Radiation-induced lung injury (RILI) encompasses any lung toxicity induced by radiation therapy (RT) and manifests acutely as radiation pneumonitis and chronically as radiation pulmonary fibrosis. ...Because most patients with thoracic and breast malignancies are expected to undergo RT in their lifetime, many with curative intent, the population at risk is significant. Furthermore, indications for thoracic RT are expanding given the advent of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) or stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) for early-stage lung cancer in nonsurgical candidates as well as oligometastatic pulmonary disease from any solid tumor. Fortunately, the incidence of serious pulmonary complications from RT has decreased secondary to advances in radiation delivery techniques. Understanding the temporal relationship between RT and injury as well as the patient, disease, and radiation factors that help distinguish RILI from other etiologies is necessary to prevent misdiagnosis. Although treatment of acute pneumonitis is dependent on clinical severity and typically responds completely to corticosteroids, accurately diagnosing and identifying patients who may progress to fibrosis is challenging. Current research advances include high-precision radiation techniques, an improved understanding of the molecular basis of RILI, the development of small and large animal models, and the identification of candidate drugs for prevention and treatment.
Novel Anti-Inflammatory Approaches to COPD Cazzola, Mario; Hanania, Nicola A; Page, Clive P ...
International journal of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,
01/2023, Letnik:
18
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Airway inflammation, driven by different types of inflammatory cells and mediators, plays a fundamental role in COPD and its progression. Neutrophils, eosinophils, macrophages, and CD4
and CD8
T ...lymphocytes are key players in this process, although the extent of their participation varies according to the patient's endotype. Anti-inflammatory medications may modify the natural history and progression of COPD. However, since airway inflammation in COPD is relatively resistant to corticosteroid therapy, innovative pharmacological anti-inflammatory approaches are required. The heterogeneity of inflammatory cells and mediators in annethe different COPD endo-phenotypes requires the development of specific pharmacologic agents. Indeed, over the past two decades, several mechanisms that influence the influx and/or activity of inflammatory cells in the airways and lung parenchyma have been identified. Several of these molecules have been tested in vitro models and in vivo in laboratory animals, but only a few have been studied in humans. Although early studies have not been encouraging, useful information emerged suggesting that some of these agents may need to be further tested in specific subgroups of patients, hopefully leading to a more personalized approach to treating COPD.
Patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures that quantify disease impact have become important measures of outcome in COPD research and treatment. The objective of this literature review was to ...comprehensively evaluate psychometric properties of available PRO instruments and the ability of each of them to characterize pharmaceutical treatment effects from published clinical trial evidence. Identified in this study were several PRO measures, both those that have been used extensively in COPD clinical trials (St George's Respiratory Questionnaire and Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire) and new instruments whose full value is still to be determined. This suggests a great need for more information about the patient experience of treatment benefit, but this also may pose challenges to researchers, clinicians, and other important stakeholders (eg, regulatory agencies, pharmaceutical companies) who develop new treatment entities and payers (including but not limited to health technology assessment agencies such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health). The purpose of this review is to enable researchers and clinicians to gain a broad overview of PRO measures in COPD by summarizing the value and purpose of these measures and by providing sufficient detail for interested audiences to determine which instrument may be the most suitable for evaluating a particular research purpose.
COVID-19 has affected millions of patients, caregivers, and clinicians around the world. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spreads via droplets and close contact from ...person to person, and there has been an increased concern regarding aerosol drug delivery due to the potential aerosolizing of viral particles. To date, little focus has been given to aerosol drug delivery to patients with COVID-19 treated at home to minimize their hospital utilization. Since most hospitals were stressed with multiple admissions and experienced restricted healthcare resources in the era of COVID-19 pandemic, treating patients with COPD at home became essential to minimize their hospital utilization. However, guidance on how to deliver aerosolized medications safely and effectively to this patient population treated at home is still lacking. In this paper, we provide some strategies and rationales for device and interface selection, delivery technique, and infection control for patients with COPD who are being treated at home in the era of COVID-19 and beyond.
To compare the efficacy and safety of the inhaled corticosteroid fluticasone propionate (FP) and the inhaled long-acting β2-agonist salmeterol (SM), when administered together in a single device ...(Diskus; GlaxoSmithKline, Inc; Research Triangle Park, NC), with that of placebo and the individual agents alone in patients with COPD.
Randomized, double-blind, multicenter, placebo-controlled study.
Seventy-six investigative sites in the United States.
Seven hundred twenty-three patients ≥ 40 years of age with COPD and a mean baseline FEV1 of 42% predicted.
FP (250 μg), SM (50 μg), FP plus SM combined in a single inhaler (FSC), or placebo administered twice daily through the Diskus device for 24 weeks.
Primary efficacy measures were morning predose (ie, trough FEV1) for FSC compared with SM and 2-h postdose FEV1 for FSC compared with FP. Other efficacy measures were as follows: morning peak expiratory flow rate (PEF); transition dyspnea index; chronic respiratory disease questionnaire; chronic bronchitis symptom questionnaire; exacerbations; and other symptomatic measures.
