Abstract
Allergologie select, Volume 3/2019 (22-50)
ARIA guideline 2019: treatment of allergic rhinitis in the German health system
Ludger Klimek1, Claus Bachert2, Oliver Pfaar3, Sven Becker4, Thomas Bieber5, Randolf Brehler6, Roland Buhl7, Ingrid Casper1, Adam Chaker8, Wolfgang Czech9, Jörg Fischer10, Thomas Fuchs11, Michael Gerstlauer12, Karl Hörmann13, Thilo Jakob14, Kirsten Jung15, Matthias V. Kopp16, Vera Mahler17, Hans Merk18, Norbert Mülleneisen19, Katja Nemat20, Uta Rabe21, Johannes Ring22, Joachim Saloga23, Wolfgang Schlenter24, Carsten Schmidt-Weber25, Holger Seyfarth26, Annette Sperl1, Thomas Spindler27, Petra Staubach23, Sebastian Strieth28, Regina Treudler29, Christian Vogelberg30, Andrea Wallrafen31, Wolfgang Wehrmann32, Holger Wrede33, Torsten Zuberbier34, Anna Bedbrook35, Giorgio W. Canonica36, Victoria Cardona37, Thomas B. Casale38, Wienczylawa Czarlewski39, Wytske J. Fokkens40, Eckard Hamelmann41, Marek Jutel42, Désirée Larenas-Linnemann43, Joaquim Mullol44, Nikolaos G. Papadopoulos45, Sanna Toppila-Salmi46, Thomas Werfel47, and Jean Bousquet34#35#48#49
1Center of Rhinology and Allergology, Wiesbaden, Germany, 2Upper Airways Research Laboratory and Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Ghent University and Ghent, University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium, Division of ENT Diseases, CLINTEC, Karolinska Institute, University of Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden, 3Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck, Surgery, Section of Rhinology and Allergy, University, Hospital Marburg, Philipps-Universität Marburg,Marburg, Germany, 4Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany, 5Department of Dermatology and Allergy, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany, Christine Kühne-Center for Allergy Research and Education (CK-CARE) Davos-Augsburg-Bonn-St Gallen-Zürich, St. Gallen, Switzerland, 6Department of Allergy, Occupational Dermatology and Environmental Medicine, Universitätsklinikum Münster, Münster, Germany, 7Pulmonary Department,Mainz University Hospital,Mainz, Germany, 8Department of Otolaryngology and Center for Allergy and Environment (ZAUM), Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich and Helmholtz Center Munich, Munich, Germany, 9Department of Dermatology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany, 10Department of Dermatology, Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany, 11Department of Dermatology, Venereology, and Allergology, University Medical Center, Georg August University, Göttingen, Germany, 12Pediatric Pneumology and Allergology Unit, Medical University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany, 13Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Mannheim University Hospital, Mannheim, Germany, 14Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Medical Center Gießen and Marburg, Campus Gießen, Justus-Liebig-University, Gießen, Germany, 15Group Practice for Dermatology, Erfurt, Germany, 16Clinic of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Airway Research Center North (ARCN), Member of the German Lung Center (DZL), Lübeck University, Lübeck, Germany, 17Medical Faculty, Friedrich- Alexander-University (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany, 18Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany, 19Asthma and Allergy Centre, Leverkusen, Germany, 20Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technical University of Dresden, Dresden, Germany, 21Department of Allergology, Johanniter-Krankenhaus im Fläming Treuenbrietzen GmbH, Treuenbrietzen, Germany, 22Department and Outpatient Clinic for Dermatology and Allergology am Biederstein, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany and Christine Kühne Center for Allergy Research and Education (CK-Care), Davos, Switzerland, 23Department of Dermatology, University Medical Center Mainz,Mainz, Germany, 24Former Head ENT - Department, Katharina- Kasper-Kliniken, Marienkrankenhaus, c/o University Hospital, Frankfurt, Germany, 25Center for Allergy and Environment (ZAUM), Member of the German Center of Lung Research (DZL) and the Inflammation and Immunology Helmholtz Initiative, Technical University of Munich and Helmholtz Center Munich, Munich, Germany, 26Pharmacy Association in Hesse, Offenbach, Germany, 27Allergy Campus Davos, Hochgebirgsklinik Davos dpt. Pediatrics, Davos, Switzerland, 28Department of Otolaryngology, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany, 29Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, LICA – Leipzig Comprehensive Allergy Center, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany, 30Department of Pediatric Pneumology and Allergology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technical University of Dresden, Dresden, Germany, 31German Allergy and Asthma Association, Mönchengladbach, Germany, 32Dermatology Group Practice,Münster, Germany, 33Herford, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, 34Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Allergie-Centrum – Charité, Charité – Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Berlin, Germany, 35MACVIA-France, Montpellier, France, 36Allergy Section, Allergy and Respiratory Diseases, DIMI, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy, 37Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona, Spain, 38Division of Allergy and Immunology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA, 39Medical Consulting Czarlewski, Levallois, France, 40Department Otorhinolaryngologie, Academic Medical Centers, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 41Children’s Center, Protestant Hospital Bethel, University Bielefeld, Bielefeld Germany, 42Department of Clinical Immunology, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland and ALL-MED Medical Research Institute, Wroclaw, Poland, 43HospitalMédica Sur, México City, Mexico, 44Unitat de Rinologia i Clínica de l’Olfacte, Servei d’ORL, Hospital Clínic, Clinical and Experimental Respiratory Immunoallergy, IDIBAPS, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain, 45Department of Allergy, 2nd Pediatric Clinic, University of Athens, Athens, Greece, 46Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland, 47Division of Immunodermatology and Allergy Research, Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany, 48University Hospital, Montpellier, 49 INSERM, Unit 1168, Paris, France
Background: The number of patients affected by allergies is increasing worldwide. The resulting allergic diseases are leading to significant costs for health care and social systems. Integrated care pathways are needed to enable comprehensive care within the national health systems. The ARIA (Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma) initiative develops internationally applicable guidelines for allergic respiratory diseases.
Methods: ARIA serves to improve the care of patients with allergies and chronic respiratory diseases. In collaboration with other international initiatives, national associations and patient organizations in the field of allergies and respiratory diseases, real-life integrated care pathways have been developed for a digitally assisted, integrative, individualized treatment of allergic rhinitis (AR) with comorbid asthma. In the present work, these integrated care pathways have been adapted to the German situation and health system.
Results: The present ICP (integrated care pathway) guideline covers key areas of the care of AR patients with and without asthma. It includes the views of patients and other healthcare providers.
Discussion: A comprehensive ICP guideline can reflect real-life care better than traditional guideline models.Correspondence to:
Prof. Dr. Jean Bousquet
Centre Hospitalier
Régional Universitaire´de Montpellier (CHU)
371 Avenue du Doyen Gaston Giraud
34295 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
Email: [email protected]
Abstract
Allergologie select, Vol. 7/2023 (154-190)
Diagnosis and treatment of Hymenoptera venom allergy
Franziska Ruëff1, Andrea Bauer2, Sven Becker3, Randolf Brehler4, Knut Brockow5, Adam M. Chaker6, Ulf Darsow5, Jörg Fischer7, Thomas Fuchs8, Michael Gerstlauer9, Sunhild Gernert10, Eckard Hamelmann11, Wolfram Hötzenecker12, Ludger Klimek13, Lars Lange10, Hans Merk14, Norbert K. Mülleneisen15, Irena Neustädter16, Wolfgang Pfützner17, Wolfgang Sieber18, Helmut Sitter19, Christoph Skudlik20, Regina Treudler21, Bettina Wedi22, Stefan Wöhrl23, Margitta Worm24 and Thilo Jakob25
1Department of Dermatology and Allergy, LMU University Hospital, Munich, 2Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technical University Dresden, Dresden, 3Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Tuebingen, Tübingen, 4Department of Dermatology, Münster University Hospital, Münster, 5Department of Dermatology and Allergology Biederstein, Faculty of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, 6Department of Otorhinolaryngology Klinikum rechts der Isar, Faculty of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, 7University Hospital for Dermatology and Allergology, Clinic Oldenburg, Oldenburg, 8Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, 9Clinic for Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Augsburg, Augsburg, 10Pediatric Clinic, Marienhospital Bonn, GFO Kliniken, Bonn, 11Children’s Center Bethel, University Hospital OWL, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany, 12Department of Dermatology, Kepler University Hospital, Medical Faculty of University Linz, Linz, Austria, 13Center for Rhinology and Allergology, Wiesbaden, 14Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital of RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, 15Center for Asthma and Allergy, Leverkusen, 16Cnopfsche Paediatric Clinic, Nuremberg, 17Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital Marburg, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, 18Hospital Wörth an der Donau, Wörth an der Donau, 19Institute for Theoretical Surgery, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, 20Institute for Interdisciplinary Dermatological Prevention and Rehabilitation (iDerm) at the University of Osnabrueck, Osnabrueck, and BG Clinic Hamburg, Hamburg, 21University Leipzig Medical Faculty, Leipzig, 22Comprehensive Allergy, Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany, 23Floridsdorf Allergy Center (FAZ), Vienna, Austria, 24Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Charité Mitte, Berlin, and 25Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital Giessen, Justus Liebig University Gießen, Gießen, Germany
