A successful pregnancy and uncomplicated labor with C1INH concentrate prophylaxis in a patient with hereditary angioedema

Safety of medications for hereditary angioedema during pregnancy and lactation

INTRODUCTION

Hereditary Angioedema (HAE) attacks show an increased frequency and severity for pregnant and lactating females secondary to the hormonal changes. The diagnosis and management of HAE in pregnant and lactating females pose a challenge for physicians due to the rarity of the disease and the paucity of the data for specific management.

AREAS COVERED

In this manuscript, we discuss the diagnosis and special presentation of HAE types 1 and 2 in pregnant and lactating females, including acute management, short-term prophylaxis, long-term prophylaxis, and drugs that should be avoided. Relevant publications were found through key word search of papers indexed in both Google Scholar and PubMed on 1 July 2022.

EXPERT OPINION

Treatment of HAE in the past has been mainly provided by experts; however, with more medications and an increasing number of patients, knowledge of how to care for HAE patients during pregnancy and lactation is important to review. Despite approval of additional medications in many countries, plasma-derived C1-inhibitor remains the drug of first choice for treatment in this unique population. Additional research is needed to increase safe access to other therapy options. We hope that future clinical studies, registries, and databases will shed additional light on this subject.

The international WAO/EAACI guideline for the management of hereditary angioedema – The 2021 revision and update

Hereditary Angioedema (HAE) is a rare and disabling disease for which early diagnosis and effective therapy are critical. This revision and update of the global WAO/EAACI guideline on the diagnosis and management of HAE provides up-to-date guidance for the management of HAE. For this update and revision of the guideline, an international panel of experts reviewed the existing evidence, developed 28 recommendations, and established consensus by an online DELPHI process. The goal of these recommendations and guideline is to help physicians and their patients in making rational decisions in the management of HAE with deficient C1-inhibitor (type 1) and HAE with dysfunctional C1-inhibitor (type 2), by providing guidance on common and important clinical issues, such as: 1) How should HAE be diagnosed? 2) When should HAE patients receive prophylactic on top of on-demand treatment and what treatments should be used? 3) What are the goals of treatment? 4) Should HAE management be different for special HAE patient groups such as children or pregnant/breast feeding women? 5) How should HAE patients monitor their disease activity, impact, and control? It is also the intention of this guideline to help establish global standards for the management of HAE and to encourage and facilitate the use of recommended diagnostics and therapies for all patients.

The international WAO/EAACI guideline for the management of hereditary angioedema-The 2021 revision and update

Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a rare and disabling disease for which early diagnosis and effective therapy are critical. This revision and update of the global WAO/EAACI guideline on the diagnosis and management of HAE provides up-to-date guidance for the management of HAE. For this update and revision of the guideline, an international panel of experts reviewed the existing evidence, developed 28 recommendations, and established consensus by an online DELPHI process. The goal of these recommendations and guideline is to help physicians and their patients in making rational decisions in the management of HAE with deficient C1 inhibitor (type 1) and HAE with dysfunctional C1 inhibitor (type 2), by providing guidance on common and important clinical issues, such as: (1) How should HAE be diagnosed? (2) When should HAE patients receive prophylactic on top of on-demand treatment and what treatments should be used? (3) What are the goals of treatment? (4) Should HAE management be different for special HAE patient groups such as children or pregnant/breast-feeding women? and (5) How should HAE patients monitor their disease activity, impact, and control? It is also the intention of this guideline to help establish global standards for the management of HAE and to encourage and facilitate the use of recommended diagnostics and therapies for all patients.

Experience with Intravenous Plasma-Derived C1-Inhibitor in Pregnant Women with Hereditary Angioedema: A Systematic Literature Review

Consensus guidelines recommend plasma-derived C1 inhibitor (C1-INH) as first-line treatment in pregnant women with hereditary angioedema (HAE). We conducted a systematic review of the literature that describes experience with plasma-derived C1-INH during pregnancy. A literature search of PubMed was conducted in November 2018 using variants of "hereditary angioedema" and "pregnancy." English language articles that presented original data about the use of plasma-derived C1-INH during pregnancy were selected for data extraction. The search returned 253 unique records, of which 40 described the use of C1-INH during pregnancy (91 patients, 136 pregnancies). When the number of doses was reported, a total of 1562 doses were administered ranging from 500 to 3000 IU. Infusions were administered during all 3 trimesters and were most commonly administered during the third trimester. Overall, 1,490,500 IU of plasma-derived C1-INH were administered during pregnancy. Of the 128 fetuses for which outcomes were reported, 3 (2%) resulted in spontaneous abortion, 1 (1%) was stillborn, and 1 (1%) was a vanishing twin. Use of plasma-derived C1-INH in women with HAE during pregnancy has been widely reported in the scientific literature and has a favorable safety profile, supporting treatment guideline recommendations.

