Effectiveness of omalizumab across different dosing regimens in patients with moderate-to-severe allergic asthma.

For patients with moderate-to-severe persistent allergic asthma, omalizumab is approved for subcutaneous administration according to a recommended dosing table based on weight and total immunoglobulin E (IgE) level. The aim of this analysis was to assess asthma outcomes including quality of life in patients with allergic asthma initiated on omalizumab in the PROSPERO trial; patients were stratified by where their IgE and body weight fell on the approved dosing table. Patient groups were defined as Inside Dosing Table: patients whose IgE and weight fell within the approved dosing table (n = 506); Insufficient Data to Recommend a Dose: patients who fell into the section of the approved dosing table where not enough clinical data were available to make dosing recommendations (n = 72); and Outside Dosing Table: patients who fell outside the approved dosing table due to baseline IgE and/or weight (n = 209).

Autoantibody stabilization of the classical pathway C3 convertase leading to C3 deficiency and Neisserial sepsis: C4 nephritic factor revisited.

C3 deficiency is a rare disorder that leads to recurrent pyogenic infections. Here we describe a previously healthy 18 y/o Caucasian male with severe meningococcal disease. Total hemolytic activity was zero secondary to an undetectable C3.

Use of combination chemotherapy for treatment of granulomatous and lymphocytic interstitial lung disease (GLILD) in patients with common variable immunodeficiency (CVID).

Purpose: A subset of patients with common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) develops granulomatous and lymphocytic interstitial lung disease (GLILD), a restrictive lung disease associated with early mortality. The optimal therapy for GLILD is unknown. This study was undertaken to see if rituximab and azathioprine (combination chemotherapy) would improve pulmonary function and/or radiographic abnormalities in patients with CVID and GLILD.

Newborn screening for SCID: three years of experience.

Over the past three years, newborn blood screening (NBS) for severe T cell lymphopenia/severe combined immunodeficiency (sTCL/SCID) using the T cell receptor excision circle (TREC) assay has revolutionized the early detection of infants with primary immunodeficiencies (PIDs) associated with T cell lymphopenia. Nonetheless, despite the comprehensive NBS protocols developed by each state, additional issues unique to screening for sTCL/SCID have surfaced, including variability in the performance of the TREC assay, diagnostic and treatment algorithms, definition of sTCL/SCID, and approach to the discovery of new genetic variants. Although NBS using the TREC assay has been highly successful, new and difficult challenges have emerged that need to be addressed to enhance our knowledge of the causes of sTCL/SCID and to optimize the detection and outcomes of affected infants.

Newborn screening for T-cell deficiency.

Purpose Of Review: Newborn screening for T-cell deficiency is ongoing in two states, and the published results of 1 year of screening in Wisconsin are favorable. In this review, the history, methodology, results, challenges, and future direction of screening are discussed.

Recent Findings: As a concept, newborn blood screening (NBS) has evolved from the detection of elevated levels of phenylalanine on filter paper to the application of DNA-based technologies to identify T-cell lymphopenia in infants with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID).