Asthma, Rhinitis, Other Respiratory Diseases: Brief CommunicationThe effect of omalizumab on nasal allergic inflammation☆,☆☆
Section snippets
Methods
Blood samples were obtained for eosinophil counts and measurement of serum IgE levels before and during the pollen season. Nasal mucosa specimens were obtained in randomized order from either the right or the left inferior turbinate twice during the study: outside the pollen season (before trial treatment) and at the peak of the season (during trial treatment). Local anesthesia of the inferior nasal turbinate was achieved by means of topical application of 1 mL of a solution of 4% cocaine and
Clinical symptoms
Thirty patients from 2 centers participating in a multicenter Scandinavian trial were included in this nasal biopsy study. Nineteen patients (9 male and 10 female) were randomized to the omalizumab treatment; 11 patients (5 male and 6 female) were randomized to the placebo group. The patients ranged in age from 20 to 48 years (mean, 31.6 years).
In both treatment groups, significant seasonal increases in all symptoms variables were noted. In addition, use of rescue medication increased
Discussion
The results confirm that in birch-sensitized patients, seasonal pollen exposure is associated with inflammation of the nasal tissues, notably in markers reflecting eosinophil activity.1 Omalizumab appeared to exert an anti-inflammatory effect in preventing allergen-induced tissue eosinophilia, with a corresponding effect on blood eosinophilia.
The results of a statistical analysis performed on the clinical symptoms of the 30 participating patients did not agree with the findings of the original
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Supported by Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland, and Genentech Inc, San Francisco, Calif.
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Reprint requests: Sabina Rak, MD, PhD, Asthma and Allergy Research Group, Department of Respiratory Medicine and Allergology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 413 45 Göteborg, Sweden.