Background The treatment of chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis (cHP) often includes systemic oral corticosteroids, but the optimal pharmacologic management remains unclear. The morbidity associated ...with prednisone has motivated the search for alternative therapies. We aimed to determine the effect of treatment with mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) or azathioprine (AZA) on lung function in patients with cHP. Methods Patients with cHP treated with either MMF or AZA were retrospectively identified from four interstitial lung disease centers. Change in lung function before and after treatment initiation was analyzed using linear mixed-effects modeling (LMM), adjusting for age, sex, smoking history, and prednisone use. Results Seventy patients were included: 51 were treated with MMF and 19 with AZA. Median follow-up after treatment initiation was 11 months. Prior to treatment initiation, FVC and diffusion capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (D lco ) % predicted were declining at a mean rate of 0.12% ( P < .001) and 0.10% ( P < .001) per month, respectively. Treatment with either MMF or AZA was not associated with improved FVC (0.5% at 1 year; P = .46) but was associated with a statistically significant improvement in D lco of 4.2% ( P < .001) after 1 year of treatment. Results were similar in the subgroup of patients treated with MMF for 1 year; the FVC increased nonsignificantly by 1.3% ( P = .103) and D lco increased by 3.9% ( P < .001). Conclusions Treatment with MMF or AZA is associated with improvements in D lco in patients with cHP. Prospective randomized trials are needed to validate their effectiveness for cHP.
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive, life-threatening, interstitial lung disease of unknown etiology. The median survival of patients with IPF is only 2 to 3 years, yet some patients ...live much longer. Respiratory failure resulting from disease progression is the most frequent cause of death. To date we have limited information as to predictors of mortality in patients with IPF, and research in this area has failed to yield prediction models that can be reliably used in clinical practice to predict individual risk of mortality. The goal of this concise clinical review is to examine and summarize the current data on the clinical course, individual predictors of survival, and proposed clinical prediction models in IPF. Finally, we will discuss challenges and future directions related to predicting survival in IPF.
Background Combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE) is increasingly recognized, but its prevalence and prognosis remain unclear. We sought to determine the prevalence, clinical features, and ...prognosis of CPFE in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), using a standardized and reproducible definition. Methods Patients with IPF were identified from two ongoing cohorts. Two radiologists scored emphysema and fibrosis severity on high-resolution CT (HRCT) scans. CPFE was defined as ≥ 10% emphysema on HRCT scan. Clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with CPFE and IPF and those with non-CPFE IPF were compared with unadjusted analysis and then analysis after adjustment for HRCT fibrosis score. Mortality was compared using competing risks regression to handle lung transplantation. Sensitivity analyses were performed using Cox proportional hazards, including time to death (transplantation censored) and time to death or transplant. Results CPFE criteria were met in 29 of 365 patients with IPF (8%), with high agreement between radiologists (κ = 0.74). Patients with CPFE had less fibrosis on HRCT scans and higher FVC, but greater oxygen requirements ( P ≤ .01 for all comparisons). Findings were maintained with adjustment for fibrosis severity. Inhaled therapies for COPD were used by 53% of patients with CPFE. There was no significant difference in mortality comparing patients with CPFE and IPF to those with non-CPFE IPF (hazard ratio, 1.14; 95% CI, 0.61-2.13; P = .69). Conclusions CPFE was identified in 8% of patients with IPF and is a distinct, clinical phenotype with potential therapies that remain underutilized. Patients with CPFE and IPF and those with non-CPFE IPF have similar mortality.
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a chronic fibrotic lung disease of unknown cause that occurs in adults and has a poor prognosis. Its epidemiology has been difficult to study because of its rarity ...and evolution in diagnostic and coding practices. Though uncommon, it is likely underappreciated both in terms of its occurrence (ie, incidence, prevalence) and public health impact (ie, health care costs and resource utilization). Incidence and mortality appear to be on the rise, and prevalence is expected to increase with the aging population. Potential risk factors include occupational and environmental exposures, tobacco smoking, gastroesophageal reflux, and genetic factors. An accurate understanding of its epidemiology is important, especially as novel therapies are emerging.
