Clinical scoring systems in cystic fibrosis

Increased Plasma YKL-40 Level and Chitotriosidase Activity in Cystic Fibrosis Patients

We investigated plasma YKL-40 levels and chitotriosidase (CHIT1) activity in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease and evaluated clinically relevant factors that may affect their levels. Plasma samples were obtained from pediatric (n = 19) and adult patients (n = 15) during exacerbation, discharge, and stable period of the disease. YKL-40 levels and chitotriosidase activity were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and fluorometric assay, respectively. Data were compared with healthy children and adults of similar age. YKL-40 levels of pediatric and adult CF patients at all periods were significantly higher than controls (p < 0.001 and p < 0.05). CHIT1 activities of adult patients at all periods were significantly higher compared to controls (p < 0.05). On the other hand, CHIT1 activities of pediatric CF patients were similar with controls. YKL-40 levels of exacerbation period of adult CF patients were negatively correlated with forced vital capacity (FVC) (r =  - 0.800, p = 0.014) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) (r =  - 0.735, p = 0.008). YKL-40 levels in the exacerbation period of pediatric CF patients were negatively correlated with FVC (r =  - 0.697, p = 0.0082) and FEV1 (r =  - 0.720, p = 0.006). CHIT1 activity may be a valuable marker of chronic inflammation in adult CF patients who suffer from CF for a longer period compared to pediatric patients. Increased YKL-40 levels in both pediatric and adult patients compared to controls may point to a role in between CF pathology.

The measurement properties of tests and tools used in cystic fibrosis studies: a systematic review

There is no consensus on how best to measure responses to interventions among children and adults with cystic fibrosis (CF). We have systematically reviewed and summarised the characteristics and measurement properties of tests and tools that have been used to capture outcomes in studies among people with CF, including their reliability, validity and responsiveness. This review is intended to guide researchers when selecting tests or tools for measuring treatment effects in CF trials. A consensus set of these tests and tools could improve consistency in how outcomes are captured and thereby facilitate comparisons and synthesis of evidence across studies.

Developing a Decision Aid to Facilitate Informed Decision Making About Invasive Mechanical Ventilation and Lung Transplantation Among Adults With Cystic Fibrosis: Usability Testing

Background

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a life-limiting genetic disease that causes chronic lung infections. We developed an internet-based decision aid (DA) to help patients with CF make better informed decisions regarding treatments and advance care planning. We built the DA around two major treatment decisions: whether to have a lung transplant and whether to agree to invasive mechanical ventilation (intubation).

Objective

This study aims to conduct usability testing of the InformedChoices CF DA among key stakeholder groups.

Methods

We performed a patient needs assessment using think-aloud usability testing with patients with CF, their surrogates, and CF clinicians. Think-aloud participants provided feedback while navigating the DA, and after viewing, they answered surveys. Transcripts from the think-aloud sessions and survey results were categorized into common, generalizable themes and optimizations for improving content, comprehension, and navigation. We assessed the ease of use of the DA (System Usability Scale) and also assessed the participants’ perceptions regarding the overall tone, with an emphasis on emotional reactions to the DA content, level of detail, and usefulness of the information for making decisions about either intubation or lung transplantation, including how well they understood the information and were able to apply it to their own decision-making process. We also assessed the DA’s ease of navigation, esthetics, and whether participants were able to complete a series of usability tasks (eg, locating specific information in the DA or using the interactive survival estimates calculator) to ensure that the website was easy to navigate during the clinic-based advance care planning discussions.

Results

A total of 12 participants from 3 sites were enrolled from March 9 to August 30, 2018, for the usability testing: 5 CF clinicians (mean age 48.2, SD 12.0 years), 5 adults with CF, and 2 family and surrogate caregivers of people with CF (mean age of CF adults and family and surrogate caregivers 38.8, SD 10.8 years). Among the 12 participants, the average System Usability Scale score for the DA was 88.33 (excellent). Think-aloud analysis identified 3 themes: functionality, visibility and navigation, and content and usefulness. Areas for improvement included reducing repetition, enhancing comprehension, and changing the flow. Several changes to improve the content and usefulness of the DA were recommended, including adding information about alternatives to childbearing, such as adoption and surrogacy. On the basis of survey responses, we found that the navigation of the site was easy for clinicians, patients, and surrogates who participated in usability testing.

