Visual representation of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease and Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network criteria for anaphylaxis

Interim analyses of a first-in-human phase 1/2 mRNA trial for propionic acidaemia

Propionic acidaemia is a rare disorder caused by defects in the propionyl-coenzyme A carboxylase α or β (PCCA or PCCB) subunits that leads to an accumulation of toxic metabolites and to recurrent, life-threatening metabolic decompensation events. Here we report interim analyses of a first-in-human, phase 1/2, open-label, dose-optimization study and an extension study evaluating the safety and efficacy of mRNA-3927, a dual mRNA therapy encoding PCCA and PCCB. As of 31 May 2023, 16 participants were enrolled across 5 dose cohorts. Twelve of the 16 participants completed the dose-optimization study and enrolled in the extension study. A total of 346 intravenous doses of mRNA-3927 were administered over a total of 15.69 person-years of treatment. No dose-limiting toxicities occurred. Treatment-emergent adverse events were reported in 15 out of the 16 (93.8%) participants. Preliminary analysis suggests an increase in the exposure to mRNA-3927 with dose escalation, and a 70% reduction in the risk of metabolic decompensation events among 8 participants who reported them in the 12-month pretreatment period.

Kounis syndrome: ST elevations in the setting of anaphylaxis

Acute coronary syndrome in the presence of an allergic reaction is known as Kounis syndrome, which is an underdiagnosed disorder and has nuances regarding management. We present a patient brought to the hospital as an ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) alert in the setting of an allergic reaction triggered by food.

Case Report: Insulin hypersensitivity in youth with type 1 diabetes

Objective

Immediate type I, type III, and delayed type IV hypersensitivity reactions to insulin are rare, but potentially serious complications of exogenous insulin administration required for the treatment of type 1 diabetes (T1D).

Methods

We present four cases of insulin hypersensitivity reactions occurring in youth with T1D and a literature review of this topic.

Results

Insulin hypersensitivity reactions included types I, III, and IV with presentations ranging from localized urticaria, erythematous nodules, and eczematous plaques to anaphylaxis with respiratory distress. Reactions occurred in youth with newly diagnosed T1D and in those with long-standing T1D who were using both injection and insulin pump therapy. Multidisciplinary care involving pediatric endocrinology and allergy/immunology utilizing trials of many adjunct therapies yielded minimal improvement. Despite the use of various treatments, including antihistamines, topical therapies, immunosuppressant medications, desensitization trials, and intravenous immune globulin, cutaneous reactions, elevated hemoglobin A1c levels, and negative effects on quality of life remain persistent challenges. One patient became one of the youngest pancreas transplant recipients in the world at age 12 years due to uncontrollable symptoms and intolerable adverse effects of attempted therapies.

Conclusion

Although rare, insulin hypersensitivity reactions negatively affect glycemic control and quality of life. These cases demonstrate the varying severity and presentation of insulin hypersensitivity reactions along with the limited success of various treatment approaches. Given the life-sustaining nature of insulin therapy, further studies are needed to better understand the underlying pathophysiology of insulin hypersensitivity and to develop targeted treatment approaches.

Direct Versus Indirect Query Performance of ICD-9/-10 Coding to Identify Anaphylaxis

BACKGROUND

Anaphylaxis is an often under =diagnosed, severe allergic event for which epidemiological data are sporadic. Researchers have leveraged administrative and claims data algorithms to study large databases of anaphylactic events; however, little longitudinal data analysis is available after transition to the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM).

OBJECTIVE

Study longitudinal trends in anaphylaxis incidence using direct and indirect query methods.

METHODS

Emergency department (ED) and inpatient data were analyzed from a large state health care administration database from 2011 to 2020. Incidence was calculated using direct queries of anaphylaxis ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM codes and indirect queries using a symptom-based ICD-9-CM algorithm and forward mapped ICD-10-CM version to identify undiagnosed anaphylaxis episodes and to assess algorithm performance at the population level.