The International/Canadian Hereditary Angioedema Guideline

This is an update to the 2014 Canadian Hereditary Angioedema Guideline with an expanded scope to include the management of hereditary angioedema (HAE) patients worldwide. It is a collaboration of Canadian and international HAE experts and patient groups led by the Canadian Hereditary Angioedema Network. The objective of this guideline is to provide evidence-based recommendations, using the GRADE system, for the management of patients with HAE. This includes the treatment of attacks, short-term prophylaxis, long-term prophylaxis, and recommendations for self-administration, individualized therapy, quality of life, and comprehensive care. New to the 2019 version of this guideline are sections covering the diagnosis and recommended therapies for acute treatment in HAE patients with normal C1-INH, as well as sections on pregnant and paediatric patients, patient associations and an HAE registry. Hereditary angioedema results in random and often unpredictable attacks of painful swelling typically affecting the extremities, bowel mucosa, genitals, face and upper airway. Attacks are associated with significant functional impairment, decreased health-related quality of life, and mortality in the case of laryngeal attacks. Caring for patients with HAE can be challenging due to the complexity of this disease. The care of patients with HAE in Canada, as in many countries, continues to be neither optimal nor uniform. It lags behind some other countries where there are more organized models for HAE management, and greater availability of additional licensed therapeutic options. It is anticipated that providing this guideline to caregivers, policy makers, patients, and advocates will not only optimize the management of HAE, but also promote the importance of individualized care. The primary target users of this guideline are healthcare providers who are managing patients with HAE. Other healthcare providers who may use this guideline are emergency and intensive care physicians, primary care physicians, gastroenterologists, dentists, otolaryngologists, paediatricians, and gynaecologists who will encounter patients with HAE and need to be aware of this condition. Hospital administrators, insurers and policy makers may also find this guideline helpful.

The international WAO/EAACI guideline for the management of hereditary angioedema-The 2017 revision and update

Hereditary Angioedema (HAE) is a rare and disabling disease. Early diagnosis and appropriate therapy are essential. This update and revision of the global guideline for HAE provides up-to-date consensus recommendations for the management of HAE. In the development of this update and revision of the guideline, an international expert panel reviewed the existing evidence and developed 20 recommendations that were discussed, finalized and consented during the guideline consensus conference in June 2016 in Vienna. The final version of this update and revision of the guideline incorporates the contributions of a board of expert reviewers and the endorsing societies. The goal of this guideline update and revision is to provide clinicians and their patients with guidance that will assist them in making rational decisions in the management of HAE with deficient C1-inhibitor (type 1) and HAE with dysfunctional C1-inhibitor (type 2). The key clinical questions covered by these recommendations are: (1) How should HAE-1/2 be defined and classified?, (2) How should HAE-1/2 be diagnosed?, (3) Should HAE-1/2 patients receive prophylactic and/or on-demand treatment and what treatment options should be used?, (4) Should HAE-1/2 management be different for special HAE-1/2 patient groups such as pregnant/lactating women or children?, and (5) Should HAE-1/2 management incorporate self-administration of therapies and patient support measures?

Managing the female patient with hereditary angioedema

Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a rare disorder resulting from decreased functional levels of C1-inhibitor (C1-INH), which manifests as periodic episodes of localized edema which can be extremely painful, debilitating and even fatal if the swelling affects the larynx. HAE can complicate many aspects of obstetric/gynecologic care, and an awareness of the disease is critical for clinicians involved in the care of women because of potential HAE-related complications pertaining to pregnancy, labor and delivery, and other women's health issues. This article provides a review of published literature specific to HAE and its management in female patients, including important concerns regarding obstetric/gynecologic care. A growing body of relevant experience is presented to help guide the care of women with HAE.

Management of hereditary angioedema in pregnant women: a review

THREE TYPES OF HEREDITARY ANGIOEDEMA (HAE) HAVE BEEN DESCRIBED

two are due to C1 inhibitor (C1-INH) deficiency (C1-INH-HAE types I and II) and one is characterized by normal C1-INH (nC1-INH-HAE). The management of pregnancy in patients with HAE is often a clinical challenge owing to potential worsening of the disease in relation to the physiological increase in estrogens and the limited treatment options. This review addresses the potential influence of pregnancy on the clinical severity of hereditary angioedema and the management of this disease during pregnancy with currently available treatments.

Characterization of acute hereditary angioedema attacks during pregnancy and breast-feeding and their treatment with C1 inhibitor concentrate

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the study was to investigate the rates and characteristics of hereditary angioedema (HAE) attacks associated with pregnancy, delivery, and the postpartum period and their treatment with C1 esterase inhibitor (INH) concentrate.

STUDY DESIGN

This was an observational study including 22 women with type I HAE, with data collected before, during, and after 35 pregnancies (37 children) based on patient diaries, interviews, and case report forms.

RESULTS

In 83% of pregnancies, attack rates increased during pregnancy; highest mean rates occurred in the second and third trimesters. C1-INH concentrate effectively controlled attacks and was safe for mothers and children. Low-plasma C1-INH activity during pregnancy tended to be associated with an increased chance of giving birth to a child with HAE.

CONCLUSION

Increased attack rates during pregnancy in women with HAE are well controlled with C1-INH concentrate, indicating the clear benefit of integrating the availability of C1-INH concentrate into the management plan for these women during pregnancy and delivery.