Molecular biomarkers in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis Ley, Brett; Brown, Kevin K; Collard, Harold R
American journal of physiology. Lung cellular and molecular physiology,
11/2014, Letnik:
307, Številka:
9
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Molecular biomarkers are highly desired in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), where they hold the potential to elucidate underlying disease mechanisms, accelerated drug development, and advance ...clinical management. Currently, there are no molecular biomarkers in widespread clinical use for IPF, and the search for potential markers remains in its infancy. Proposed core mechanisms in the pathogenesis of IPF for which candidate markers have been offered include alveolar epithelial cell dysfunction, immune dysregulation, and fibrogenesis. Useful markers reflect important pathological pathways, are practically and accurately measured, have undergone extensive validation, and are an improvement upon the current approach for their intended use. The successful development of useful molecular biomarkers is a central challenge for the future of translational research in IPF and will require collaborative efforts among those parties invested in advancing the care of patients with IPF.
The role of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) lymphocyte percentage in diagnosing chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis (CHP) is unclear. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of ...bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) lymphocyte percentage in the diagnosis of CHP.
We searched Medline, Embase and the Cochrane Library from inception to August 2019. Individual patient data were obtained to test performance characteristics of BAL lymphocyte percentage at different thresholds. Random-effects models were used for pooled estimates, with comparisons made between CHP and non-CHP interstitial lung diseases (ILDs).
Fifty-three studies were included in the systematic review and 42 in the meta-analysis. The pooled estimate for BAL lymphocyte percentage was 42.8% (95% CI 37.7-47.8, I
=95.3%) in CHP, 10.0% (95% CI 6.9-13.1, I
=91.2%) in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), 23.1% (95% CI 3.0-43.2, I
=85.2%) in non-IPF idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (IIP), 23.4% (95% CI 11.0-35.9, I
=45.7%) in connective-tissue disease associated ILD (CTD-ILD) and 31.2% (95% CI 17.6-44.8, I
=95.2%) in sarcoidosis. Results differed between CHP and IPF (p<0.0001), non-IPF IIP (p=0.0309) or CTD-ILD (p=0.0824), but not between CHP and sarcoidosis (p=0.0966). Using individual patient data from eight studies, a lymphocyte percentage threshold of >20% provided a sensitivity of 68.1% and a specificity of 64.8% for CHP. Higher thresholds provided lower sensitivity with higher specificity. Older age and ever having smoked were associated with lower lymphocyte percentage in CHP.
BAL lymphocyte percentage is higher in CHP compared to IPF and other IIPs, with higher thresholds providing improved specificity at the cost of sensitivity. However, the parent studies are at risk of incorporation bias and prospective studies should evaluate the additive discriminate value of BAL lymphocyte percentage to accurately diagnose CHP.
BackgroundRecent studies have suggested that non-definitive patterns on high-resolution CT (HRCT) scan provide sufficient diagnostic specificity to forgo surgical lung biopsy in the diagnosis of ...idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The objective of this study was to determine test characteristics of non-definitive HRCT patterns for identifying histopathological usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP).MethodsPatients with biopsy-proven interstitial lung disease (ILD) and non-definitive HRCT scans were identified from two academic ILD centres. Test characteristics for HRCT patterns as predictors of UIP on surgical lung biopsy were derived and validated in independent cohorts.ResultsIn the derivation cohort, 64/385 (17%) had possible UIP pattern on HRCT; 321/385 (83%) had inconsistent with UIP pattern. 113/385 (29%) patients had histopathological UIP pattern in the derivation cohort. Possible UIP pattern had a specificity of 91.2% (95% CI 87.2% to 94.3%) and a positive predictive value (PPV) of 62.5% (95% CI 49.5% to 74.3%) for UIP pattern on surgical lung biopsy. The addition of age, sex and total traction bronchiectasis score improved the PPV. Inconsistent with UIP pattern demonstrated poor PPV (22.7%, 95% CI 18.3% to 27.7%). HRCT pattern specificity was nearly identical in the validation cohort (92.7%, 95% CI 82.4% to 98.0%). The substantially higher prevalence of UIP pattern in the validation cohort improved the PPV of HRCT patterns.ConclusionsA possible UIP pattern on HRCT has high specificity for UIP on surgical lung biopsy, but PPV is highly dependent on underlying prevalence. Adding clinical and radiographic features to possible UIP pattern on HRCT may provide sufficient probability of histopathological UIP across prevalence ranges to change clinical decision-making.