Hymenoptera venom (HV) is injected into the skin during a sting by Hymenoptera such as bees or wasps. Some components of HV are potential allergens and can cause large local and/or systemic allergic reactions (SAR) in sensitized individuals. During their lifetime, ~ 3% of the general population will develop SAR following a Hymenoptera sting. This guideline presents the diagnostic and therapeutic approach to SAR following Hymenoptera stings. Symptomatic therapy is usually required after a severe local reaction, but specific diagnosis or allergen immunotherapy (AIT) with HV (VIT) is not necessary. When taking a patient’s medical history after SAR, clinicians should discuss possible risk factors for more frequent stings and more severe anaphylactic reactions. The most important risk factors for more severe SAR are mast cell disease and, especially in children, uncontrolled asthma. Therefore, if the SAR extends beyond the skin (according to the Ring and Messmer classification: grade > I), the baseline serum tryptase concentration shall be measured and the skin shall be examined for possible mastocytosis. The medical history should also include questions specific to asthma symptoms. To demonstrate sensitization to HV, allergists shall determine concentrations of specific IgE antibodies (sIgE) to bee and/or vespid venoms, their constituents and other venoms as appropriate. If the results are negative less than 2 weeks after the sting, the tests shall be repeated (at least 4 – 6 weeks after the sting). If only sIgE to the total venom extracts have been determined, if there is double sensitization, or if the results are implausible, allergists shall determine sIgE to the different venom components. Skin testing may be omitted if in-vitro methods have provided a definitive diagnosis. If neither laboratory diagnosis nor skin testing has led to conclusive results, additional cellular testing can be performed. Therapy for HV allergy includes prophylaxis of reexposure, patient self treatment measures (including use of rescue medication) in the event of re-stings, and VIT. Following a grade I SAR and in the absence of other risk factors for repeated sting exposure or more severe anaphylaxis, it is not necessary to prescribe an adrenaline auto-injector (AAI) or to administer VIT. Under certain conditions, VIT can be administered even in the presence of previous grade I anaphylaxis, e.g., if there are additional risk factors or if quality of life would be reduced without VIT. Physicians should be aware of the contraindications to VIT, although they can be overridden in justified individual cases after weighing benefits and risks. The use of β-blockers and ACE inhibitors is not a contraindication to VIT. Patients should be informed about possible interactions. For VIT, the venom extract shall be used that, according to the patient’s history and the results of the allergy diagnostics, was the trigger of the disease. If, in the case of double sensitization and an unclear history regarding the trigger, it is not possible to determine the culprit venom even with additional diagnostic procedures, VIT shall be performed with both venom extracts. The standard maintenance dose of VIT is 100 µg HV. In adult patients with bee venom allergy and an increased risk of sting exposure or particularly severe anaphylaxis, a maintenance dose of 200 µg can be considered from the start of VIT. Administration of a non-sedating H1-blocking antihistamine can be considered to reduce side effects. The maintenance dose should be given at 4-weekly intervals during the first year and, following the manufacturer’s instructions, every 5 – 6 weeks from the second year, depending on the preparation used; if a depot preparation is used, the interval can be extended to 8 weeks from the third year onwards. If significant recurrent systemic reactions occur during VIT, clinicians shall identify and as possible eliminate co-factors that promote these reactions. If this is not possible or if there are no such co-factors, if prophylactic administration of an H1-blocking antihistamine is not effective, and if a higher dose of VIT has not led to tolerability of VIT, physicians should should consider additional treatment with an anti IgE antibody such as omalizumab as off lable use. For practical reasons, only a small