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BACKGROUND: Patients with hereditary angioedema (HAE) due to C1-inhibitor deficiency (C1-INH-HAE) experience recurrent attacks of cutaneous or submucosal edema that may be frequent and severe; prophylactic treatments can be prescribed to prevent attacks. However, despite the use of long-term prophylaxis (LTP), breakthrough attacks are known to occur. We used data from the Icatibant Outcome Survey (IOS) to evaluate the characteristics of breakthrough attacks and the effectiveness of icatibant as a treatment option.METHODS: Data on LTP use, attacks, and treatments were recorded. Attack characteristics, treatment characteristics, and outcomes (time to treatment, time to resolution, and duration of attack) were compared for attacks that occurred with versus without LTP.RESULTS: Data on 3228 icatibant-treated attacks from 448 patients with C1-INH-HAE were analyzed; 30.1% of attacks occurred while patients were using LTP. Attack rate, attack severity, and the distribution of attack sites were similar across all types of LTP used, and were comparable to the results found in patients who did not receive LTP. Attacks were successfully treated with icatibant; 82.5% of all breakthrough attacks were treated with a single icatibant injection without C1-INH rescue medication. Treatment outcomes were comparable for breakthrough attacks across all LTP types, and for attacks without LTP.CONCLUSIONS: Patients who use LTP should be aware that breakthrough attacks can occur, and such attacks can be severe. Thus, patients with C1-INH-HAE using LTP should have emergency treatment readily available. Data from IOS show that icatibant is effective for the treatment of breakthrough attacks. Trial Registration NCT01034969.

Background Hereditary angioedema (HAE) due to C1-inhibitor deficiency (C1-INH-HAE) is a rare, potentially fatal, bradykinin-mediated disease. Icatibant is a bradykinin B2 receptor antagonist originally approved in 2008 in the European Union and 2011 in the United States as an acute therapy option for HAE attacks in adults. Objective To compare demographics, disease characteristics and treatment outcomes of icatibant-treated HAE attacks in patients with C1-INH-HAE enrolled in the Icatibant Outcome Survey across six European countries: Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK. Methods The Icatibant Outcome Survey [IOS; Shire, Zug, Switzerland (NCT01034969)] is an international observational study monitoring the safety and effectiveness of icatibant. Descriptive, retrospective analyses compared IOS country data derived during July 2009–April 2015. Results Overall, 481 patients with C1-INH-HAE provided demographic data. A significant difference across countries in age at onset (P = 0.003) and baseline attack frequency (P < 0.001) was found although no significant differences were found with respect to gender (majority female; P = 0.109), age at diagnosis (P = 0.182) or delay in diagnosis (P = 0.059). Icatibant was used to treat 1893 attacks in 325 patients with majority self-administration in all countries. Overall, significant differences (all P < 0.001) were found across countries in time to treatment [median 1.8 h; median range: 0.0 (Germany–Austria) to 4.4 (France) h], time to resolution [median 6.5 h; median range: 3 (Germany–Austria) to 12 (France) h] and attack duration [median 10.5 h; median range: 3.1 (Germany–Austria) to 18.5 (France) h]. Conclusion These data form the first European cross-country comparison of disease characteristics and icatibant use in patients with C1-INH-HAE who are enrolled in IOS. International variation in icatibant practice and treatment outcomes across the six European countries assessed highlight the need to further investigate the range of country-specific parameters driving regional variations in icatibant use.

In contrast to the majority of allergic or hypersensitivity conditions, worldwide anaphylaxis epidemiological data remain sparse with low accuracy, which hampers comparable morbidity statistics. Data can differ widely depending on a number of variables. In the current document we reviewed the forms on which anaphylaxis has been defined and classified; and how it can affect epidemiological data. With regards to the methods used to capture morbidity statistics, we observed the impact of the anaphylaxis coding utilizing the World Health Organization's International Classification of Diseases. As an outcome and depending on the anaphylaxis definition, we extracted the cumulative incidence, which may not reflect the real number of new cases. The new ICD-11 anaphylaxis subsection developments and critical view of morbidity statistics data are discussed in order to reach new perspectives on anaphylaxis epidemiology. © 2018 The Author(s).

