TOPLINE
Among patients with antihistamine-resistant chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), omalizumab treatment for 3 months was associated with significant clinical improvement, along with reductions in systemic inflammatory markers and D-dimer levels. However, baseline laboratory parameters were insufficient to predict treatment response.
METHODOLOGY
- Researchers conducted an observational study to assess the effects of a 3-month course of omalizumab on both clinical outcomes and laboratory parameters in 30 patients with antihistamine-resistant CSU (mean age, 38.5 years; 73.3% women).
- Patients received 300 mg of subcutaneous omalizumab every 28 days for 3 months.
- Disease activity was assessed using the 7-day Urticaria Activity Score (UAS7; range, 0-42), with higher scores indicating greater disease activity.
- The primary outcome was the change from baseline in hematologic parameters (leukocyte, neutrophil, and lymphocyte counts and the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio [NLR]), inflammatory parameters (C-reactive protein [CRP] levels and erythrocyte sedimentation rate), and coagulation parameters (D-dimer levels and activated partial thromboplastin time).
TAKEAWAY
- After 3 months of treatment with omalizumab, the mean UAS7 score decreased from 23.13 at baseline to 7.33 (P = .001), with 56.7% of patients achieving well-controlled disease, including 33.3% achieving a complete response (UAS7 = 0).
- Significant reductions were observed in leukocyte counts, neutrophil counts, the NLR, CRP levels, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and D-dimer levels (P < .05 for all).
- The activated partial thromboplastin time showed a modest but significant increase following treatment (P = .048); however, all values remained within normal laboratory ranges.
- Baseline laboratory parameters showed no significant correlation with clinical response.
IN PRACTICE
“Collectively, these findings indicate that omalizumab exerts effects extending beyond clinical symptom relief, influencing systemic inflammatory and coagulation pathways in CSU,” the authors wrote.
SOURCE
Dursun Turkmen, with Inonu University, Malatya, Türkiye, was the corresponding author of the study, which was published online on September 7 in Irish Journal of Medical Science.
LIMITATIONS
The study had a relatively small sample size and no comparison group. Follow-up lasted only 3 months. Moreover, the researchers relied solely on routine laboratory parameters, which may not capture the complete immunological complexity of CSU.
DISCLOSURES
The authors received no funding and declared having no conflicts of interest.
This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