RESULTS

An average of 2.4 million inpatient and 7.5 million ED observations/y were analyzed. Using the direct query method, annual ED anaphylaxis cases increased steadily from 1,454 (2011) to 4,029 (2019) then declined to 3,341 in 2020 during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In contrast, inpatient cases remained relatively steady, with a slight decline after 2015 during the ICD version transition, until a significant drop occurred in 2020. Using the indirect queries, anaphylaxis cases increased markedly after the ICD transition year, especially involving drug-related anaphylaxis.

CONCLUSIONS

Nontypical drug associations with anaphylaxis episodes using the ICD-10-CM version of the algorithm suggest poor performance with drug-related codes. Further, the increased granularity of ICD-10-CM identified potential limitations of a previously validated symptom-based ICD-9-CM algorithm used to detect undiagnosed cases.

Acute abdomen due to anaphylactic intestinal edema associated with systematic mastocytosis: a case report

BACKGROUND

Among various anaphylactic conditions resulting in acute abdomen, mast cell activation disorders, although rare, are included in the differential diagnosis.

CASE PRESENTATION

This report describes a 63-year-old Caucasian man who was brought to the emergency room with sudden onset abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea, with breathing difficulty, and with facial swelling after quarrelling with an acquaintance. Computed tomography showed edematous and swollen intestines, consistent with splenomegaly. Physical findings included maculopapular cutaneous mastocytosis. He also had a long history of repeated episodes of anaphylaxis requiring occasional epinephrine auto-injector administration; however, the precise cause of anaphylaxis was previously undetermined. Blood tests showed high serum concentrations of soluble IL-2R and tryptase, suggesting mast cell-related disease. Subsequent biopsies of his bone marrow and cutaneous rash confirmed the diagnosis of systemic mastocytosis (SM).

CONCLUSION

SM was diagnosed in a patient with acute abdomen who visited the emergency room.

Safety evaluation of the single-dose Ad26.COV2.S vaccine among healthcare workers in the Sisonke study in South Africa: A phase 3b implementation trial

BACKGROUND

Real-world evaluation of the safety profile of vaccines after licensure is crucial to accurately characterise safety beyond clinical trials, support continued use, and thereby improve public confidence. The Sisonke study aimed to assess the safety and effectiveness of the Janssen Ad26.COV2.S vaccine among healthcare workers (HCWs) in South Africa. Here, we present the safety data.

METHODS AND FINDINGS

In this open-label phase 3b implementation study among all eligible HCWs in South Africa registered in the national Electronic Vaccination Data System (EVDS), we monitored adverse events (AEs) at vaccination sites through self-reporting triggered by text messages after vaccination, healthcare provider reports, and active case finding. The frequency and incidence rate of non-serious and serious AEs were evaluated from the day of first vaccination (17 February 2021) until 28 days after the final vaccination in the study (15 June 2021). COVID-19 breakthrough infections, hospitalisations, and deaths were ascertained via linkage of the electronic vaccination register with existing national databases. Among 477,234 participants, 10,279 AEs were reported, of which 138 (1.3%) were serious AEs (SAEs) or AEs of special interest. Women reported more AEs than men (2.3% versus 1.6%). AE reports decreased with increasing age (3.2% for age 18-30 years, 2.1% for age 31-45 years, 1.8% for age 46-55 years, and 1.5% for age > 55 years). Participants with previous COVID-19 infection reported slightly more AEs (2.6% versus 2.1%). The most common reactogenicity events were headache (n = 4,923) and body aches (n = 4,483), followed by injection site pain (n = 2,767) and fever (n = 2,731), and most occurred within 48 hours of vaccination. Two cases of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome and 4 cases of Guillain-Barré Syndrome were reported post-vaccination. Most SAEs and AEs of special interest (n = 138) occurred at lower than the expected population rates. Vascular (n = 37; 39.1/100,000 person-years) and nervous system disorders (n = 31; 31.7/100,000 person-years), immune system disorders (n = 24; 24.3/100,000 person-years), and infections and infestations (n = 19; 20.1/100,000 person-years) were the most common reported SAE categories. A limitation of the study was the single-arm design, with limited routinely collected morbidity comparator data in the study setting.

