Treatment of hereditary angioedema with plasma-derived C1 inhibitor

• Main Authors: Michael J Prematta, Tracy Prematta, Timothy J Craig
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dove Medical Press 2008-08-01
• Series: Therapeutics and Clinical Risk Management
• Online Access: http://www.dovepress.com/treatment-of-hereditary-angioedema-with-plasma-derived-c1-inhibitor-a2002

Michael J Prematta, Tracy Prematta, Timothy J CraigSection of Allergy and Immunology, Penn State University, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, PA, USABackground: Plasma-derived C1 inhibitor (C1-INH) concentrate is a treatment option for acute hereditary angioedema (HAE) attacks and is considered the standard-of-care in many countries, although it is not yet available in the United States. Studies are still being conducted to establish its safety and efficacy as required by the FDA.Objective: To review the medical literature to determine if C1-INH concentrate is a safe and effective treatment for acute HAE attacks.Methods: The following keywords were searched in PubMed and OVID: C1 esterase inhibitor, C1-inhibitor, C1 inhibitor, and hereditary angioedema treatment. English-language articles were searched from 1966 to the present to look for studies demonstrating the efficacy and the safety of C1-INH concentrate.Results: The English-language literature search revealed several studies showing significantly improved relief of HAE symptoms with the administration of C1-INH concentrate – many studies demonstrated some improvement of symptoms within 30 minutes. Side effects have been similar to placebo, and no proven cases of viral transmission have occurred in over 20 years.Conclusion: C1-INH concentrate appears to be a very safe and effective treatment option for HAE.Keywords: hereditary angioedema, c1 inhibitor, c1 esterase inhibitor, hereditary angioedema treatment