Our findings indicate that TARC and MDC are actively involved in the pathogenesis of AD and their expression, opposite to that of eotaxin, is strongly associated with clinical picture of atopic dermatitis.

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BackgroundAllergic asthma is the most prevalent phenotype of severe asthma where treatment with omalizumab (OMB) has been proven to be particularly beneficial. In Poland, OMB therapy is available and reimbursed within a drug programme where strict inclusion and exclusion criteria are defined.The objective of this study was to present a descriptive analysis regarding the trends in outcomes (clinical, quality of life, costs) among a cohort of patients who satisfy inclusion criteria for the initiation of OMB treatment and who successfully responded to OMB according to a set of objective criteria.MethodsA retrospective analysis of data collected during the 52 weeks of OMB treatment was carried out. The study population was adolescents and adults with severe allergic asthma that was uncontrolled despite a combination of high-dose inhaled corticosteroids (ICS)/long-acting beta-agonists (LABA) and/or other controllers (leukotriene receptor antagonists (LTRA), sustained-release theophylline, and short- or long-acting muscarinic antagonists (SAMA/LAMA), who were the first to finish the one-year treatment. A clinical and cost analysis for patients included in the programme was conducted comparing the one-year pre-treatment period to the one-year treatment period outcomes.ResultsData of 85 patients who completed the first year of therapy were reviewed and analysed. Add-on OMB treatment resulted in a median decrease in exacerbation rate of 66% relative to the baseline and a reduction in oral steroid (OCS) dose by an average of 7.7 mg. At the end of the 52 weeks of therapy the changes in the quality of life questionnaire (AQLQ) and the asthma control questionnaire (ACQ) scores were 1.86 and 1.45 points, respectively. The mean cost of asthma treatment increased by an average of 15,979 EUR per patient per year (baseline period – 802 EUR/patient/year; OMB treatment – 16,781 EUR/patient/year). The cost to avoid one exacerbation was 17721 EUR.ConclusionThe clinical outcomes for the observed subset of patients were highly improved. At the same time, costs of the treatment increased, mainly due to the high OMB costs. Other costs associated with a lower number of hospitalizations and ED and office visits and a reduction in OCS dose decreased. These descriptive data can be used for further investigation in defining patients who benefit the most from OMB treatment in clinical practice.

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Introduction Omalizumab is a high-cost therapy recommended for the treatment of severe allergic asthma. Objective To find clinical parameters that are related to the sustained response to omalizumab. Patients and Methods This retrospective, real-life, 4-year follow-up was provided in Poland between March 2013 and May 2019. The success of omalizumab was assessed based on composed subjective and objective criteria. Simple/multiple regression analyses were performed to search for predictors of the response to omalizumab. Results A total of 989 severe allergic asthma patients were referred for omalizumab therapy, of whom 854 patients were considered eligible for treatment. At weeks 16 and 52, omalizumab was successful in 84% and 91% of patients, respectively. Treatment effectiveness was maintained up to the 4-year follow-up. Four predictors of the response to omalizumab were found at week 16 and two at week 52. The results at week 16 may be used as predictors of success at week 52 based on the model including baseline FEV1% and change in ACQ-7 and miniAQLQ score at week 16: the area under the ROC curve equals 0.746 [95% CI: 0.672–0.820]. Conclusion Omalizumab therapy is very effective, with this efficacy sustained after 4 years of treatment. Success of the therapy can be predicted from the baseline FEV1% and clinical improvement (based on ACQ-7 and miniAQLQ scores) at week 16.