KAAACI Allergic Rhinitis Guidelines: Part 2. Update in Non-pharmacological Management.

Allergic rhinitis is the most common chronic disease worldwide. Various upper airway symptoms lower quality of life, and due to the recurrent symptoms, multiple treatments are usually attempted rather than one definitive treatment. There are alternatives to medical (medication-based) and non-medical treatments. A guideline is needed to understand allergic rhinitis and develop an appropriate treatment plan. We have developed guidelines for medical treatment based on previous reports. The current guidelines herein are associated with the "KAAACI Evidence-Based Guidelines for Allergic Rhinitis in Korea, Part 1: Update in pharmacotherapy" in which we aimed to provide evidence-based recommendations for the medical treatment of allergic rhinitis. Part 2 focuses on non-pharmacological management, including allergen-specific immunotherapy, subcutaneous or sublingual immunotherapy, nasal saline irrigation, environmental management strategies, companion animal management, and nasal turbinate surgery. The evidence to support the treatment efficacy, safety, and selection has been systematically reviewed. However, larger controlled studies are needed to elevate the level of evidence to select rational non-medical therapeutic options for patients with allergic rhinitis.

Pretreatment Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio and Smoking History as Prognostic Factors in Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients Treated with Osimertinib.

BACKGROUND: The remarkable efficacy of osimertinib in non‒small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with acquired T790M mutation has been widely documented in clinical trials and real-world practice. However, some patients show primary resistance to this drug. Even patients who initially show a favorable response have inconsistent clinical outcomes later. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify additional clinical predictive factors for osimertinib efficacy. METHODS: A prospective cohort of patients with acquired T790M positive stage IV lung adenocarcinoma treated with osimertinib salvage therapy in Hallym University Medical Center were analyzed. RESULTS: Sixty-one eligible patients were analyzed, including 38 (62%) women and 39 (64%) who never smoked. Their mean age was 63.3 years. The median follow-up after treatment with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) was 36.0 months (interquartile range, 24.7-50.2 months). The majority (n=45, 74%) of patients were deceased. Based on univariate analysis, low baseline neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratios (NLR), age ≥50 years, never-smoking history, stage IVA at osimertinib initiation, and prolonged response to previous TKIs (≥10 months) were associated with a significantly longer progression-free survival (PFS). Multivariate analysis showed that never-smoking status (hazard ratio [HR], 0.54; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.30-0.98; p=0.041) and a baseline NLR less than or equal to 3.5 (HR, 0.23; 95% CI, 0.12-0.45; p-lt;0.001) were independently associated with a prolonged PFS with osimertinib. CONCLUSION: Smoking history and high NLR were independent negative predictors of osimertinib PFS in patients with advanced NSCLC developing EGFR T790M resistance after the initial EGFR-TKI treatment.

Novel tobacco products including electronic cigarette and heated tobacco products increase risk of allergic rhinitis and asthma in adolescents: Analysis of Korean youth survey.

BACKGROUND: The effect of novel tobacco products, such as electronic cigarettes (EC) and heated tobacco products (HTP), on allergic rhinitis (AR) and asthma is not well known. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the health effect of novel tobacco products on asthma and AR. METHODS: This study was conducted using large survey data on Korean middle and high school students. The relationship between current asthma/AR and novel tobacco products user status was evaluated. In order to compare the combined effects of conventional cigarette (CC), EC, and HTP use on current allergic diseases, the participants were classified into 18 groups based on CC (current, former, and never), EC (current, former, and never), and HTP (ever and never) status. RESULTS: A total of 60,040 participants representing 2,850,118 Korean adolescents were analyzed. Of all participants, 6.7%, 2.7%, and 2.9% were current CC, current EC, and ever HTP users, respectively. Current CC and ever HTP use was significantly associated with current asthma and AR in adjusted models. Current EC showed association with current AR but the association with asthma disappeared in the adjusted model. Among 18 groups, the groups including current CC use showed higher risk of current AR and asthma than never HTP-never EC-never CC group. The odds ratio of current asthma especially increased more in those who used EC and/or HTP with CC concurrently than those in the never HTP-never EC-current CC user group. CONCLUSION: Using EC and/or HTP in adolescents might enhance the adverse effect of CC on AR and asthma.

