Clinical profile of adolescents with chronic idiopathic/spontaneous urticaria presented at AAAAI

Researchers presented results from an evaluation of characteristics and demographics of adolescents with chronic idiopathic urticaria and chronic spontaneous urticaria in placebo-controlled omalizumab trials at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Annual Meeting in Houston.

Stanley Goldstein, MD, FAAAAI, and colleagues conducted a post-hoc descriptive analysis of pooled baseline data from three trials examining omalizumab use in 975 patients with chronic idiopathic/spontaneous urticaria (CIU/CSU) who remained symptomatic despite treatment with H₁ antihistamines. In one study, H₂-antihistamines and/or leukotriene receptor antagonists (LTRA) were used. The researchers summarized the patient demographics and disease characteristics for patients overall and for adolescent patients ages 12 years and older but younger than 18.

Stanley Goldstein

Thirty-nine patients were adolescents. Patients had a mean age overall of 42.3 years (73.4% women), with a mean BMI of 29.6 kg/m² (24.4 kg/m², adolescents).

Of the overall group of patients, 28.5% had a positive result in the CU index test; 17.9% of adolescents also had a positive result.

Other results for the overall patient population and adolescents included mean urticaria activity score over 7 days (30.9 vs. 28.6); weekly itch severity score (14.1 vs. 13.3); weekly number of hives score (16.8 vs. 15.3); and Dermatology Life Quality index overall score (13.2 vs. 12).

CIU/CSU was experienced for a mean duration of 6.9 years in all patients and 3.2 years for adolescents. Antihistamines were given to all patients but one adult. H₂-receptor agonists (all patients, 48.4%; adolescents, 48.7%), LTRA (34.5%; 35.9%) and steroids (45.7%; 33.3%) were concomitant medications included in treatments.

“Understanding the clinical profile of CIU/CSU will guide clinical practice,” the researchers concluded. — by Bruce Thiel

Reference:

Goldstein, S, et al. Paper #413. Presented at: American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Annual Meeting; Feb. 20-24, 2015; Houston.

Disclosure: Healio.com/Dermatology was unable to determine relevant financial disclosures at this time.