Novel diagnostic approaches and biological therapeutics for intrinsic asthma

Abstract

María del Carmen Vennera,1–3 César Picado1–3 1Department of Pneumology and Respiratory Allergy, Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; 2Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; 3Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Spain Abstract: Intrinsic asthma has been considered as a specific disease entity for a long time, although many controversies have emerged in relation to this concept. Of note, not finding specific allergen sensitization in an asthmatic patient neither excludes an allergic component nor the essential role that immunoglobulin E may play in asthma. The diagnostic approach should be similar in any patient suspected to have asthma. The atopic status is one among many other questions. Omalizumab, the only monoclonal anti-immunoglobulin E antibody commercialized for asthma, should be tried in patients with uncontrolled severe asthma independent of their atopic status. Keywords: nonatopic asthma, immunoglobulin E, omalizumab