A One-Bag Rapid Desensitization Protocol for Paclitaxel Hypersensitivity: A Noninferior Alternative to a Multi-Bag Rapid Desensitization Protocol.

BACKGROUND: Desensitization is used to safely continue treatment with a culprit drug in patients with drug hypersensitivity. Currently, a multi-bag protocol is widely used for rapid desensitization, but performing the desensitization procedure is labor intensive as pharmacists and nurses need to prepare and administer diluted solutions. However, it has not been investigated whether dilution is essential for successful desensitization. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy and safety of a nondilution, 1-bag protocol in comparison with a conventional multi-bag protocol for desensitization of patients with paclitaxel hypersensitivity. METHODS: Patients who underwent paclitaxel desensitization between 2011 and 2018 were analyzed in this retrospective cohort study. The completion rate, time to completion, and occurrence and severity of breakthrough reaction (BTR) between a 1-bag protocol and a multi-bag protocol were compared. RESULTS: A total of 211 desensitization procedures were performed, of which 207 procedures (98.1%) were completed successfully. The administration time was significantly shorter in the 1-bag protocol group compared with the conventional multi-bag protocol group (266.0 ± 149.3 minutes vs 484.2 ± 178.6 minutes, P < .05) without differences in the completion rate (97.6% vs 98.9%, P = .645), the incidence of BTR (16.1% vs 27.6%, P = .778), and the proportion of severe BTR (2.6% vs 5.7%, P = .134). CONCLUSIONS: A nondilution, 1-bag protocol is noninferior to a multi-bag rapid desensitization protocol and can be a safe and effective option for paclitaxel desensitization.

Concurrent bilateral juvenile temporal arteritis and hypereosinophilic syndrome: a case report and review of the literature.

Most of temporal arteritis occurs in the older patient over 50 years old, and the histopathologic finding shows a granulomatous inflammation, so this called giant cell arteritis. However, the young patients also present with a nodular lesion in their temple, and juvenile temporal arteritis (JTA) should be considered as one of the differential diagnosis, although it is very rare. For both diagnosis and treatment of JTA, excisional biopsy is essential. The pathologic finding of the temporal artery shows panarteritis with lymphoeosinophilic infiltrates, but no giant cell or granulomatous lesion. JTA is a localized disease with low level of systemic inflammatory marker, so the symptom is usually relieved by excision of affected lesion. Peripheral blood eosinophilia present in some cases of JTA, but its relation with clinical course and prognosis is not yet been known. Herein, we report the case of a 24-year-old man diagnosed with concurrent JTA and hypereosinophilic syndrome. We also reviewed the literature of JTA focusing on the impact of combined peripheral eosinophilia on the course of the disease. Combined peripheral eosinophilia may increase the risk of recurrence of JTA after local treatment such as excision only.

The Presence of HLA-B75, DR13 Homozygosity, or DR14 Additionally Increases the Risk of Allopurinol-Induced Severe Cutaneous Adverse Reactions in HLA-B*58:01 Carriers.

