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Background: Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) is an immunologic condition with an estimated prevalence of 0.1%. For CSU that is poorly controlled despite the use of antihistamines, omalizumab is the only treatment approved and recommended by international guidelines. Objective: Our aim was to outline the impact of treatment accessibility on CSU outcomes in the real world. Methods: Serial data on adult patients with CSU receiving care for at least 6 months at a dedicated, immunologist-led urticaria clinic at Grantham Hospital in Hong Kong between 2018 and 2023 were analyzed. Patients’ clinicodemographic data, drug eligibility status (eligible for reimbursement or not), treatment step, and disease activity (weekly Urticaria Activity Score [UAS7]) were collected and compared according to drug eligibility status. Results: This study included 238 patients, 80 (33.6%) of whom were eligible for reimbursement and 158 of whom were not. No significant clinicodemographic differences, including disease activity, were found at baseline. At latest follow-up, significantly more patients in the eligible group were receiving omalizumab (28.7% vs 5.7% [P < .001]), which is equivalent to a multivariate odds ratio of 9.35 (95% CI = 3.689-23.703 [P < .001]). The discrepancy persisted even in patients with moderate-to-severe CSU whose UAS7 was 16 or higher (40.6% [13 of 32] vs 10.2% [6 of 59]; P < .001). In addition, there was significantly less dose reduction (

Abstract Background Incorrect drug ‘allergy’ labels remain a global public health concern. Identifying regional trends of drug allergy labeling can guide appropriate public health interventions, but longitudinal or population drug allergy studies remain scarce. We analysed the serial epidemiology of drug allergy labeling to identify specific subgroups at highest risk of drug allergy labeling for potential interventions. Methods Longitudinal, population-wide drug allergy labels and clinical data from over 7,337,778 individuals in Hong Kong between 2016 and 2021 were analysed. Results The absolute prevalence and incidence of documented drug allergy were 5.61% and 277/100,000 population, respectively. Annual incidence of new allergy labels was stable between 2016 and 2019, until a significant drop in 2020 (−16.3%) during the COVID19 pandemic. The most common allergy labels were anti-infectives (245,832 [44.5%]), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (106,843 [19.3%]), and nervous system drugs (45,802 [8.3%]). The most common labeled culprits for the most severe immediate-type (anaphylaxis) and non-immediate-type (Stevens-Johnson syndrome) reactions were beta-lactams and nervous system drugs, respectively. For individuals at highest risk of labeling, there was significantly higher incidence of overall drug and beta-lactam allergy labeling amongst individuals aged > 40 years which contributed to the majority of newly labeled allergies (377,004, 68.2%). Conclusions Contrary to traditional dogma, we identified disproportionately higher incidence of drug allergy labeling amongst older individuals, rather than the paediatric age group. We advocate for more population-wide drug allergy studies to investigate this phenomenon in other cohorts as well as future preventative and delabeling efforts focusing on the adult population.

Background: Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a rare genetic disease. Patients with type II HAE have normal or elevated C1-inhibitor (C1-INH) levels but C1-INH protein is dysfunctional. C1-INH function requires careful sample handling and technical expertise and may account for the lack of diagnosed patients with type II HAE in resource-limited countries. Objective: We sought to assess the diagnostic performance of elevated C1-INH levels in diagnosing type II HAE. Methods: All patients with confirmed type II HAE in Hong Kong and India were analyzed. Diagnosis was confirmed by persistent low C1-INH function and/or pathogenic SERPING1 gene mutations. Their C1-INH levels were compared with those of matched controls. Results: A total of 31 (14 Chinese, 17 Indian) patients with type II HAE and 31 matched controls were analyzed. Overall, 77.4% (24/31) of patients with type II HAE had elevated C1-INH levels compared with 38.7% (12 of 31) of controls (odds ratio, 2.00; 95% CI, 1.34-2.98; P = .017). C1-INH levels in patients with type II HAE were significantly higher than in controls (52.2 ± 20.0 mg/dL vs 29.1 ±3.6 mg/dL; P < .001). Findings were consistent when C1-INH values in the Chinese and Indian subgroups were analyzed separately. Receiver-operating characteristic curve demonstrated excellent performance for elevated C1-INH levels to diagnose patients with type II HAE with an area under the curve of 0.953 (95% CI, 0.941-0.992; P < .001). Positive and negative predictive values of both a low C4 and an elevated C1-INH level for patients with type II HAE were 100% and 82.9%, respectively. Conclusions: Low C4 and elevated C1-INH levels may be considered as a screening tool for type II HAE, especially in countries where C1-INH function testing is not readily available.