Mortality prediction is well studied in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), but little is known about predictors of premortality disease progression. Identification of patients at risk for disease ...progression would be useful for clinical decision-making and designing clinical trials.
To develop prediction models for disease progression in IPF.
In a large clinical trial cohort of patients with IPF (n = 1,113), we comprehensively screened multivariate models of candidate baseline and past-change predictors for disease progression defined by 48-week worsening of FVC, dyspnea (University of California, San Diego Shortness of Breath Questionnaire UCSD SOBQ), 6-minute-walk distance (6MWD), and occurrence of respiratory hospitalization, or death. Progression outcomes were modeled as appropriate, by slope change using linear regression models and time to binary outcomes using Cox proportional hazards models.
The overall cohort experienced considerable disease progression. Top-performing prediction models did not meaningfully predict most measures of disease progression. For example, prediction modeling explained less than or equal to 1% of the observed variation in 48-week slope change in FVC, UCSD SOBQ, and 6MWD. Models performed better for binary measures of time to disease progression but were still largely inaccurate (cross-validated C statistic ≤0.63 for ≥10% decline in FVC or death, ≤0.68 for ≥20-U increase in UCSD SOBQ or death, ≤0.70 for ≥100 m decline in 6MWD or death). Models for time to respiratory hospitalization or death (C statistic ≤0.77) or death alone (C statistic ≤0.81) demonstrated acceptable discriminative performance.
Clinical prediction models poorly predicted physiologic and functional disease progression in IPF. This is in contrast to respiratory hospitalization and mortality prediction.
To investigate the prognostic value of quantitative computed tomographic (CT) scoring for the extent of fibrosis or emphysema in the context of a clinical model that includes the gender, age, and ...physiology ( GAP gender, age, and physiology model) of the patient.
Study cohorts were approved by local institutional review boards, and all patients provided written consent. This was a retrospective cohort study that included 348 patients (246 men, 102 women; mean age, 69 years ± 9) with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis from two institutions. Fibrosis and emphysema visual scores were independently determined by two radiologists. Models were based on competing risks regression for death and were evaluated by using the C index and reclassification improvement.
The CT- GAP gender, age, and physiology model (a modification of the original GAP gender, age, and physiology model that replaces diffusion capacity of carbon monoxide with CT fibrosis score) had accuracy comparable to that of the original GAP gender, age, and physiology model, with a C index of 70.3 (95% confidence interval: 66.4, 74.0); difference in C index compared with the GAP gender, age, and physiology model of -0.4 (95% confidence interval: -2.2, 3.4). The performance of the original GAP gender, age, and physiology model did not change significantly with the simple addition of fibrosis score, with a change in C index of 0.0 (95% confidence interval: -1.8, 0.5) or of emphysema score, with a change in C index of 0.0 95% confidence interval: -1.3, 0.4).
CT fibrosis score can replace diffusion capacity of carbon monoxide test results in a modified GAP gender, age, and physiology model (the CT- GAP gender, age, and physiology model) with comparable performance. This may be a useful alternative model in situations where CT scoring is more reliable and available than diffusion capacity of carbon monoxide.