We describe an observational survey of diagnostic pathways in 104 patients attending four specialist allergy clinics in the UK following perioperative hypersensitivity reactions to chlorhexidine reactions. The majority were life threatening. Men undergoing urological or cardiothoracic surgery predominated. Skin prick testing and sIgE testing were the most common tests used for diagnosis. Fifty-three % of diagnoses were made on the basis of a single positive test. Where multiple tests were performed the sensitivity of intradermal, basophil activation and skin prick testing was 68% (50-86%), 50% (10-90%) and 35% (17-55%) respectively. Seven percent were negative on screening tests initially, and 12 cases were only positive for a single test despite multiple testing. Intradermal tests appeared most sensitive in this context. Additional sensitisation to other substances used perioperatively, particularly neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBA), was found in 28 patients, emphasising the need to test for possible allergy to all drugs to which the patient was exposed even where chlorhexidine is positive. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Icatibant was efficacious and generally well tolerated for type I or II hereditary angioedema (HAE) attacks in adults in the phase III, randomized, placebo-controlled For Angioedema Subcutaneous Treatment (FAST)-3 trial. The Icatibant Outcome Survey (IOS) is an international, observational study assessing icatibant treatment of HAE attacks. We conducted a posthoc analysis to compare for the first time the treatment of HAE type I or II attacks in patients prescribed icatibant in real-world (IOS) versus controlled trial settings (FAST-3). In FAST-3, patients received icatibant administered by health care professionals (HCPs). In IOS, patients self-administered icatibant or were treated by HCPs. Median time to treatment, time to resolution (almost complete resolution [FAST-3] or complete resolution [IOS]), and attack duration in patients who were treated by an HCP were compared between IOS and FAST-3. Descriptive statistical methods compared nonlaryngeal attacks treated less than 12 hours from attack onset. Analysis included 102 patients (376 attacks) from IOS and 43 patients (43 attacks) from FAST-3 (controlled phase). All endpoints were significantly longer for patients in FAST-3 (HCP administration) versus IOS (HCP administration) (p < .001; all comparisons). For FAST-3 (HCP administered) versus IOS (HCP administered), median time from attack onset to treatment was 6.5 versus 2.0 hours, median time to symptom resolution was 8.0 versus 3.5 hours, and median attack duration was 16.9 versus 7.3 hours, respectively. For combined HCP and self-administration in IOS, these endpoints were 1.6, 4.4, and 7.8 hours, respectively. This posthoc analysis showed for the first time that type I and II HAE attacks were treated earlier with icatibant in a real-world versus a phase III setting, with a shortened time to symptom resolution and attack duration. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00912093 (FAST-3); NCT01034969 (IOS).

Item does not contain fulltext BACKGROUND: Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is an antibody deficiency with an equal sex distribution and a high variability in clinical presentation. The main features include respiratory tract infections and their associated complications, enteropathy, autoimmunity, and lymphoproliferative disorders. OBJECTIVE: This study analyzes the clinical presentation, association between clinical features, and differences and effects of immunoglobulin treatment in Europe. METHODS: Data on 2212 patients with CVID from 28 medical centers contributing to the European Society for Immunodeficiencies Database were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: Early disease onset (

Constitutive heterozygous GATA2 mutation is associated with deafness, lymphedema, mononuclear cytopenias, infection, myelodysplasia (MDS), and acute myeloid leukemia. In this study, we describe a cross-sectional analysis of 24 patients and 6 relatives with 14 different frameshift or substitution mutations of GATA2. A pattern of dendritic cell, monocyte, B, and natural killer (NK) lymphoid deficiency (DCML deficiency) with elevated Fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 ligand (Flt3L) was observed in all 20 patients phenotyped, including patients with Emberger syndrome, monocytopenia with Mycobacterium avium complex (MonoMAC), and MDS. Four unaffected relatives had a normal phenotype indicating that cellular deficiency may evolve over time or is incompletely penetrant, while 2 developed subclinical cytopenias or elevated Flt3L. Patients with GATA2 mutation maintained higher hemoglobin, neutrophils, and platelets and were younger than controls with acquired MDS and wild-type GATA2. Frameshift mutations were associated with earlier age of clinical presentation than substitution mutations. Elevated Flt3L, loss of bone marrow progenitors, and clonal myelopoiesis were early signs of disease evolution. Clinical progression was associated with increasingly elevated Flt3L, depletion of transitional B cells, CD56(bright) NK cells, naïve T cells, and accumulation of terminally differentiated NK and CD8(+) memory T cells. These studies provide a framework for clinical and laboratory monitoring of patients with GATA2 mutation and may inform therapeutic decision-making.