IntroductionOlfactory dysfunction (OD) is common among patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Validated and culturally specific tests, such as the “Sniffin’ Sticks” test (SST) and the TIB Smell Identification Test (TIBSIT), are crucial for the diagnosis and monitoring of OD. However, they have not been utilised in Hong Kong Chinese and their correlations are unknown.MethodsTwelve CRS patients and twenty healthy volunteers were prospectively recruited from a joint allergy-otorhinolaryngology clinic in Hong Kong and performed both SST and TIBSIT. Demographics, baseline characteristics and all test results were compared and analysed.ResultsPatients with CRS demonstrated significantly lower test scores than healthy controls (all p

BackgroundExcipient allergy is a rare, but potentially lethal, form of drug allergy. Diagnosing excipient allergy remains difficult in regions without mandatory drug ingredient disclosure and is a significant barrier to drug safety.ObjectiveTo investigate the feasibility of a drug allergy registry-based excipient database to identify potential excipient culprits in patients with history of drug allergy, using polyethylene glycol (PEG) as an example.MethodsAn excipient registry was created by compiling the excipient lists pertaining to all available formulations of the top 50 most reported drug allergy culprits in Hong Kong. Availability of excipient information, and its relationship with total number of formulations of individual drugs were analysed. All formulations were checked for the presence or absence of PEG.ResultsComplete excipient information was available for 36.5% (729/2,000) of all formulations of the top 50 reported drug allergy culprits in Hong Kong. The number of formulations for each drug was associated with proportion of available excipient information (ρ = 0.466, p = 0.001). Out of 729 formulations, 109 (15.0%) and 620 (85.0%) were confirmed to contain and not contain PEG, respectively. Excipient information was not available for the other 1,271 (63.6%) formulations. We were unable to confirm the presence or absence of PEG in any of the top 50 drug allergy culprits in Hong Kong.ConclusionIn countries without mandatory drug ingredient disclosure, excipient databases are unlikely able to identify potential excipient allergy in drug allergy patients. Legislations to enforce mandatory and universal ingredient disclosure are urgently needed.

Background: With no approved long-term prophylaxis (LTP) for the prevention of hereditary angioedema (HAE) attacks in Hong Kong, patients rely on compassionate use programs and drug trials. Moreover, studies regarding the use and efficacy of LTP in Asia are lacking. Objectives: Our aim was to assess 2 LTP medications for HAE in Hong Kong: lanadelumab and garadacimab. Methods: A prospective study was performed. Adult patients with a diagnosis of type I or type II HAE with 1 or more expert-confirmed attacks per month were consecutively recruited. The patients had been receiving treatment for at least 6 months. Clinical data were obtained, and questionnaires were administered before treatment periodically for at least 6 months following initiation of LTP. Results: Almost one-third of the patients with HAE experienced frequent attacks and began receiving LTP (8 of the 11 received garadacimab and 3 of the 11 received lanadelumab). At baseline, the time-normalized number of HAE attacks was 2.5 plus or minus 1.3 per month. At month 6, there was an overall reduction of time-normalized number of attacks per month of –2.4 attacks per month (95% CI = –3.3 to –1.5. [P < .01]). The time-normalized number of HAE attacks at month 6 was 0.1 plus or minus 0.1 per month. More than 70% of the patients (8 of 11) were completely attack-free during the 6-month period while receiving LTP, and no patients required hospitalization. LTP improved patients' scores of the Angioedema Quality-of-Life Questionnaire (P < .001) and reduced activity impairment due to health (P = .008). Patients experienced significant improvement across all dimensions of the Treatment Satisfaction for Medication Questionnaire (54.5%-76.8% [P = .002]), and no adverse events were reported. Conclusion: The patients receiving LTP with garadacimab and lanadelumab experienced a significant reduction in number of HAE attacks and improvement in quality of life, and they were satisfied with treatment.

Background: Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening allergic reaction that poses a considerable burden on populations across all ethnicities and age groups. The Hong Kong Multidisciplinary Anaphylaxis Management Initiative (HK-MAMI) was established to streamline the assessment of patients with anaphylaxis via a multidisciplinary and protocol-driven approach. Objective: This prospective study aims to define the etiology, clinical manifestations, and treatment of patients with anaphylaxis in Hong Kong. Methods: Prospective clinical data from allergologic investigations from patients who completed evaluation by the HK-MAMI pathway between January 2017 and August 2022 were analyzed. Results: Of the 161 patients referred via the HK-MAMI, 131 (81.4%) met the diagnostic criteria for anaphylaxis. The median delay in diagnosis was 2 years (range 0-30 years). The majority of anaphylaxis cases were attributed to food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis (FDEIA), especially wheat-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis. In acute management settings, paired tryptase samples were taken in only around one-third of anaphylaxis cases, with 82.5% of the samples demonstrating significant elevation. There was a general underprescription of adrenaline autoinjectors, especially for food-related anaphylaxis. Patients with FDEIA had later ages of onset and diagnosis, and they presented with more cardiovascular manifestations. Skin prick tests and specific IgE level tests were able to diagnose 95% of FDEIA cases. Conclusion: Our study highlights the significant burden of FDEIA, and especially WDEIA, in Hong Kong, its association with severe presentations, and difficulties encountered in emergency or primary care settings. We advocate appropriate adrenaline use during acute-care management and discharge plans, as well as taking serum mast cell tryptase samples during acute episodes. Interdisciplinary collaboration remains crucial to upholding proper and optimized care for patients with anaphylaxis in Hong Kong.

