Commentary
T cell activity in successful treatment of chronic urticaria with omalizumab
1 Alergología, Hospital del Tórax (Ofra); Complejo Hospitalario Universitario NS Candelaria, S/C Tenerife, Spain
2 Immunology Section, Central Lab, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, La Laguna, Spain
3 Department of Clinical Sciences-Division IV, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
4 Research Unit; Complejo Hospitalario Universitario NS Candelaria, S/C Tenerife, Spain
5 Research Unit, Hospital Universitario NS Candelaria, Ctra. Rosario 145, S/C Tenerife, 38010 Spain
6 Department of Clinical Sciences, Division IV, Lund University, Lund 22185 Sweden
Clinical and Molecular Allergy 2011, 9:11 doi:10.1186/1476-7961-9-11
Published: 26 July 2011Abstract
Omalizumab, a humanized monoclonal anti-IgE antibody has the potential to alter allergen processing. Recently, it has been postulated the assessment of PHA-stimulated adenosine triphosphate (ATP) activity as maker of CD4+ T cells activity in peripheral blood cells. We present the case report of a 35-year-old woman with a history of chronic idiopathic urticaria and angioedema of 8 years of development with poor response to treatment. The patient was partially controlled with cyclosporine at doses of 100 mg/12 h. However, she was still developing hives daily. Finally treatment with omalizumab was started at dose of 300 mg every 2 weeks. The patient experienced a decrease in urticarial lesions 2 days after starting therapy. We also evaluated the effects of omalizumab therapy on the activity of peripheral blood CD4+ T cells from the patient, in order to determine the potential modification of anti-IgE therapy on the process of antigen presentation-recognition. Activity of CD4+ cells by ATP release was clearly increased demonstrating an enlarged CD4 activity. Omalizumab may be useful in the treatment of severe chronic urticaria. ATP activity of peripheral blood CD4+ T cells might be a non-subjective method to assess Omalizumab activity.
