A multidimensional grading system for ABPA treatment escalation within the first year: The HEID score

Susceptibility to relapse is an important feature of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA); early identification of patients at high risk of relapse is urgently needed. A practical score that classifies the severity of ABPA according to its prognosis is not available.

We retrospectively reviewed patients with a diagnosis of ABPA at our hospital between January 2010 and December 2022. Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate independent risk factors for ABPA treatment escalation and select the variables included in the final score.

One hundred and three patients with ABPA were enrolled in this study. An eosinophil count >1000/μL, Aspergillus fumigatus-specific IgE (Sp-IgE) >3.5 kUA/L, expectoration of brownish-black mucus plugs, high-attenuation mucus (HAM) and a percentage of the predicted diffusing capacity of carbon monoxide (DLCO/pred) < 60% were independent risk factors for ABPA treatment escalation. Initial treatment with antifungals was an independent protective factor. The final scale, designated HEID, incorporated 4 dichotomized variables: HAM (H, 1 point); eosinophil count (E, cutoff 1000/μL, 1 point); Sp-IgE (I, cutoff 3.5 kUA/L, 1 point) and DLCO/pred (D, cutoff 60%, 1 point). A score of 0-1 point indicated a low relapse risk; 2-4 points indicated a high relapse risk.

This easy-to-use multidimensional grading system was capable of accurately classifying the risk of treatment escalation in ABPA.