Efficacy and safety of dupilumab in the treatment of Kimura's disease.

Background: Kimura's disease (KD) is a rare chronic inflammatory condition characterized by nodules and lymphadenopathy in the head and neck region, exhibiting type II inflammation. Dupilumab is commonly used against type II inflammation.

Aim: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of dupilumab in KD patients.

Design: The real-world study was conducted in a hospital in China.

Methods: Six male patients with a mean age of 24.50 ± 15.47 years were treated with dupilumab following the same protocol as that for atopic dermatitis (AD). Clinical and laboratory indicators, such as maximum nodule diameter, blood eosinophil count, eosinophil percentage, and total serum IgE levels were assessed at baseline, Week 12 and Week 24. Adverse events were documented. Paired t-tests and one-way ANOVA were used for statistical analysis.

Results: The results showed significant reductions in the longest nodule diameter at Week 12 (P = 0.006) and Week 24 (P = 0.017) compared to baseline. Blood eosinophil count decreased by 57.95% (P = 0.024) at Week 12 and 90.59% (P = 0.030) at Week 24. Eosinophil percentage decreased by 58.44% (P = 0.026) at Week 12 and 89.37% (P = 0.013) at Week 24. Total serum IgE levels decreased by 78.02% (P = 0.040) at Week 12 and 89.55% (P = 0.031) at Week 24. The presence of AD did not affect the results. One patient experienced temporary facial erythema after 32 weeks of treatment, which resolved with topical treatment. No other adverse events were reported.

Conclusion: Dupilumab demonstrated effectiveness in treating KD without severe adverse events.