Mepolizumab improved airway hyperresponsiveness in a patient with allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis.

BACKGROUND

Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) is a severe type of asthma characterized by hypersensitivity to Aspergillus fumigatus and lung infiltration with eosinophilia. The central pathogenesis of asthma is airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), with eosinophils playing a critical role. Anti-interleukin (IL)-5 antibody therapy has been recently introduced to treat severe asthma, which reportedly inactivates and reduces eosinophil count. A recent case series highlighted the improvement in asthmatic symptoms associated with ABPA, but previous reports failed to demonstrate any improvement in AHR.

OBJECTIVE

Herein, we aimed to elucidate the efficacy of mepolizumab in a patient with ABPA who showed improvement in AHR.

METHODS

Case report.

RESULTS

A 63-year-old Asian woman with ABPA showed improvement in asthmatic symptoms and AHR following mepolizumab therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that IL-5 may serve in the pathogenesis of ABPA.