Desensitization to febuxostat: report of two cases.

Febuxostat has been recently introduced in the market as an alternative urate-lowering drug. Its allergenic profile has not been fully outlined and the clinical management of hypersensitivity reactions is not standardized. We report 2 cases of hypersensitivity reactions to febuxostat and present a desensitization protocol

Cutaneous adverse reactions to imatinib: a case report of a successful slow protocol for induction of drug tolerance.

Imatinib mesilate (Gleevec, Novartis, UK) is a selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor widely used for the treatment f hematologic diseases such as chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Administration of imatinib has been related to both cutaneous side effects and hypersensitivity reactions. Since it often is a unique therapeutic option for the treatment of CML, desensitization becames an option in patients who develop hypersensitivity reactions and do not have equally effective therapeutic options. We hereby propose a possible slow protocol for induction of tolerance, suitable for patients who develop cutaneous delayed reactions

Omalizumab in elderly patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria: An Italian real-life experience

Background: Omalizumab therapy is effective and safe in patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) resistant to nonsedating histamine1 (H1) antihistamines (nsAHs). Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of omalizumab in elderly (aged ≥65 years) patients with nonsedating H1-antihistamine–refractory CSU in a real-life setting. Methods: Patients with nonsedating H1-antihistamine–refractory CSU (n = 322) treated with omalizumab administered every 4 weeks in doses of 300 mg for 24 weeks were divided into 2 groups according to age at omalizumab treatment onset: 15 to 64 years and 65 years or older. Treatment response was assessed using a 7-day urticaria activity score (UAS7). Adverse effects of omalizumab therapy were recorded. Results: Among patients, 32 (9.9%) were 65 years or older. At baseline, CSU characteristics were generally similar among the groups, although the presence of angioedema was statistically significantly lower in patients younger than 65 years. Any differences in weekly itch severity score, hive score, and UAS7 between the 2 age groups were not significant at weeks 4, 12, and 24, with the exception of the hive score at 24 weeks and the UAS7 at week 24. No significant between-group differences were seen in the proportion of patients with a UAS7 of 6 or lower and with a UAS7 score of 0 at weeks 4, 12, 24, and 40. The proportion of patients with at least one adverse event reported as suspected to be caused by study drug was 10% in the younger group vs 6.3% in the older group (P =.53). Conclusion: Our study found that omalizumab is a well-tolerated and effective therapy for elderly patients with nonsedating H1-antihistamine–refractory CSU

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of diagnostic methods in adult food allergy

Food allergy has an increasing prevalence in the general population and in Italy concerns 8 % of people with allergies. The spectrum of its clinical manifestations ranges from mild symptoms up to potentially fatal anaphylactic shock. A number of patients can be diagnosed easily by the use of first- and second-level procedures (history, skin tests and allergen specific IgE). Patients with complex presentation, such as multiple sensitizations and pollen-food syndromes, frequently require a third-level approach including molecular diagnostics, which enables the design of a component-resolved sensitization profile for each patient. The use of such techniques involves specialists' and experts' skills on the issue to appropriately meet the diagnostic and therapeutic needs of patients. Particularly, educational programs for allergists on the use and interpretation of molecular diagnostics are needed

CSES Module 1-3 Harmonized Trend File

Für weitere Informationen zur Variablenliste siehe die Dokumentation (Codebook) des CSES Module 1-3 Harmonized Trend File. Informationen zum Inhalt können den Studiennummern ZA5179 CSES Module 1 Full Release, ZA5180 CSES Module 2 Full Release, und ZA5181 CSES Module 3 Full Release entnommen werden