CONCLUSIONS

We observed similar patterns of AEs as in phase 3 trials. AEs were mostly expected reactogenicity signs and symptoms. Furthermore, most SAEs occurred below expected rates. The single-dose Ad26.COV2.S vaccine demonstrated an acceptable safety profile, supporting the continued use of this vaccine in this setting.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04838795; Pan African Clinical Trials Registry PACTR202102855526180.

Intensive Safety Monitoring of Rituximab (Biosimilar Novex® and the Innovator) in Pediatric Patients With Complex Diseases

Although rituximab is widely used off-label for complex pediatric diseases, safety reports are limited. We aimed to report evidence of its use in clinical practice, to describe the incidence of adverse drug reactions (ADR) to rituximab biosimilar Novex^® and innovator, and to identify risk factors for the development of ADR in a real-life follow-up cohort of pediatric patients with complex diseases. We conducted a prospective, longitudinal, observational, single-centre study in patients that received rituximab for any complex disease, and as part of an intensive pharmacovigilance program. Demographic, pharmacological, clinical, and drug-related data were collected for all patients. ADR-free survival, including infusion-related reactions (IRR) and delayed ADR (dADR), was estimated using Kaplan-Meier curves. Risk factors were evaluated by multivariable Cox regression models. In total, 77 patients (<19 y.o.) received 187 infusions of rituximab Novex^® (n = 155) or innovator rituximab (n = 32) for neurologic (Neu), immune-hematologic-rheumatic (IHR), oncologic (O) diseases, and hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) or solid-organ transplantation (SOT). We recorded 29 IRR and 58 dADR that occurred in 27 (35.1%) and 29 (37.7%) patients, respectively. The respiratory tract was the most affected during IRR (29.6%) and hypogammaglobulinemia (37.9 %) was the most frequent dADR. First versus subsequent infusions (HR 5.4, CI95% 2.4-12.1, p<0.05), sex (boys vs. girls, HR 0.3, CI95% 0.1-0.8, and p<0.05), and diagnosis (Neu-IHR diseases vs. O-HSCT-SOT, HR 2.3, CI95% 1.02-5.4, and p < 0.05) were significantly associated with the development of IRR. For dADR, risk factors were diagnosis (Neu-IHR diseases vs. O-HSCT-SOT, HR 0.4, CI95% 0.2-0.9, and p < 0.05) and cumulative body surface area-normalized dosage (HR 1.0003, CI95% 1.0001-1.0006, and p < 0.05). The present is the largest real-world safety assessment of rituximab in Latin-American children with complex diseases supporting its use based on the overall acceptable safety. Identification of risk factors may contribute to optimization of off-label rituximab treatment in pediatrics.

Allergic reactions to coronavirus disease 2019 vaccines and addressing vaccine hesitancy: Northwell Health experience

BACKGROUND

Allergic and nonallergic adverse reactions have been reported with global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination. It was previously hypothesized that polyethylene glycol (PEG) may be responsible for anaphylactic reactions to messenger RNA (mRNA) COVID-19 vaccines.

OBJECTIVE

To report the workflow established at our institution, types, and frequency of adverse reactions to mRNA COVID-19 vaccines in patients presenting for allergy evaluation.

METHODS

A COVID-19 vaccine adverse reaction registry was established. We used PEG prick skin testing, followed by PEG challenges in selected cases, to ensure PEG tolerance and encourage completion of COVID-19 vaccination series.

RESULTS

A total of 113 patients were included. Most vaccine reactions (86.7%) occurred in women. Anaphylaxis occurred only in women, all of which had a history of allergic disease and two-thirds had asthma. Anaphylaxis rate was 40.6 cases per million. None of the anaphylactic cases developed hypotension, required intubation, or required hospital admission. Systemic allergic symptoms, not fulfilling anaphylaxis criteria, were significantly more common in Pfizer-BioNTech than Moderna-vaccinated patients (P = .02). We observed a higher incidence of dermatologic nonurticarial reactions in men (P = .004). Among first-dose reactors, 86.7% received and tolerated the second dose. We observed a high rate of false-positive intradermal skin test results and frequent subjective symptoms with oral PEG challenge.

