This review summarizes an expanding body of knowledge indicating that failure to resolve inflammation and altered immune processes underlie the development of pulmonary arterial hypertension. The ...chemokines and cytokines implicated in pulmonary arterial hypertension that could form a biomarker platform are discussed. Pre-clinical studies that provide the basis for dysregulated immunity in animal models of the disease are reviewed. In addition, we present therapies that target inflammatory/immune mechanisms that are currently enrolling patients, and discuss others in development. We show how genetic and metabolic abnormalities are inextricably linked to dysregulated immunity and adverse remodeling in the pulmonary arteries.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) represents a public health crisis of pandemic proportions. Caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the symptoms most commonly ...reported include cough, fever and shortness of breath, but extra-pulmonary symptoms may also be present, such as neurological and gastroenterological manifestations.
Endothelial cell dysfunction and impaired microcirculatory function contribute markedly to life-threatening complications of COVID-19, such as venous thromboembolic disease and multiple organ involvement
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Until recently, three classes of medical therapy were available for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH)--prostanoids, endothelin receptor antagonists and phosphodiesterase type 5 ...(PDE5) inhibitors. With the approval of the soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator riociguat, an additional drug class has become available targeting a distinct molecular target in the same pathway as PDE5 inhibitors. Treatment recommendations currently include the use of all four drug classes to treat PAH, but there is a lack of comparative data for these therapies. Therefore, an understanding of the mechanistic differences between these agents is critical when making treatment decisions. Combination therapy is often used to treat PAH and it is therefore important that physicians understand how the modes of action of these drugs may interact to work as complementary partners, or potentially with unwanted consequences. Furthermore, different patient phenotypes mean that patients respond differently to treatment; while a certain monotherapy may be adequate for some patients, for others it will be important to consider alternating or combining compounds with different molecular targets. This review describes how the four currently approved drug classes target the complex pathobiology of PAH and will consider the distinct target molecules of each drug class, their modes of action, and review the pivotal clinical trial data supporting their use. It will also discuss the rationale for combining drugs (or not) from the different classes, and review the clinical data from studies on combination therapy.
Asthma and COVID-19: an update Adir, Yochai; Saliba, Walid; Beurnier, Antoine ...
European respiratory review,
12/2021, Volume:
30, Issue:
162
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
As the world faces the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic due to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, concerns have been raised that asthma patients could ...be at increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and disease severity. However, it appears that asthma is not an independent risk factor for both. Furthermore, asthma is not over-represented in hospitalised patients with severe pneumonia due to SARS-CoV-2 infection and there was no increased risk of asthma exacerbations triggered by SARS-CoV-2. There is accumulating evidence that asthma phenotypes and comorbidities are important factors in evaluating the risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection and disease severity, as findings suggest that Th2-high inflammation may reduce the risk of SARS-Cov-2 infection and disease severity in contrast to increased risk in patients with Th2-low asthma. The use of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) is safe in asthma patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Furthermore, it has been proposed that ICS may confer some degree of protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection and the development of severe disease by reducing the expression of angiotensin converting enzyme-2 and transmembrane protease serine in the lung. In contrast, chronic or recurrent use of systemic corticosteroids before SARS-CoV-2 infection is a major risk factor of poor outcomes and worst survival in asthma patients. Conversely, biological therapy for severe allergic and eosinophilic asthma does not increase the risk of being infected with SARS-CoV-2 or having worse COVID-19 severity. In the present review we will summarise the current literature regarding asthma and COVID-19.
Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are two prevalent chronic airway diseases that have a high personal and social impact. They likely represent a continuum of different diseases ...that may share biological mechanisms (i.e. endotypes), and present similar clinical, functional, imaging and/or biological features that can be observed (i.e. phenotypes) which require individualised treatment. Precision medicine is defined as "treatments targeted to the needs of individual patients on the basis of genetic, biomarker, phenotypic, or psychosocial characteristics that distinguish a given patient from other patients with similar clinical presentations". In this Perspective, we propose a precision medicine strategy for chronic airway diseases in general, and asthma and COPD in particular.
Management of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension McLaughlin, Vallerie V., MD; Shah, Sanjiv J., MD; Souza, Rogerio, MD ...
Journal of the American College of Cardiology,
05/2015, Volume:
65, Issue:
18
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
Abstract Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is common and may result from a number of disorders, including left heart disease, lung disease, and chronic thromboembolic disease. Pulmonary arterial ...hypertension (PAH) is an uncommon disease characterized by progressive remodeling of the distal pulmonary arteries, resulting in elevated pulmonary vascular resistance and, eventually, in right ventricular failure. Over the past decades, knowledge of the basic pathobiology of PAH and its natural history, prognostic indicators, and therapeutic options has exploded. A thorough evaluation of a patient is critical to correctly characterize the PH. Cardiac studies, including echocardiography and right heart catheterization, are key elements in the assessment. Given the multitude of treatment options currently available for PAH, assessment of risk and response to therapy is critical in long-term management. This review also underscores unique situations, including perioperative management, intensive care unit management, and pregnancy, and highlights the importance of collaborative care of the PAH patient through a multidisciplinary approach.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Clinical and translational research has played a major role in advancing our understanding of pulmonary hypertension (PH), including pulmonary arterial hypertension and other forms of PH with severe ...vascular remodelling (
chronic thromboembolic PH and pulmonary veno-occlusive disease). However, PH remains an incurable condition with a high mortality rate, underscoring the need for a better transfer of novel scientific knowledge into healthcare interventions. Herein, we review recent findings in pathology (with the questioning of the strict morphological categorisation of various forms of PH into pre- or post-capillary involvement of pulmonary vessels) and cellular mechanisms contributing to the onset and progression of pulmonary vascular remodelling associated with various forms of PH. We also discuss ways to improve management and to support and optimise drug development in this research field.
Guidelines summarize and evaluate all available evidence on a particular issue at the time of the writing process, with the aim of assisting health professionals in selecting the best management ...strategies for an individual patient with a given condition, taking into account the impact on outcome, as well as the risk-benefit ratio of particular diagnostic or therapeutic means. Guidelines and recommendations should help health professionals to make decisions in their daily practice. However, the final decisions concerning an individual patient must be made by the responsible health professional(s) in consultation with the patient and caregiver as appropriate.
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