Conclusions

Usability testing revealed areas of potential improvement. Testing also yielded positive feedback, suggesting the DA’s future success. Integrating changes before implementation should improve the DA’s comprehension, navigation, and usefulness and lead to greater adoption.

Outcomes and endpoints reported in studies of pulmonary exacerbations in people with cystic fibrosis: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

There is no consensus about which outcomes should be evaluated in studies of pulmonary exacerbations in people with cystic fibrosis (CF). Outcomes used for evaluation should be meaningful; that is, they should capture how people feel, function or survive and be acknowledged as important to people with CF, or should be reliable surrogates of those outcomes. We aimed to summarise the outcomes and corresponding endpoints which have been reported in studies of pulmonary exacerbations, and to identify those which are most likely to be meaningful.

METHODS

A PROSPERO registered systematic review (CRD42020151785) was conducted in Medline, Embase and Cochrane from inception until July 2020. Registered trials were also included.

RESULTS

144 studies met the inclusion criteria. A wide range of outcomes and corresponding endpoints were reported. Death, QoL and many patient-reported outcomes are likely to be meaningful as they directly capture how people feel, function or survive. Forced expiratory volume in 1-second [FEV₁] is a validated surrogate of risk of death and reduced QoL. The extent of structural lung disease has also been correlated with lung function, pulmonary exacerbations and risk of death. Since no evidence of a correlation between airway microbiology or biomarkers with clinically meaningful outcomes was found, the value of these as surrogates was unclear.

CONCLUSIONS

Death, QoL, patient-reported outcomes, FEV₁, and structural lung changes were identified as outcomes that are most likely to be meaningful. Development of a core outcome set in collaboration with stakeholders including people with CF is recommended.

Outcome measures for airway clearance techniques in children with chronic obstructive lung diseases: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Airway clearance techniques (ACTs) are an important aspect of the treatment of children with chronic obstructive lung diseases. Unfortunately, a sound evidence base is lacking and airway clearance strategies are largely based on clinical expertise. One of the reasons for the limited evidence is the lack of appropriate outcome measures specifically related to the effectiveness of ACTs. This review discusses all outcome measures applied in previous research in the pediatric population to provide a baseline for future studies.

DATA SOURCES

A systematic literature search was performed in PubMed, Web of Science and EMBASE databases. Search terms included chronic obstructive lung diseases and ACTs.

STUDY SELECTION

Studies were independently selected by the investigators according to the eligibility criteria. After screening, 49 articles remained for further analysis.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

Data are summarized according to the type of outcome measure. 48 (98%) studies performed pulmonary function tests, 19 (39%) assessed expectorated sputum, 10 (20%) parameters related to disease exacerbation, 8 (16%) oxygenation, 8 (16%) patient-reported outcomes, 5 (10%) exercise capacity and 5 (10%) applied imaging techniques. The synthesis of results showed a high discrepancy between studies due to differences in study design, population and the application of techniques. Since no 'gold standard' method could be identified, a combination of different outcome measures is recommended to gain a better understanding and to identify the potential effects of ACTs. An overview of important considerations has been provided to assist researchers in their choice of outcomes in future studies.

Relevance between clinical status and exhaled molecules related to neutrophilic inflammation in pediatric cystic fibrosis

INTRODUCTION

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is characterized with chronic inflammation with neutrophil and related cytokines in airway secretions. We aimed to measure the levels of neutrophil related inflammatory markers as nitric oxide, IL-8, IL-17, leukotriene B4 and neutrophil elastase as well as e-cadherin in exhaled breath condensate (EBC), and to determine their relation with clinical findings.

METHODS

We consecutively enrolled cystic fibrosis patients into our clinics between the age of six and eighteen years who could cooperate for exhaled breath condensate to this case-control study (n = 30). The age and sex matched control group (n = 26) was enrolled. Spirometry was performed during the stable period and EBC samples were obtained for measurement of the markers.

RESULTS

The mean age of the subjects enrolled was 12.1(4.2) years and 40% were positive for P.Aeruginosa in sputum. Subjects who had P.Aeruginosa in sputum cultures had significantly lower FEV1, FVC and FEF 25/75 values compared to the ones without P.Aeruginosa (p = 0.002, p = 0.002 and p = 0.005 respectively). EBC neutrophil elastase levels were significantly higher in the CF patients compared to non-CF controls (3.11 ± 4.71 versus 0.90 ± 2.68, p = 0.04). Nitric oxide, IL-17, IL-8, e-cadherin, neutrophil elastase or leukotriene B4 levels in EBC of CF patients were not related to P.Aeruginosa s infection, FEV1 levels or hospital admission in the last year.