CONCLUSION

Intradermal PEG testing has limited utility in evaluating anaphylaxis to mRNA vaccines. Most severe postvaccination allergic symptoms are not caused by hypersensitivity to PEG. Most people with reaction to the initial mRNA vaccine can be safely revaccinated. Patients with anaphylaxis to COVID-19 vaccines benefit from physician-observed vaccination.

Identification of predictors for persistence of immediate-type egg allergy in Chinese children

Background

Egg allergy is one of the most common food allergies in childhood with increasing prevalence in Hong Kong. While ample studies were published on its optimal diagnosis, there was limited data on predictors for the natural history of egg allergy in Asian populations.

Objective

This study aimed to characterize the clinical course and outcome of children with egg allergy and identify its prognostic factors.

Methods

All Chinese children with immediate-type egg allergy being followed since ≥3 years old in allergy clinic of our university-affiliated teaching hospital were reviewed to determine if they outgrew egg allergy at the latest follow-up. The predictive values of clinical and atopic factors for resolution of egg allergy were analyzed on Kaplan-Meier curves, and factors independently associated with persistent egg allergy was analyzed by logistic regression.

Results

Seventy-six patients with median (interquartile range) age 8.9 years (6.3–13.0 years) were recruited. They initially presented with egg-allergic reactions at 1.0 years (0.7–1.7 years). Fifty-four children (71%) were able to tolerate egg at a median of 36 months from initial reaction. Patients with concomitant peanut allergy and those with initial reaction at ≥1 year old were more likely to have persistent egg allergy (p = 0.015 and p = 0.027 respectively). Skin prick test wheal ≥6 mm to egg yolk and egg white individually as well as to both egg yolk and egg white were predictors for egg allergy persistence (respective, p < 0.001, p = 0.001, and p = 0.001 by log-rank tests). Logistic regression showed that initial SPT ≥ 6 mm to egg yolk was the only independent predictor for persistent egg allergy (B = 2.59 ± 0.98, p = 0.008).

Conclusion

Most Chinese children with immediate-type egg allergy can tolerate egg in long run. SPT wheal size to egg, concomitant peanut allergy and initial presentation after infancy may predict egg allergy persistence.

Anaphylaxis Presenting as Uvulitis

The authors present a case of a young man who woke up with uvular swelling resulting in a severely narrowed airway. He had ingested peanut butter the prior night but was unaware of any allergies. He was treated with epinephrine, diphenhydramine, and methylprednisolone which resulted in resolution of the airway compromise. The authors discuss the mechanism of anaphylaxis and the emergency management of this life-threatening condition.

Pegloticase treatment of chronic refractory gout: Update on efficacy and safety

Gout is currently the most frequent cause of inflammatory arthritis worldwide. It results from elevated serum urate and subsequent deposition of monosodium urate crystals in joints and other tissues. While many patients with gout can be managed with conventional agents (e.g., allopurinol, febuxostat), those with chronic refractory gout often fail to achieve treatment goals with these agents. Pegloticase is a recombinant, pegylated mammalian uricase developed for treatment of chronic refractory gout. Pegloticase is different than other urate lowering therapies in that it enzymatically degrades urate. Pegloticase has been evaluated in multiple studies, most importantly in two randomized controlled trials and a follow-up open-label extension. Extensive analysis of results from these studies has shown that pegloticase profoundly lowers serum urate, resolves tophi, reduces tender and swollen joint counts, decreases pain, and improves both patients' global assessments and quality of life. Pegloticase also significantly decreases blood pressure in patients with chronic refractory gout, but has no significant effect on renal function. Post hoc analyses of clinical results also indicated that chronic refractory gout patients not achieving sustained urate lowering still have significant clinical benefits with pegloticase treatment. The major limitation of pegloticase is immunogenicity and the emergence of anti-drug antibodies that result in increased drug clearance, loss of efficacy, and infusion reactions. However, these reactions can be avoided by stopping pegloticase when there is a loss of serum urate lowering. New dosing regimens and co-administration of immunosuppressive agents are also being employed to overcome this limitation and extend the benefits of pegloticase to a larger number of patients.

mRNA Vaccines to Prevent COVID-19 Disease and Reported Allergic Reactions: Current Evidence and Suggested Approach