number of patients are able to undergo sting challenge tests to check the success of the therapy, which requires in-hospital monitoring and emergency standby. To perform such a provocation test, patients must have tolerated VIT at the planned maintenance dose. In the event of treatment failure while on treatment with an ACE inhibitor, physicians should consider discontinuing the ACE inhibitor. In the absence of tolerance induction, physicians shall increase the maintenance dose (200 µg to a maximum of 400 µg in adults, maximum of 200 µg HV in children). If increasing the maintenance dose does not provide adequate protection and there are risk factors for a severe anaphylactic reaction, physicians should consider a co-medication based on an anti-IgE antibody (omalizumab; off-label use) during the insect flight season. In patients without specific risk factors, VIT can be discontinued after 3 – 5 years if maintenance therapy has been tolerated without recurrent anaphylactic events. Prolonged or permanent VIT can be considered in patients with mastocytosis, a history of cardiovascular or respiratory arrest due to Hymenoptera sting (severity grade IV), or other specific constellations associated with an increased individual risk of recurrent and/or severe SAR (e.g., hereditary α-tryptasemia). In cases of strongly increased, unavoidable insect exposure, adults may receive VIT until the end of intense contact. The prescription of an AAI can be omitted in patients with a history of SAR grade I and II when the maintenance dose of VIT has been reached and tolerated, provided that there are no additional risk factors. The same holds true once the VIT has been terminated after the regular treatment period. Patients with a history of SAR grade ≥ III reaction, or grade II reaction combined with additional factors that increase the risk of non response or repeated severe sting reactions, should carry an emergency kit, including an AAI, during VIT and after regular termination of the VIT.Correspondence to:
Prof. Dr. med. Franziska Ruëff, Klinik und Poliklinik für Dermatologie, und Allergologie, Klinikum der Universität München, Frauenlobstraße 9-11, 80337 Munich, Germany,
Email: [email protected]
Abstract
Allergologie, Jahrgang 48, 3/2025, S. 174-183
13. Arbeitsgespräch Insektengiftallergie und Mastozytose; 4./5. April 2025, Frankurt/Main
Tagungsleitung: Thilo Jakob, Gießen, und Jörg Fischer, Augsburg
Abstract
Allergologie select, Vol. 10/2026 (197-208)
In vitro diagnostics in hymenoptera venom allergy: Current concepts and perspectives
Thilo Jakob1, Timo Buhl2, and Jörg Fischer3
1Department of Dermatology and Allergy, University Medical Center Gießen, Justus Liebig Universität Gießen, Gießen, 2Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, and 3Department of Dermatology and Allergology, Augsburg University Hospital, Augsburg, Germany
Background: Hymenoptera venom allergy (HVA) is a leading cause of anaphylaxis in adults and requires precise diagnostic work-up to guide venom immunotherapy (VIT). However, the high prevalence of asymptomatic sensitization and frequent double sensitization complicate the identification of clinically relevant allergens. Materials and methods: This narrative review summarizes current concepts and recent advances in in vitro diagnostics of HVA, including conventional IgE testing, component-resolved diagnostics (CRD), IgE ratio analysis, and cellular assays and biomarkers for risk stratification. Emphasis is placed on their diagnostic performance, limitations, and clinical applicability. Results: Measurement of venom-specific IgE remains the cornerstone of HVA diagnosis, offering high sensitivity for clinically relevant HVA. CRD using recombinant, CCD-free allergens improves discrimination between primary sensitization and cross-reactivity, particularly in patients with double sensitization to honeybee and yellow jacket venoms. However, incomplete allergen panels, especially in honeybee venom allergy, limit sensitivity. IgE ratio analysis has emerged as a complementary tool to identify the most likely culprit venom, although it may be influenced by recent sting exposure. Cellular assays such as the basophil activation test provide functional information and may support diagnosis in complex cases but are restricted to specialized centers. In addition, biomarkers such as basal serum tryptase and KIT p.D816V mutation are important for risk stratification. Conclusion: Modern in vitro diagnostics substantially enhance the precision of HVA diagnosis but cannot replace clinical history. An integrated approach combining serology, molecular diagnostics, ratio analysis and, where appropriate, functional assays, is essential for accurate identification of the relevant venom and optimal patient management.Correspondence to:
Thilo Jakob, MD, Department of Dermatology and Allergy, University Medical Center Gießen, Justus Liebig Universität Gießen, Gaffkystrasse 14, 35392 Gießen, Germany
Email: [email protected]
