After 6 years with Xolair; a 3‐year withdrawal follow‐up

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Abstract
Background:  This study reports the clinical and immunological state of patients 3 years after a 6‐year period of Xolair treatment for severe allergic asthma.Methods:  The patient’s cat allergen sensitivity, measured as CD‐sens, IgE and IgE‐ and IgG4 antibodies, was analysed and compared with asthma severity evaluated from FEV1 and a questionnaire.Results:  Three years after treatment with Xolair was stopped, 12/18 patients reported improved or unchanged asthma compared with ongoing Xolair treatment. Most of the patients were in a stable clinical condition, 16/18 had not increased nightly asthma attacks and 14/18 little or no increase in medication. The CD‐sens to cat was still significantly lower (P < 0.02) than untreated patients with allergic asthma and lower than expected from their serum IgE antibody levels.Conclusion:  Most of the patients in this study had, still 3 years after closing of 6 years Xolair treatment, a surprisingly mild and stable asthma. Interestingly, the observed, considerable, downregulation of basophil allergen sensitivity, CD‐sens, most likely representing mast cell allergen sensitivity, contributed to the clinical results.

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