Thorax · 2007 · 172 citations · 4 references
Life SciencesImmunologyPharmacotherapyAllergyClinical ImmunologyHypersensitivityAllergic ConditionsAllergic DiseaseCystic FibrosisCystic Fibrosis PharmacotherapyIge-mediated AllergyRespiratory DiseaseAspergillosis TherapyIge-mediated MechanismsImmunoglobulin E (Ige)Lung Function DeclineLung Function TestingPulmonary AspergillosisSerious Adverse EventsSteroid Dependence
Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) can cause severe worsening of the respiratory condition in patients with cystic fibrosis. Treatment can result in steroid dependency and serious adverse events. A dramatic and rapid improvement of respiratory symptoms and lung function after a single dose of anti-IgE antibody (omalizumab) in a 12-year-old girl with cystic fibrosis and ABPA is described. This is the first report of this experimental treatment. It suggests an important role for IgE in the pathogenesis of ABPA and offers new therapeutic possibilities.
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