BACKGROUND: Although HLA-B*58:01 is a well-known risk factor for the development of allopurinol-induced severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCARs), most of the HLA-B*58:01 carriers do not suffer from SCARs despite a long-term use of allopurinol. This suggests that there are other risk factors that determine the fate of HLA-B*58:01 carriers. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the additional genetic factors that increase the risk of allopurinol-induced SCARs in HLA-B*58:01 carriers. METHODS: The incidence of allopurinol-induced SCARs was investigated according to coexisting HLA alleles in all subjects with HLA-B*58:01 who took allopurinol between 2003 and 2017. The allopurinol tolerant group was defined as a group who took allopurinol for more than 60 days without developing hypersensitivity and was compared with the allopurinol-induced SCAR group. RESULTS: Among the retrospective cohort consisting of 367 HLA-B*58:01 carriers treated with allopurinol, 11 (3.0%) were diagnosed with allopurinol-induced SCARs. When HLA-B75, DR13 homozygosity, or DR14 was present, the incidence of SCARs increased up to 22.2% (odds ratio [OR], 19.568; P = .015), 20.0% (OR, 38.458; P = .001), and 10.7% (OR, 19.355; P = .004), respectively. Among the 153 HLA-B*58:01 carriers with chronic renal insufficiency (CRI), the incidence of SCARs doubled to 6.5% and further increased to 40%, 30%, and 37.5% in the presence of HLA-B75, DR13 homozygosity, or DR14, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Secondary screening with HLA-B75, DR13 homozygosity, and DR14 in addition to primary screening with HLA-B*58:01 would enable a more accurate prediction of SCAR occurrence, especially in patients with CRI.

A new non-dilution rapid desensitization protocol successfully applied to all-grade platinum hypersensitivity.

PURPOSE: Desensitization is a safe alternative for patients with hypersensitivity reactions (HSRs) to platinum-based chemotherapeutic agents and widely used in real practice by employing stepwise administration of multiple serial dilutions of the culprit drugs. However, its labor-intensive nature has required a simpler protocol that is easier to prepare and perform. METHODS: We performed an observational study of patients with platinum HSR who underwent a new non-dilution one-bag desensitization protocol. Premedication consisted of Montelukast as well as H1 and H2 blockers. The outcomes and safety profiles of a new protocol were assessed. RESULTS: A total of 36 patients were recruited (oxaliplatin 23, carboplatin 9, and cisplatin 4) and the most common grade of HSR presented was grade 2 (61.1%), followed by grade 3 (25%), and grade 1 (13.9%). Of 175 desensitization procedures, all cases were successfully completed in re-administration of culprit chemotherapeutic platinum agents; 146 (83.4%) had no breakthrough reactions (BTRs) while 29 (16.6%) did. Most BTRs were mild reactions (grade 1, 51.7%) or moderate reactions (grade 2, 44.8%) of Brown's Scale. Although there was one case of asymptomatic mild hypotension (grade 3, 3.5%), categorized as severe reaction, dyspnea, desaturation, and anaphylaxis did not occur. The proportion of severe HSRs was significantly lower than that of initial HSRs (3.5% vs. 25%, P = 0.0167). CONCLUSIONS: The new non-dilution desensitization protocol was safe and effective for re-administration of culprit platinum agents in patients with a history of HSRs. Therefore, this new protocol can be used as an alternative to existing protocols using multiple serial dilutions.

Bullous hemorrhagic dermatosis due to enoxaparin use in a bullous pemphigoid patient.

Adverse reactions of subcutaneous low molecular weight heparin or unfractionated heparin could be complications by bleeding, heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, drug-induced liver injury, osteoporosis, and cutaneous reactions. Heparin-induced skin lesions vary from allergic reactions like erythema, urticaria, eczema to intradermal microvascular thrombosis associated with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. There is a rare cutaneous complication, called bullous hemorrhagic dermatosis. We experienced this rare case of the cutaneous complication caused by enoxaparin. Several tense bullous hemorrhagic lesions occurred after 3 days of enoxaparin in a known bullous pemphigoid patient who had aortic valve replacement surgery with a mechanical prosthesis. The bullous hemorrhagic lesions were regressed after the discontinuation of enoxaparin but recurred after re-administration. The lesions were controlled by the administration of systemic corticosteroid and alternative anticoagulant. To date, less than 20 cases have been reported worldwide. This is the first case of bullous hemorrhagic dermatosis induced by enoxaparin, a low-molecular-weight heparin in Korea. This is also the first case of bullous hemorrhagic dermatosis in a known bullous pemphigoid patient.