Introduction: Several biologic agents have been approved for the treatment of asthma, chronic urticaria and atopic dermatitis. These therapeutic agents are especially useful for patients with severe or refractory symptoms. We present the real-life experience of four of the commonly used biologic agents in the United Arab Emirates. Methods: In this retrospective observational study, we reviewed the demographic, clinical, laboratory and treatment parameters for all patients treated with biologic agents. Results: 270 patients received biologics at our centre between May 2015 and December 2019 with a median age of 36.5 years. Omalizumab was the most prescribed agent (n=183, 67.8%) followed by dupilumab (n=54, 20%), benralizumab (n=22, 8.1%) and mepolizumab (n=11, 4.1%). Urticaria was the commonest treatment indication (n=148, 55%) followed by asthma (n=105, 39%) and atopic dermatitis (n=13, 5%). All chronic urticaria patients were treated with omalizumab and showed improvement in the mean urticaria control test score from 6.7±4.47 to 12.02±4.17, with a p-value of 0.001. Dupilumab was found to be the most commonly prescribed drug for asthma (37%), followed by omalizumab (32%), benralizumab (21%) and mepolizumab (10%). The mean Asthma control test score for all asthmatics combined increased from 17.06 ± 5.4 to 19.44 ± 5.6, with p-value 0.0012 with treatment; FeNO reduced from 60.02 ± 45.74 to 29.11 ± 27.92, with p-value 0.001 and mean FEV1 improved from 2.38L ± 0.8 to 2.67L ± 0.78, with p-value 0.045. Only 4 patients in the entire cohort reported adverse events. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that biological agents are a safe and effective treatment for atopic asthma, chronic urticaria and atopic dermatitis.

Background: Eosinophilic cystitis is a rare inflammatory cystitis of unknown origin. Common symptoms include urinary frequency, urgency, pain, and recurrent urinary tract infections. Currently used treatments include corticosteroids, anti-inflammatory drugs, antihistamines, and antibiotics. Here we present a case of successful treatment of eosinophilic cystitis with mepolizumab. Case presentation: A 41-year-old female presented with urinary frequency, urgency, and suprapubic pain. She underwent multiple tests including cystoscopy and biopsy, which revealed a diagnosis of eosinophilic cystitis in 2000. She was initially managed with oral antihistamines and oral steroids. However, over the years her symptoms increased in frequency, intensity, and duration. Montelukast 10 mg daily started which did not show any improvement. In 2017 Mepolizumab 100 mg every 4 weeks started. The patient noted improvement after a few months, and she was tolerating her injections well without side effects and had no further flares of her condition. Discussion: We present a case of eosinophilic cystitis which was refractory to multiple treatments and responded well to mepolizumab. There are no definite guidelines for the management of EC and there is no curative treatment for this disease. Mepolizumab is an anti-IL-5 monoclonal antibody and the use of mepolizumab in the management of EC that is refractory to treatment have been reported in a few cases. The use of mepolizumab has been described in different diseases associated with eosinophilic inflammation such as severe eosinophilic asthma, eosinophilic esophagitis, eosinophilic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and severe nasal polyposis. Conclusion: Mepolizumab can be considered a treatment option in EC cases refractory to the standard treatment. At this time, larger studies are needed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of mepolizumab in EC.

BACKGROUND: Severe asthma is a major burden on health-economic resources; hence, knowing the epidemiology of these patients is important in planning and provision of asthma care. In addition, identifying and managing the comorbidities helps improve symptoms and reduce associated morbidity and mortality. OBJECTIVES: Epidemiology of difficult asthma has not been well studied in the Middle East, so in this study, we present the demographic and clinical characteristics of severe asthma in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the notes of severe asthma patients attending three tertiary care hospitals between May 2015 and December 2019. Data on baseline demographics, asthma characteristics, treatment, and comorbidities were collected. RESULTS: We reviewed the notes of 458 patients (271 females and 187 males) that fulfilled the 2019 Global Initiative for Asthma guidelines for the diagnosis of severe asthma. The mean age was 47.7 (standard deviation 17.2) years. Males had significantly higher asthma control test scores (17.9 vs. 16, P = 0.01) and mean blood eosinophils (0.401 vs. 0.294, P <0.01) than females. The most common comorbidity observed was allergic rhinitis (52.2%) followed by gastroesophageal reflux disease (27.1%). In total, 109 (23.8%) patients were on biological therapies with most patients being on omalizumab and dupilumab (29 and 18 patients, respectively). Most patients were nonsmokers (97.2%), and majority were of TH2-high phenotype (75.7%). CONCLUSIONS: In this first report of severe asthma characteristics in the UAE, we found a pattern of female preponderance and most patients having a Th2-high phenotype. The findings are likely to help optimize asthma care in the region in the era of biologic therapies.

Allergic rhinitis is a common, chronic medical condition affecting millions of people worldwide. Uncontrolled disease has been associated with impairments in quality of life and decreased economic productivity. Proper identification and control of relevant co-morbid conditions is essential for optimal rhinitis control. Management of allergic rhinitis includes identification of relevant allergens, education on avoidance measures, medications and immunotherapy. First-line therapy includes the use on an intranasal steroid. Other treatment options include oral or intranasal antihistamines, decongestants, leukotriene receptor antagonists, mast cell stabilizers or anticholinergic agents. Immunotherapy is an effective treatment option for refractory disease.

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