Successful treatment of chronic eosinophilic pneumonia with anti-IgE therapy

Abstract

Anti-IgE therapy, using recombinant humanized anti-IgE antibodies, is clinically effective in patients with eosinophil-related disorders such as allergic asthma, allergic rhinitis, and chronic urticaria. Chronic eosinophilic pneumonia tends to respond promptly to systemic corticosteroid therapy, however; relapses are common following corticosteroid tapering. We treated two patients (17- and 19-yr-old males) of chronic eosinophilic pneumonia whose symptoms were cough and dyspnea on exertion. The symptoms were recurrent while tapering off corticosteroid. They were treated with anti-IgE antibody without recurrence for 2 yr and 15 months. Here, we first describe clinical experience of the 2 cases of chronic eosinophilic pneumonia.