic severely impairs CU patient care, with less than 50% of the weekly numbers of patients treated as compared to before the pandemic. Reduced patient referrals and clinic hours were the major reasons. Almost half of responding UCARE physicians were involved in COVID-19 patient care, which negatively impacted on the care of urticaria patients. The rate of face-to-face consultations decreased by 62%, from 90% to less than half, whereas the rate of remote consultations increased by more than 600%, from one in 10 to more than two thirds. Cyclosporine and systemic corticosteroids, but not antihistamines or omalizumab, are used less during the pandemic. CU does not affect the course of COVID-19, but COVID-19 results in CU exacerbation in one of three patients, with higher rates in patients with severe COVID-19. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic brings major changes and challenges for CU patients and their physicians. The long-term consequences of these changes, especially the increased use of remote consultations, require careful evaluation

Pulmonary function and screening for allergic asthma in patients with common variable immunodeficiency

A imunodeficiência comum variável (ICV) é uma síndrome heterogênea caracterizada por hipogamaglobulinemia e infecções bacterianas de repetição. As doenças obstrutivas, como a asma, estão presentes em aproximadamente 50% dos pacientes. Os sintomas decorrentes de infecções respiratórias de repetição podem mascarar os sintomas de alergia respiratória. A asma tem alta prevalência no mundo e é observada em aproximadamente 10% da população brasileira. Embora muitos pacientes com ICV apresentem história clínica sugestiva de rinite e/ou asma alérgicas, a participação da atopia não está bem esclarecida e freqüentemente os níveis de IgE total e/ou IgE específica estão baixos. Muitos autores estudam a produção de IgE local e uma correlação entre a concentração de IgE nos fluidos corporais e no soro existe. Os objetivos deste estudo são avaliar a função pulmonar em pacientes com ICV através de: espirometria, provocação brônquica com histamina e com alérgeno; investigar o diagnóstico de asma em pacientes com ICV e realizar a investigação in vivo e in vitro da IgE em pacientes com ICV. Este estudo incluiu 62 pacientes que estavam em acompanhamento ambulatorial no Serviço de Imunologia Clínica e Alergia do Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo. A função pulmonar foi avaliada pela espirometria e pela provocação brônquica com histamina antes e após uma provocação brônquica com Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Der p) e a investigação da IgE específica para aeroalérgenos através de teste epicutâneo e avaliação da IgE sérica específica usando ImmunoCAPTM. Vinte e nove (46,7%) tinham história clínica de sugestiva de asma e em relação à atopia, 27 (43,5%) tinham história sugestiva de atopia. Uma associação de asma e atopia no mesmo paciente foi encontrada em 18 pacientes (29%). Nós comparamos o grupo sugestivo de asma alérgica com os outros pacientes pacientes com rinite alérgica ou não-alérgica, asma não-alérgica e pacientes sem sintomas respiratórios. A maioria dos pacientes apresentou níveis séricos de IgE total indetectáveis. Somente dois pacientes apresentaram resultado positivo para IgE específica pelo teste epicutâneo e in vitro. Sessenta e um pacientes realizaram espirometria. Destes, 25 pacientes (41%) apresentaram resultado normal, 29 (47,5%) apresentaram distúrbio ventilatório obstrutivo e 7 (11,5%) apresentaram resultados sugestivos de distúrbio ventilatório restritivo. As provocações brônquicas foram realizadas em 15 pacientes. A provocação brônquica com histamina foi considerada positiva em 3 pacientes com história positiva para asma. Em relação à provocação brônquica com Der p, nenhum paciente apresentou resposta imediata positiva. Entretanto, quando a segunda provocação brônquica com histamina foi realizada (pós-Der p), quatro dos 5 pacientes com história sugestiva de asma alérgica apresentaram resultado positivo, com diminuição de PC20 em relação à primeira provocação vi brônquica com histamina. Uma diferença estatística foi observada nos resultados entre o grupo sugestivo de asma alérgica e os pacientes sem asma alérgica. Ao final do estudo, a asma foi confirmada em 9 pacientes com ICV (14,5%), a atopia foi confirmada em 6 pacientes com ICV (9,7%) e a asma alérgica foi confirmada em 4 pacientes com ICV (6,5%), que correspondeu a 22,2% dos 18 pacientes com suspeita de asma alérgicaCommon variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is a heterogenous immunodeficiency syndrome characterized by hypogammaglobulinemia, and recurrent bacterial infections. Obstructive diseases as asthma are present in approximately 50 % of patients. Symptoms due to recurrent respiratory pyogenic infections may mask respiratory allergic symptoms. Asthma has high worldwide prevalence and is observed in approximately 10 % of Brazilian population. Although a number of patients with CVID report a clinical history suggestive of allergic symptoms, the role of atopy is not well established in these individuals; and frequently levels of total IgE and/or specific IgE are low. Local IgE production has been studied and a correlation between IgE concentration in body fluids and serum exists. The objectives of this study are evaluation of pulmonary function in patients with CVID through: spirometry, bronchial challenge with histamine, and with allergen; investigate asthma diagnosis in patients with CVID; perform in vivo and in vitro investigation of IgE in patients with CVID. This study included sixty-two patients, who were being followed at the Service of Clinical Immunology and Allergy of the Hospital das Clínicas of the University of São Paulo Medical School. Pulmonary function was assessed using spirometry and bronchial challenge with histamine before and after a bronchial challenge with Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Der p), and investigation of specific IgE for aeroallergens with skin prick test and serum specific IgE evaluation using ImmunoCAPTM. Twenty-nine (46.7 %) had clinical history suggestive of asthma, and in regards to atopy, twenty-seven patients (43.5%) reported atopy suggestive history. An association of asthma and atopy in the same patient was observed in eighteen (29 %) participants. We compared the group of allergic asthma with the other patients patients with allergic or non-allergic rhinitis, non-allergic asthma, and patients without respiratory. Most patients had undetectable levels of total IgE concentration in serum. Only two patients had positive results for specific IgE by prick test and in vitro investigation. All patients, except one, underwent spirometry test for lung function evaluation. Of the sixty-one patients, twenty-five (41 %) had normal spirometry results, twenty-nine (47.5 %) had Obstructive Ventilatory Defect, and seven (11.5 %) had results suggestive of Restrictive Ventilatory Defect. Bronchial challenges were performed in fifteen patients. Bronchial challenge with histamine was considered positive in three patients with a positive history of asthma. Regarding to bronchial challenge with Der p, none presented immediate positive response. However, when the second nonspecific bronchial provocation with histamine was performed (post-Der p), four of the five patients with a history of allergic asthma had positive test results, with lower PC20 than in the first non-specific bronchial provocation with histamine. A statistical difference was noticed in the test results of the group suggestive for allergic asthma and the patients without allergic asthma. viii At the end of this study, asthma had been confirmed in 9 patients with CVID (14.5%), atopy had been confirmed in 6 patients with CVID (9.7%), and allergic asthma had been confirmed in 4 patients with CVID (6.5%), which corresponded to 22.2% of the 18 patients suspected of allergic asthm