BackgroundAdult antibody deficiency remains under-recognised and under-studied – especially among Asian populations. Patterns of immunoglobulin use and the feasibility of subcutaneous immunoglobulin (SCIg) replacement among Chinese patients remains unclear.ObjectiveTo investigate the trends of immunoglobulin use, burden of adult antibody deficiency and the outcomes of patients on SCIg compared to intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) replacement in Hong Kong through a retrospective observational study.MethodsPopulation-wide data of immunoglobulin recipients in Hong Kong between 2012 and 2021, and longitudinal clinical data of adult immunodeficiency patients at Queen Mary Hospital were collected and analysed.ResultsTotal immunoglobulin consumption and recurrent immunoglobulin recipients increased continuously from 175,512g to 298,514g (ρ=0.99, p

Beta-lactam (BL) antibiotic “allergy” labels are common, but often overdiagnosed. Although much research has been focused on the BL allergy and the delabelling process in the West, studies from other parts of the world remain sparse. This review outlines the contrasting global epidemiology, shifting clinical practices and disparities of BL allergy in the Asia-Pacific region compared with the West. Innovative strategies to overcome barriers in BL allergy workup are discussed and potential directions for future research and service development are also proposed.

Introduction: Hong Kong has had a low incidence of COVID-19 vaccine related anaphylaxis, partly due to its Vaccine Allergy Safety (VAS) guidelines for screening those at higher risk of COVID-19 vaccine-associated allergic reactions. We characterize the initial experience of the VAS clinics, as well as the impact of unnecessary referrals to the vaccination program. Methods: All patients attending the VAS Clinics of the public and private health services between February and June 2021 were reviewed. Results: Out of 1127 patients assessed at VAS clinics, 1102 (97.8%) patients were recommended for vaccination. Out of those contacted, more than 80% (450/558) received vaccination successfully; the remaining had not yet booked their vaccinations. The majority (87.5%) of patients not recommended was due to potential excipient allergies. Males were significantly more likely to be recommended (OR = 5.822, 95% CI = 1.361–24.903, p = 0.007), but no other features were associated with recommendation for vaccination. Almost half (45.1%) of public service referrals were rejected due to insufficient information or incorrect indications for referral. The majority of cases (56.2%) of patients referred for suspected “anaphylaxis” did not fulfil diagnostic criteria. Discussion: COVID-19 vaccination is very safe and 98% of high-risk patients were recommended for vaccination. Barriers to VAS include a high proportion of inappropriate referrals, inaccurate diagnoses of anaphylaxis and inability to diagnose excipient allergies. Our data validates that a prior history of COVID-vaccine unrelated anaphylaxis should be removed as a precaution for vaccination. Closer collaborations between primary care and allergy specialists and changes in pharmaceutical legislation should be made a priority to promote vaccination uptake.

Background: Mass coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination to achieve herd immunity is an effective means to mitigate the current COVID-19 pandemic. Reports of COVID-19 vaccine-associated allergic reactions and lack of clear local guidance are contributing factors leading to a low vaccine acceptance rate in the community. A task force of experts from the Hong Kong Institute of Allergy (HKIA) has been formed to address current needs.Objective: To formulate a set of consensus statements (CS) on COVID-19 vaccine allergy safety (VAS) in Hong Kong.Methods: A nominated task force of experts managing patients with drug and vaccine allergies in Hong Kong formulated the CS by the Delphi method. An agreement was a priori defined as ≥80% consensus.Results: A total of 11 statements met the criteria for consensus with good overall agreement among task force members, including seven statements on pre-vaccination recommendations and four statements on vaccination and post-vaccination guidance. Individuals with a history of suspected allergic reaction to prior COVID-19 vaccination should not receive further COVID-19 vaccination, and other groups at risk of COVID-19 vaccine-associated allergic reactions have been identified. The importance of pre-vaccination and post-vaccination assessment by frontline healthcare workers and evaluation by allergists are highlighted.Conclusion: The CS provides pragmatic and timely guidance for local frontline healthcare providers on decisions regarding COVID-19 VAS.