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Venom immunotherapy in patients with mastocytosis

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  • Venom immunotherapy in patients with mastocytosis
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Abstract

Background: A clear relationship has been demonstrated between hymenoptera venom anaphylaxis (HVA) and primary mast cell activation syndromes (MCAS).

Methods: This review describes the clinical and biological characteristics of patients with primary MCAS who present with HVA, the diagnostic tests that have demonstrated to be useful, and the safety and effectiveness of venom immunotherapy (VIT) in these individuals.

Results: Patients presenting with dizziness or hypotension and without skin involvement after an insect sting are at an increased risk of presenting clonal mast cells (MCs). They usually have low MC burden and highly sensitive techniques are mandatory to reach a final assessment. Skin testing and determinations of specific IgE are useful in detecting patients who are candidates for VIT, which has proved to be safe and effective.

Conclusions: Patients with primary MCAS and IgE-mediated HVA are candidates to receive VIT. Their management does not differ much from general population with the exception of VIT duration.

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Acknowledgements

This work was partially presented as a lecture in the EAACI Allergy School on Insect Venom Allergy and Mastocytosis held in Groningen, The Netherlands, April 11-13, 2019.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Allergy Department, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Cajal, Spanien

    David González-de-Olano

  2. Hospital Virgen del Valle, Toledo, Spanien

    Iván Álvarez-Twose

  3. Allergy Department, Hospital de Guadalajara, Madrid, Spanien

    Arantza Vega-Castro

Authors
  1. David González-de-Olano
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  2. Iván Álvarez-Twose
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  3. Arantza Vega-Castro
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to David González-de-Olano.

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D. González-de-Olano belongs to the Spanish Thematic Network and Co-operative Research Centres ARADyAL, Center RD16/0006/0022. A. Vega-Castro belongs to the Spanish Thematic Network and Co-operative Research Centres ARADyAL, Center RD16/0006/0023. I. Álvarez-Twose declares that she has no competing interests.

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González-de-Olano, D., Álvarez-Twose, I. & Vega-Castro, A. Venom immunotherapy in patients with mastocytosis. Allergo J 29, 26–31 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s15007-020-2514-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s15007-020-2514-5

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