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for 2 highly effective coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. This has brought hope to millions of Americans in the midst of an ongoing global pandemic. The FDA EUA guidance for both vaccines is to not administer the vaccine to individuals with a known history of a severe allergic reaction (eg, anaphylaxis) to any component of the COVID-19 vaccine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) additionally advises individuals with a history of an immediate allergic reaction to a vaccine or injectable or any history of anaphylaxis be observed for 30 minutes after COVID-19 vaccination. All other individuals should be observed for 15 minutes after COVID-19 vaccination. Staff at vaccine clinics must be able to identify and manage anaphylaxis. Post-FDA EUA, despite very strong safety signals in both phase 3 trials, reports of possible allergic reactions have raised public concern. To provide reassurance and support during widespread global vaccination, allergists must offer clear guidance to individuals based on the best information available, but also in accordance with the broader recommendations of regulatory agencies. This review summarizes vaccine allergy epidemiology and proposes drug and vaccine allergy expert opinion informed risk stratification for Allergy specialist use in conjunction with guidance of public health and regulatory authorities. The risk stratification schema guide care for (1) individuals with different allergy histories to safely receive their first mRNA COVID-19 vaccine and (2) individuals who develop a reaction to their first dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.

Emerging Therapies in Anaphylaxis: Alternatives to Intramuscular Administration of Epinephrine

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Anaphylaxis is a severe, life-threatening, systemic allergic reaction that should be recognized and treated promptly. Intramuscular (IM) epinephrine is the first-line treatment for anaphylaxis and there are no absolute contraindications to its use. Despite its established track record of efficacy and safety, physicians and patients face barriers in the recognition and treatment of anaphylaxis, including the maintenance and appropriate use of epinephrine auto-injectors. This has led to investigation into potential alternatives to IM epinephrine administration in anaphylaxis.

RECENT FINDINGS

This review investigates the current standard of care in the treatment of anaphylaxis, barriers to IM epinephrine use, and alternative therapies under investigation for administration in anaphylaxis. Alternative routes under investigation include intranasal, sublingual, inhaled, and needle-free intramuscular administration of epinephrine. There are currently numerous investigational alternatives to IM epinephrine therapy which could hold promise as future effective treatments in the emergent management of anaphylaxis.

Immunogenicity Risk Assessment for an Engineered Human Cytokine Analogue Expressed in Different Cell Substrates

The purpose of this article is to illustrate how performance of an immunogenicity risk assessment at the earliest stage of product development can be instructive for critical early decision-making such as choice of host system for expression of a recombinant therapeutic protein and determining the extent of analytical characterization and control of heterogeneity in co- and post-translational modifications. Application of a risk-based approach for a hypothetical recombinant DNA analogue of a human endogenous cytokine with immunomodulatory functions is described. The manner in which both intrinsic and extrinsic factors could interact to influence the relative scale of risk associated with expression in alternative hosts, namely Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, Pichia pastoris, Escherichia coli, or Nicotinia tabacum is considered in relation to the development of the investigational product to treat an autoimmune condition. The article discusses how particular product-related variants (primary amino acid sequence modifications and post-translational glycosylation or other modifications) and process-derived impurities (host cell proteins, endotoxins, beta-glucans) associated with the different expression systems might influence the impact of immunogenicity on overall clinical benefit versus risk for a therapeutic protein candidate that has intrinsic MHC Class II binding potential. The implications of the choice of expression system for relative risk are discussed in relation to specific actions for evaluation and measures for risk mitigation, including use of in silico and in vitro methods to understand intrinsic immunogenic potential relative to incremental risk associated with non-human glycan and protein impurities. Finally, practical guidance on presentation of this information in regulatory submissions to support clinical development is provided.

