title: Anti-immunoglobulin E treatment of patients with recalcitrant physical urticaria.
abstract: In physical urticaria, exogenous physical factors such as thermal triggers, solar radiation and mechanic triggers including friction or pressure are responsible for the elicitation of symptoms in the skin of patients. Avoidance of the respective stimulus is usually difficult or impossible, and many patients are not sufficiently treated with standard antihistamines. We report that treatment with omalizumab (Xolair®) of 7 patients with physical urticarias [solar urticaria (n = 2), urticaria factitia/symptomatic dermographism (n = 2), cold urticaria, delayed pressure urticaria and localized heat urticaria] resulted in complete symptom control within days after the first injection in 5 patients. In 1 patient, symptoms improved after increasing the dose of omalizumab, and 1 patient with localized heat urticaria did not respond significantly to treatment. Before anti-immunoglobulin E treatment, all patients had suffered from their physical urticaria for years and had had numerous unsuccessful therapies. The overall excellent responses to omalizumab treatment reported here indicate that anti-immunoglobulin E is a safe and effective treatment for recalcitrant physical urticarias.
authors: Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Allergie-Centrum-Charité, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Metz
authors: Sabine
authors: S
authors: Altrichter
authors: Elena
authors: E
authors: Ardelean
authors: Birgit
authors: B
authors: Kessler
authors: Karoline
authors: K
authors: Krause
authors: Markus
authors: M
authors: Magerl
authors: Frank
authors: F
authors: Siebenhaar
authors: Karsten
authors: K
authors: Weller
authors: Torsten
authors: T
authors: Zuberbier
authors: Marcus
authors: M
authors: Maurer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018926:Anti-Allergic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000069444:Omalizumab; D014581:Urticaria / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D018926:Anti-Allergic Agents; D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000069444:Omalizumab; D007073:Immunoglobulin E