title: Clinical efficacy of anti-IgE therapy for eosinophilic otitis media.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Eosinophilic otitis media (EOM) is an intractable otitis media characterized by a highly viscous effusion containing eosinophils, and high levels of immunoglobulin (Ig) E are detected in the middle ear effusion (MEE). We carried out a pilot study to determine whether anti-IgE therapy is efficacious in the treatment of EOM.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tertiary referral center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eight patients with EOM received the anti-IgE agent omalizumab for at least 3 months, in addition to ordinary treatments for EOM. They were evaluated by a questionnaire for ear and respiratory symptoms, clinical scores, surrogate markers in the blood, and hearing acuity before and after the anti-IgE therapy. Nine EOM patients without anti-IgE therapy were included as controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The ear symptom scores and clinical scores gradually decreased during the therapy. In particular, 5 patients who were treated for more than 1 year showed improvement of their clinical scores with resolution of the MEE. The total serum IgE level was significantly elevated after 3 months of therapy (p < 0.01). Deterioration of the bone conduction hearing levels was more frequently found in the control group than in the omalizumab group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This pilot study provides new evidence establishing that long-term anti-IgE therapy improved the clinical ear symptoms of EOM and bone conduction hearing levels were mostly preserved. Therefore, long-term anti-IgE therapy can be effective for EOM to inhibit eosinophilic inflammation in the middle ear.
authors: Department of Otolaryngology, Jichi Medical University Saitama Medical Center, Saitama, Japan. yiino@jichi.ac.jp
authors: Yukiko
authors: Y
authors: Iino
authors: Mariko
authors: M
authors: Hara
authors: Masayo
authors: M
authors: Hasegawa
authors: Shingo
authors: S
authors: Matsuzawa
authors: Akihiro
authors: A
authors: Shinnabe
authors: Hiromi
authors: H
authors: Kanazawa
authors: Naohiro
authors: N
authors: Yoshida
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004804:Eosinophils; D005260:Female; D006320:Hearing Tests; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000069444:Omalizumab; D010034:Otitis Media with Effusion / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000069444:Omalizumab; D007073:Immunoglobulin E