Emergency Call Characteristics and EMS Dispatcher Protocol Adherence for Possible Anaphylaxis

Objective: Anaphylaxis is a medical emergency requiring prompt recognition and treatment with intramuscular epinephrine to optimize outcomes. To date, there is a paucity of data regarding the demographic characteristics of the subset of patients calling 9-1-1 for allergic reactions and the emergency medical services (EMS) dispatcher's adherence to national protocols for their response to a suspected allergic reaction. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of dispatch calls to a local municipality that were dispatched with an impression of an "allergic reaction" or "difficulty breathing related to a suspected allergic reaction" from January 2016 to June 2016. Using a modified Delphi approach, the voice recordings of the calls were reviewed for EMS dispatcher adherence to the Medical Priority Dispatch System v12.2 (2012) triage questions and pre-arrival instructions for the Allergies/Envenomations and Breathing Problems protocols. The calls were further reviewed for demographic characteristics, symptomatology, history of allergy, suspected trigger of the current reaction, and use and availability of medications. Calls were also classified as to whether the patient met criteria for anaphylaxis. We calculated frequencies for categorical measures and medians with ranges for continuous measures. Results: A total of 146 calls met inclusion criteria. The median age of patients was 29 years (interquartile range 13, 52). 12.3% (n = 18) of the calls reviewed were consistent with national standards for anaphylaxis. Food was the most commonly reported historical allergy, whereas medication accounted for the most commonly suspected trigger for the current symptoms. The EMS dispatcher asked about alertness, difficulty breathing, difficulty speaking, and color change in 39.7, 80.1, 12.3, and 2.7% of calls, respectively. While 56.2% of dispatchers inquired about a history of severe allergy, only 16.4% inquired about prescribed special injections. Conclusions: The majority of calls were not consistent with anaphylaxis, and EMS dispatchers rarely strictly followed the Medical Priority Dispatch System guidelines aimed at identifying anaphylaxis. Future studies would be beneficial to determine if our findings hold true in other EMS service areas.

Effective presentation of immunogenicity risk assessments and related data in regulatory dossiers

The purpose of this article is to provide practical advice about how to present immunogenicity-related information in regulatory dossiers, with a particular focus on a model for an Integrated Summary of Immunogenicity to be submitted in the marketing authorization application for novel biopharmaceutical products in ICH regions (EU, USA and Japan). A format that links the analysis of potential risk factors to a justification of the methodology applied for risk evaluation and conclusions for risk mitigation is presented as a model that can be adapted according to the weight of evidence to be submitted in support of the assessment of impact on overall clinical benefit versus risk for the particular situation.

Drug-Induced Anaphylaxis Documented in Electronic Health Records

BACKGROUND

Although drugs represent a common cause of anaphylaxis, few large studies of drug-induced anaphylaxis have been performed.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the epidemiology and validity of reported drug-induced anaphylaxis in the electronic health records (EHRs) of a large United States health care system.

METHODS

Using EHR drug allergy data from 1995 to 2013, we determined the population prevalence of anaphylaxis including anaphylaxis prevalence over time, and the most commonly implicated drugs/drug classes reported to cause anaphylaxis. Patient risk factors for drug-induced anaphylaxis were assessed using a logistic regression model. Serum tryptase and allergist visits were used to assess the validity and follow-up of EHR-reported anaphylaxis.

RESULTS

Among 1,756,481 patients, 19,836 (1.1%) reported drug-induced anaphylaxis; penicillins (45.9 per 10,000), sulfonamide antibiotics (15.1 per 10,000), and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (13.0 per 10,000) were most commonly implicated. Patients with white race (odds ratio [OR] 2.38, 95% CI 2.27-2.49), female sex (OR 2.20, 95% CI 2.13-2.28), systemic mastocytosis (OR 4.60, 95% CI 2.66-7.94), Sjögren's syndrome (OR 1.94, 95% CI 1.47-2.56), and asthma (OR 1.50, 95% CI 1.43-1.59) had an increased odds of drug-induced anaphylaxis. Serum tryptase was performed in 135 (<1%) anaphylaxis cases and 1,587 patients (8.0%) saw an allergist for follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

EHR-reported anaphylaxis occurred in approximately 1% of patients, most commonly from penicillins, sulfonamide antibiotics, and NSAIDs. Females, whites, and patients with mastocytosis, Sjögren's syndrome, and asthma had increased odds of reporting drug-induced anaphylaxis. The low observed frequency of tryptase testing and specialist evaluation emphasize the importance of educating providers on anaphylaxis management.