Esophageal CandidiasisAn Adverse Effect of Inhaled Corticosteroids Therapy

Over the last few decades, inhaled corticosteroids (ICs) became the cornerstone in the treatment of persistent asthma. Their use improved asthma control, decreased mortality and also minimized adverse reactions associated with systemic steroid. Esophageal candidiasis is a rare complication resulting from the use of ICs. Although, in recent years, as their prescriptions has increased, more cases have been reported, especially in Japan. Listed are 4 case reports regarding esophageal candidiasis in asthmatic patients associated with inhaled budesonide administration. In the cases reported herein, the use of a different device of dry powder budesonide might have favored esophageal drug deposition and Candida infection. Patients denied using systemic corticosteroids in the previous 6 months. Furthermore, none of the patients presented Diabetes mellitus, malignant disease, HIV infection, or other immunosuppressive conditions. We conclude that patients treated with high doses of ICs are at higher risk of developing esophageal candidiasis. These patients should undergo upper gastrointestinal endoscopy whenever they present symptoms. Nevertheless, we must keep in mind that infection might also be asymptomatic and esophageal candidiasis prevalence may be higher than that reported thus far

Hereditary angioedema classification: Expanding knowledge by genotyping and endotyping

Hereditary angioedema (HAE) encompasses a group of diseases characterized by recurrent, genetically mediated angioedema associated with increased vascular permeability primarily due to bradykinin. The disease poses diagnostic challenges, leading to underdiagnosis and delayed therapy. Severe manifestations include laryngeal and intestinal angioedema, contributing to significant morbidity and mortality. If left undiagnosed, the estimated mortality rate of the disease ranges from 25% to 40% due to asphyxiation caused by laryngeal angioedema. There is a pressing need to enhance awareness of hereditary angioedema and its warning signs. The acronym “H4AE” may facilitate the memorization of these signs. This study comprehensively reviews clinical, laboratory, and physiopathological features of documented HAE subtypes. The study advocates for an improved HAE classification based on endotypes, building on the knowledge of angioedema pathophysiology. The proposed endotype classification of HAE offers a clear and applicable framework, encouraging advancements in disease understanding and classification