Icatibant, an antagonist of the bradykinin B2 receptor, was approved for the treatment of acute attacks of hereditary angioedema in the EU in 2008. This paper presents the case of a 65-year-old woman affected by frequent acute attacks of hereditary angioedema who benefitted from a change of therapy to icatibant, following years of treatment with C1-inhibitor.
DonaldsonVHEvansRR. A biochemical abnormality in hereditary angioneurotic edema: Absence of serum inhibitor of C'l-esterase. Am J Med1963; 35:37–44.
2.
MorganPB. Hereditary angioedema – therapies old and new. N Engl J Med2010; 363:581–3.
3.
NussbergerJCugnoMAmstutzCCicardiMPellacaniAAgostoniA. Plasma bradykinin in angio-oedema. Lancet1998; 351:1497–503.
4.
CugnoMNussbergerJCicardiMAgostoniA. Bradykinin and the pathophysiology of angiooedema. Int Immunopharmacol2003; 3:311–7.
5.
CicardiMZanichelliA. Angioedema due to C1 inhibitor deficiency in 2010. Intern Emerg Med2010; 5:481–6.
6.
BorkKSiedleckiKBoschSSchopfREKreuzW. Asphyxiation by laryngeal edema in patients with hereditary angioedema. Mayo Clin Proc2000; 75: 349–54.
7.
BowenTCicardiMFarkasH. 2010 International consensus algorithm for diagnosis, therapy and management of hereditary angioedema. Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol2010; 6:24.
8.
ZurawBL. HAE therapies: Past, present and future. Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol2010; 6:23.
9.
ZurawBLBussePJWhiteM. Nanofiltered C1 inhibitor concentrate for treatment of hereditary angioedema. N Engl J Med2010; 363:513–22.
10.
CicardiMBanerjiABrachoF. Icatibant, a new bradykinin-receptor antagonist, in hereditary angioedema. N Engl J Med2010; 363:532–41.
11.
CicardiMLevyRJMcNeilDL. Ecallantide for the treatment of acute attacks of hereditary angioedema. N Engl J Med2010; 363:523–31.
VargaLSzeplakiGVisyB. C1-inhibitor (C1-INH) autoantibodies in hereditary angioedema. Strong correlation with the severity of disease in C1-INH concentrate naive patients. Mol Immunol2007; 44:1454–60
14.
BorkKHardtJ. Hereditary angioedema: Increased number of attacks after frequent treatments with C1 inhibitor concentrate. Am J Med2009; 122:780–3.
15.
BouilletLBoccon-GibodIDumestre-PerardCCesbronJYMassotC. Efficacy of icatibant treatment in patients with hereditary angio-oedema type I resistant to treatment with C1 inhibitor concentrate. Br J Dermatol2011; 164:1406–7
16.
VargaLFustGFarkasH. Are these patients indeed resistant to treatment with C1 inhibitor concentrate?Br J Dermatol2012; 166(1):225–6.
17.
FarkasHHarmatGKaposiPN. Ultrasonography in the diagnosis and monitoring of ascites in acute abdominal attacks of hereditary angioneurotic oedema. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol2001; 13:1225–30.
18.
PedrosaMCaballeroTGómez-TraseiraCOlveiraLLopez-SerranoC. Usefulness of abdominal ultrasonography in the follow-up of patients with hereditary C1-inhibitor deficiency. Am Allergy Asthma Immunol2009; 102:483–6.