Comparison of International Systemic Adverse Reactions Due to Allergen Immunotherapy

BACKGROUND

Several classifications of systemic adverse reactions (SARs) during allergen immunotherapy have been proposed, but the comparison of their usefulness in daily clinical practice is lacking.

OBJECTIVE

The present post hoc analysis was aimed at investigating the practicality of the most relevant international classifications proposed by the European Academy of Allergology and Clinical Immunology (EAACI), the American Academy of Asthma, Allergology and Clinical Immunology/American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAACI/ACAAI), and the World Allergy Organization (WAO) using data provided by the longitudinal European Survey on Adverse Systemic Reactions in Allergen Immunotherapy (EASSI) based on daily clinical practice in 3 countries in Europe.

METHODS

One hundred nine SARs over 4363 allergen immunotherapy courses were classified as mild (n = 78 [71.5%]), moderate (n = 27 [24.8%]), and severe (n = 4 [3.7%]) by EASSI-doctors, which served as a criterion standard. Every SAR was further classified according to the following grading systems: EAACI 2006 Grading System (EAACI2006), WAO 2010 Grading System (WAO2010), WAO 2017 Grading System (WAO2017), and AAAAI/ACAAI Grading System. All SAR rankings were also cross-compared among each other (Kendall correlation coefficient Tau-b). In general, a low epinephrine use was identified, severe reactions occurred within 15 minutes, and milder reactions were skin only.

RESULTS

The analysis indicated disparities in mild and moderate SARs in the different grading systems. The correlation between EASSI-severity and EAACI2006, WAO2010, WAO2017, and AAAAI/ACAAI Grading System was 0.639, 0.502, 0.315, and 0.663, respectively (P < .001 in all cases). However, correlation of severe reactions was good. The best correlation with the onset of the reaction and the number of System Organ Class involved were detected in WAO grading systems.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite having a lower correlation than EAACI and AAAAI/ACAAI, the WAO grading appears to provide a moderate correlation among these classifications. The analysis might help to inform clinicians and investigators on selecting the most appropriate classification.

Frequency, distribution and immunologic nature of infusion reactions in subjects receiving pegloticase for chronic refractory gout

BACKGROUND

To assess frequency and distribution of infusion reactions (IRs) in responders and nonresponders in randomized clinical trials (RCTs) of intravenous pegloticase and the utility of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease/Food and Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (NIAID/FAAN) criteria for identifying anaphylaxis in subjects experiencing IRs.

METHODS

IRs from two RCTs of pegloticase were evaluated and categorized as anaphylaxis, hypersensitivity, or other. Serum levels of tryptase and total hemolytic complement (CH50) were evaluated at the time of all IRs. Frequency of IRs by each category was evaluated in all subjects, responders or nonresponders to pegloticase.

RESULTS

There were 113 IRs in 1695 infusions. Of the 113 IRs, 6 met criteria for anaphylaxis, 53 had one feature of anaphylaxis and were designated as "hypersensitivity", and 54 had no features and were designated "other". In subjects receiving pegloticase every 2 weeks (Q2w), a total of 852 infusions were administered and the IR frequency was 0.5% in responders and 9.7% in nonresponders. In subjects receiving pegloticase every 4 weeks (Q4w), a total of 846 infusions were given and the IR frequency was 2.6% in responders and 12.2% in nonresponders. There were no differences among the three categories of IRs with regard to clinical course or biochemical evidence of immune activation determined by CH50 or tryptase levels.

CONCLUSION

IRs mostly occurred in nonresponders. NIAID/FAAN criteria for anaphylaxis did not identify pegloticase-related IRs as having a higher frequency of immune activation or a more severe course. The results are consistent with the conclusion that discontinuance of pegloticase if uric acid rises to >6 mg/dL will decrease the frequency of IRs.

Anaphylaxis after zoster vaccine: Implicating alpha-gal allergy as a possible mechanism

A patient with alpha-gal allergy presented with anaphylaxis after receiving zoster vaccine. Subsequent testing of selected vaccines revealed the presence of alpha-gal allergen in MMR and zoster vaccines, which have in common a higher content of gelatin and content of bovine calf serum.