The Effectiveness of Biological Agents on Chronic Rhinosinusitis with Nasal Polyposis in Patients with Comorbid Asthma: A Multicenter Real-Life Study from Türkiye.

Background and Objectives: Real-life data on the efficacy of biologic agents (BAs) on asthma-comorbid CRSwNP are needed. Our primary goal is to investigate the effects of BAs on CRSwNP symptoms, as well as endoscopic and tomography scores. Our secondary goal is to show a reduction in the frequency of acute sinusitis exacerbations and the need for surgery. Materials and Methods: We conducted a multicenter, retrospective, real-life study. We screened the patients with asthma-comorbid CRSwNP treated with omalizumab or mepolizumab. A total of 69 patients (40 F/29 M; omalizumab n = 55, mepolizumab n = 14) were enrolled. We compared the visual analog scale (VAS), sinonasal outcome test-22 (SNOT-22), nasal congestion score (NCS), Lund-Mackay computed tomography score (LMS), and total endoscopic polyp scores (TPS) before and after BAs. We evaluated the endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) and acute exacerbations of chronic rhinosinusitis (AECRS) frequencies separately, according to the BAs. Results: The overall median (min-max) age was 43 (21-69) years. The median (min-max) of biologic therapy duration was 35 (4-113) months for omalizumab and 13.5 (6-32) for mepolizumab. Significant improvements were seen in VAS, SNOT-22, and NCS with omalizumab and mepolizumab. A significant decrease was observed in TPS with omalizumab [95% CI: 0-4] (p < 0.001), but not with mepolizumab [95% CI: -0.5-2] (p = 0.335). The frequency of ESS and AECRS were significantly reduced with omalizumab [95% CI: 2-3] (p < 0.001) and [95% CI: 2-5] (p < 0.001); and mepolizumab [95% CI: 0-2] (p = 0.002) and [95% CI: 2-8.5] (p < 0.001), respectively. There was no significant difference in LMS with either of the BAs. Conclusions: Omalizumab and mepolizumab can provide a significant improvement in the sinonasal symptom scores. BAs are promising agents for CRSwNP patients with frequent exacerbations and multiple surgeries.

Can Anxiety Affect Dermographism and Atopy Test Outcomes?

AIM: The effect of anxiety on dermographism and atopy test results had never been elaborated. Factors that may affect cutaneous reactivity in skin tests should be determined to improve the accuracy and reliability of results. Age, sex, dermographism, race, seasons of the year, circadian rhythm, and some drugs have been shown to affect skin test results. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of anxiety on dermographism and atopy tests. METHOD: According to Beck Anxiety Scale, 101 individuals with high anxiety levels were compared with the other 101 individuals with an anxiety level of 7 and below. Skin prick test response, presence of phadiatope, and dermographism were evaluated in all participants. RESULTS: There were 41 (40.6%) and 34 patients (33.7%) with a Beck anxiety score >7 who tested positive in the skin test and Phadiatop, respectively. Moreover, 47 (46.5%) and 42 patients (41.6%) in the control group had positive results in the skin test and Phadiatop, respectively, and there was no statistical difference between the variables (p > 0.05). Dermographism was present in 37 (36.6%) and 30 patients (29.7%) in the study and control groups, respectively. According to Beck anxiety scores, there was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of the presence of dermographism, skin prick test positivity, and Phadiatop positivity (p = 0.078, p = 0.395, p = 0.245, respectively). Symptomatic dermographism was found more frequently in the anxiety group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: In our study, anxiety does not affect atopy test results. Although anxiety levels did not affect the atopy test results, there was a relationship between anxiety levels and dermographism.