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Effects of Adding Omalizumab, an Anti-Immunoglobulin E Antibody, on Airway Wall Thickening in Asthma
Respiration, 01/11/2012
Clinical Article
Hoshino M et al. - The findings suggest that omalizumab reduced airway wall thickness and airway inflammation. Larger patient studies with longer-term follow-up are needed to show whether omalizumab can truly maintain improved airway wall dimensions.
Methods- Thirty patients with severe persistent asthma were randomized to conventional therapy with (n = 14) or without omalizumab (n = 16) for 16 weeks.
- The following airway dimensions were assessed by a validated CT technique: airway wall area corrected for body surface area (WA/BSA), percentage wall area (WA%), wall thickness (T)/BSA, and luminal area (Ai)/BSA at the right apical segmental bronchus.
- The percentage of eosinophils in induced sputum, pulmonary function and the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ) were assessed as well.
- Treatment with omalizumab significantly decreased WA/BSA (p < 0.01), WA% (p < 0.01), and T/BSA (p < 0.01), and increased Ai/BSA (p < 0.05), whereas conventional therapy resulted in no change.
- In the omalizumab group (n = 14), a significant decrease in the percentage of sputum eosinophils (p < 0.01), improved forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), and an improved AQLQ score were recorded.
- The changes in FEV1% predicted and sputum eosinophils were significantly correlated with changes in WA% (r = 0.88, p < 0.001, and r = 072, p < 0.01, respectively).