ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION: Aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD) consists of a classic tetrad: moderate/severe asthma, chronic rhinosinusitis, nasal polyps, and intolerance to aspirin or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Clinical control with drugs, surgery, and desensitization are treatment options. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of aspirin desensitization in patients with AERD. METHODS: Periodic symptom assessment and endoscopy in patients with AERD undergoing surgery who were desensitized. RESULTS: Seventeen patients were desensitized. Eight patients completed the desensitization and were followed for a minimum of a one-year period (mean 3.1 years). These patients showed improvement in all symptoms. Moreover, surgical reassessment was not indicated in any of these patients and there was a decrease in costs with medication and procedures. Eight patients did not complete desensitization, mainly due to procedure intolerance and uncontrolled asthma, whereas another patient was lost to follow-up. CONCLUSION: Aspirin desensitization, when tolerated, was effective in patients with AERD and with poor clinical/surgical response.
Resumo Introdução: A doença respiratória exacerbada por aspirina é composta pela tétrade clássica: asma moderada/grave, rinossinusite crônica, pólipos nasais e intolerância à aspirina ou outro anti-inflamatório não esteroide. Controle clínico com medicamentos, cirurgias e dessensibilização são opções de tratamento. Objetivo: Avaliar a eficácia e tolerabilidade da dessensibilização à aspirina em pacientes com doença exacerbada por aspirina. Método: Avaliação periódica dos sintomas e exame endoscópico em pacientes com doença respiratória exacerbada por aspirina submetidos à cirurgia e dessensibilizados. Resultados: Dezessete pacientes foram dessensibilizados, dos quais oito pacientes completaram a dessensibilização e foram acompanhados pelo tempo mínimo de 1 ano (média de 3,1 anos). Todos referiram melhora de todos os sintomas; não houve nenhuma indicação de reabordagem cirúrgica, e houve redução de gastos com medicações e procedimentos. Outros oito pacientes não completaram a dessensibilização, principalmente por intolerância ao procedimento e descontrole da asma, enquanto outro paciente perdeu o seguimento. Conclusão: A dessensibilização à aspirina, quando tolerada, mostrou-se eficaz nos pacientes com doença respiratória exacerbada por aspirina com resposta clínica/cirúrgica insatisfatória.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Adult , Middle Aged , Sinusitis/therapy , Rhinitis/therapy , Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/administration & dosage , Aspirin/administration & dosage , Nasal Polyps/therapy , Desensitization, Immunologic , Asthma, Aspirin-Induced/therapy , Sinusitis/chemically induced , Sinusitis/immunology , Rhinitis/chemically induced , Rhinitis/immunology , Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/adverse effects , Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/immunology , Aspirin/adverse effects , Aspirin/immunology , Nasal Polyps/chemically induced , Nasal Polyps/immunology , Chronic Disease , Treatment Outcome , Asthma, Aspirin-Induced/immunologyABSTRACT
Occupational asthma is induced by many agents, including herbal materials, that are exposed in working places. Although there are a few case reports for occupational allergy induced by herbal materials, there is none for that induced by Wonji (Polygala tenuifolia). This study was conducted to evaluate clinical characteristics and immunologic mechanism of Wonji-induced asthma in a exposed-worker. A patient who complained of asthma and rhinitis symptoms, and who had worked in a herbal manufacturing factory for 8 yr, underwent a skin prick test with crude extract of Wonji under the impression of occupational asthma induced by the agent. The patient had a strong positive response to the extract on the skin prick test. Allergen bronchial challenge to the extract demonstrated a typical dual response. Serum specific IgE level to the extract was higher in the patient than in healthy controls, and ELISA inhibition test revealed complete inhibition of IgE binding with the extract, but no inhibition with Der p 2 or mugwort extracts. Six IgE binding components to the extract (10, 25, 28, 36, 50, and 90 kDa) were detected using SDS-PAGE and immunoblot analysis. These findings suggest that Polygala tenuifolia, a herbal material, can induce IgE-mediated bronchoconstriction in exposed workers.