At Endpoint (ie, the last on-treatment, post-baseline assessment), treatment with FSC significantly (p ≤ 0.012) increased the morning predose FEV1 (165 mL) compared with SM (91 mL) and placebo (1 mL), and significantly (p ≤ 0.001) increased the 2-h postdose FEV1 (281 mL) compared with FP (147 mL) and placebo (58 mL). Improvements in lung function with FSC compared with FP and SM, and with FP and SM compared with placebo, as measured by the average daily morning PEF, was observed within approximately 24 h after the initiation of treatment, indicating an early onset of effect (p ≤ 0.034). Compared with placebo, FSC significantly improved dyspnea, quality of life, and symptoms of chronic bronchitis. The incidence of adverse effects (except for an increase in oral candidiasis with FSC and FP) were similar among the treatment groups.
Treatment with FSC (FP, 250 μg, and SM, 50 μg) twice daily substantially improved morning lung function and sustained these improvements for over a period of 24 weeks compared with FP or SM treatment alone in patients with COPD, with no additional safety concerns for the combination treatment vs that with the individual components.
To examine the impact of initiating fluticasone furoate/umeclidinium/vilanterol (FF/UMEC/VI) in a single device on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations, COPD ...exacerbation-related costs, and all-cause and COPD-related healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and costs in patients with COPD.
Retrospective database analysis of patients with COPD aged ≥40 years who initiated FF/UMEC/VI between September 1, 2017, and December 31, 2018 (index date: first pharmacy claim for FF/UMEC/VI), following evidence of multiple-inhaler triple therapy (MITT) (≥30 consecutive days) in the year prior to index. COPD exacerbations, COPD exacerbation-related costs, and all-cause and COPD-related HCRU and costs were compared between the baseline period (12 months prior to and including index) and follow-up period (12 months following index).
Data from 912 patients (mean SD age: 71.2 8.1, 51.2% female) were included in the analyses. Among the overall cohort, mean count of total COPD exacerbations (moderate or severe) per patient was statistically significantly lower in the follow-up period compared to baseline (1.2 vs 1.4, p=0.001). The proportion of patients with ≥1 COPD exacerbation (moderate or severe) was also statistically significantly lower in the follow-up period compared to baseline (56.4% vs 62.4%, p=0.001). All-cause and COPD-related HCRU were similar during follow-up compared to baseline, although the proportion of patients with COPD-related ambulatory visits was lower during follow-up (p<0.001). COPD-related office visit costs, emergency room visit costs, and pharmacy costs were statistically significantly lower during follow-up compared to baseline (p<0.001; p=0.019; p<0.001, respectively).
In a real-world setting, patients on MITT who subsequently initiated FF/UMEC/VI in a single device had significant reductions in the rate of COPD exacerbations (moderate or severe). Switching to FF/UMEC/VI also resulted in improvements in some HCRU and cost outcomes. These data support the use of FF/UMEC/VI among patients at high risk of exacerbation to reduce future risk and improve outcomes.
The Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) 2020 defines late-onset asthma (LOA) as one of the clinical phenotypes of asthma wherein patients, particularly women, present with asthma for the first time ...in adult life, tend to be non-allergic and often require higher doses of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) or are relatively refractory to corticosteroid treatment. In this review, we examine the published literature improve the understanding of the following aspects of LOA: 1) the age cut-off for its diagnosis; 2) its distinct clinical phenotypes, characteristics and risk factors; and 3) its association with allergic comorbidities and conditions. Overall, our review reveals that clinicians and researchers have used multiple age cut-offs to define LOA, with cut-off ages ranging from >12 years to ≥65 years. LOA has also been classified into several distinct phenotypes, some of which drastically differ in their clinical characteristics, course and prognosis. Although LOA has traditionally been considered non-allergic in nature, our review indicates that it is commonly associated with allergic features and comorbidities. Our findings suggest that there is an urgent need for the development of more clear clinical practice guidelines that can provide more clarity on the definition and other aspects of LOA. In addition, the association of LOA and allergy needs to be re-examined to frame a more optimal treatment strategy for patients with LOA.
Adverse effects of inhaled corticosteroids Hanania, Nicola A.; Chapman, Kenneth R.; Kesten, Steven
The American journal of medicine,
02/1995, Letnik:
98, Številka:
2
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Inhaled corticosteroids are considered by many to be the anti-inflammatory therapy of choice in adult asthma, given their remarkable efficacy and apparent safety. They are presently being prescribed ...to more patients, at larger doses, and for longer periods of time than ever before. Oropharyngeal candidiasis and dysphonia are the most commonly recognized adverse effects of therapy, but these topical phenomena cause no significant morbidity and are easily managed. By contrast, there is now increasing concern about the potential systemic effects of inhaled corticosteroids. These putative effects may include adrenal suppression, bone loss, skin thinning, increased cataract formation, decreased linear growth in children, metabolic changes, and behavioral abnormalities. Changes in adrenal function have been noted in patients using medications such as beclomethasone dipropionate and budesonide in doses exceeding 1,500 μg/day. The clinical relevance of these changes has yet to be clarified. Several short-term and cross-sectional studies have also revealed changes in biochemical markers of bone turnover and retrospective studies have found reduced bone density in asthmatics treated regularly with inhaled steroids. Long-term prospective studies assessing bone density changes remain to be done. Although much controversy exists, there is no unequivocal evidence that conventional doses of inhaled steroids significantly retard bone growth in children. Reports on skin changes, increased cataract formation, and behavioral changes are difficult to interpret because of several confounding factors. Although inhaled steroids should, at the present time, continue to be a recommended therapeutic option to all patients with symptomatic asthma, they should always be used in the lowest dosage compatible with disease control.