title: Effectiveness of omalizumab in a patient with severe asthma, low serum IgE level, and lack of sensitized allergens induced by oral steroid therapy: the usefulness of impulse oscillation for assessment of omalizumab therapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Omalizumab is a humanized monoclonal anti-IgE antibody that was recently approved for the treatment of severe allergic asthma. However, omalizumab is not licensed for allergic asthma in patients with a low serum IgE level (<30 IU/mL) or negative results for specific allergen tests.
  
  
  METHODS
  We present a patient with severe asthma and low serum IgE levels who had negative results for specific allergens induced by oral steroid therapy. Omalizumab administration improved asthma exacerbated forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV(1)) and respiratory resistance measurements based on the impulse oscillation technique (Mostgraph-01). The response to omalizumab therapy was evidenced by a decrease in airway resistance at 1 month.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings of this case report indicate that omalizumab treatment had beneficial effects in a patient with severe asthma and low total serum IgE levels with negative results for specific IgE, which may have been induced by long-term corticosteroid administration.
authors.affiliation: Division of Medicine for Allergic Disease, Osaka Prefectural Medical Center for Respiratory and Allergic Diseases, Habikino City, Japan. matsunoo@ra.opho.jp
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Matsuno
authors.forename: Chika
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Komori
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hang
authors.forename: Tomoshige
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Seijiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Minamoto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood*; D000069444:Omalizumab; D009991:Oscillometry
chemical_list: D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents; D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000069444:Omalizumab; D007073:Immunoglobulin E