The Bee Sting That Was Not: An Unusual Case of Hymenoptera Anaphylaxis Averted in a Patient Treated with Omalizumab for Asthma

• Published in: Case Reports in Medicine Vol. 2014; no. 2014; pp. 28 - 30-005
• Main Authors: Slaughter, Evelyn M., Bennett, Steven, Boyer, Nathan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cairo, Egypt Hindawi Limiteds 01-01-2014; Hindawi Puplishing Corporation; Hindawi Publishing Corporation; John Wiley & Sons, Inc; Hindawi Limited
• Subjects: Age; Allergies; Anaphylaxis; Asthma; Care and treatment; Case Report; Case studies; Complications and side effects; Diagnosis; Disease; Dosage and administration; Hymenoptera; Immunotherapy; Omalizumab; Patients; Risk factors; Venom; United States
• ISSN: 1687-9627; 1687-9635
• DOI: 10.1155/2014/138963

This paper presents a case of hymenoptera venom anaphylaxis averted by omalizumab, a monoclonal antibody to IgE antibody. This case suggests a novel and unintentional effect of this therapy. Currently omalizumab is only FDA approved for the treatment of moderate-persistent allergic asthma. However case reports, such as ours have illustrated omalizumab’s efficacy in the treatment of a myriad immunologic and allergic diseases. These outcomes have broadened the understanding of omalizumab’s complex mechanism of action.