CONCLUSION

In our study, neutrophil elastase levels in EBC are higher in CF patients compared to non-CF controls. This is independent of acute infection and is evidence to the persistence of neutrophilic lung injury. However, EBC NO, IL-8, IL-17, e-cadherin, neutrophil elastase and leukotriene B4 levels as inflammatory markers, are not correlated with disease progression or clinical findings.

Phenotypic Characterization of the c.1679+1643G>T (1811+1643G>T) Mutation in Hispanic Cystic Fibrosis Patients

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common fatal genetic diseases in the United States in Caucasians. More than 2000 genetic mutations have been described and CF is now known to affect other races. The incidence of CF in individuals of Hispanic descent is estimated to be 1:9200. An uncommon mutation, 1811+1643G>T, was recently reported. We report four patients with the 1811+1643G>T mutation (homozygous or heterozygous) and describe their clinical features and compare them to the remainder of our Hispanic cohort group. The homozygous patients had a more severe phenotype compared to the Hispanic cohort in the following areas: their pancreatic status, forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC), chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) colonization, pulmonary exacerbations requiring oral and intravenous antibiotics, and hospitalization rate. These preliminary findings suggest that future studies investigating the clinical trajectory with a larger cohort of patients homozygous for the 1811+1643G>T mutation are needed.

Direct monitoring of pulmonary disease treatment biomarkers using plasmonic gold nanorods with diffusion-sensitive OCT

The solid concentration of pulmonary mucus (wt%) is critical to respiratory health. In patients with respiratory disease, such as Cystic Fibrosis (CF) and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD), mucus hydration is impaired, resulting in high wt%. Mucus with high wt% is a hallmark of pulmonary disease that leads to obstructed airways, inflammation, and infection. Methods to measure mucus hydration in situ and in real-time are needed for drug development and personalized therapy. We employed plasmonic gold nanorod (GNR) biosensors that intermittently collide with macromolecules comprising the mucus mesh as they self-diffuse, such that GNR translational diffusion (DT) is sensitive to wt%. GNRs are attractive candidates for bioprobes due to their anisotropic optical scattering that makes them easily distinguishable from native tissue using polarization-sensitive OCT. Using principles of heterodyne dynamic light scattering, we developed diffusion-sensitive optical coherence tomography (DS-OCT) to spatially-resolve changing DT in real-time. DS-OCT enables, for the first time, direct monitoring of changes in nanoparticle diffusion rates that are sensitive to nanoporosity with spatial and temporal resolutions of 4.7 μm and 0.2 s. DS-OCT therefore enables us to measure spatially-resolved changes in mucus wt% over time. In this study, we demonstrate the applicability of DS-OCT on well-differentiated primary human bronchial epithelial cells during a clinical mucus-hydrating therapy, hypertonic saline treatment (HST), to reveal, for the first time, mucus mixing, cellular secretions, and mucus hydration on the micrometer scale that translate to long-term therapeutic effects.

Autogenic Drainage in Children With Cystic Fibrosis

PURPOSE

Airway clearance is an essential part of the management of cystic fibrosis (CF) as it facilitates clearance of viscous pulmonary secretions. This review aimed to determine the effect of autogenic drainage (AD) and assisted autogenic drainage (AAD) compared with no, sham, or other types of airway clearance in children with CF.

SUMMARY OF KEY POINTS

Two pediatric randomized cross-over trials were identified on the use of AD in children with CF; no studies were available on the use of AAD. In one study AD had a positive influence on the Huang score, and is preferred over postural drainage in this population.

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

We could not determine the efficacy of AD and AAD in children with CF. We recommend the implementation of pediatric-specific randomized controlled trials with adequate sample sizes, appropriate clinical outcome measures, and analysis of adverse effects.

Validity of a Spanish Version of the Leicester Cough Questionnaire in Children With Cystic Fibrosis

BACKGROUND

Cystic fibrosis (CF) patients present chronic cough as one of the main symptoms, which has an important effect on quality of life and social relations. Our goal was to validate the Spanish version of the Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ) in a group of children and teenagers with CF.

METHODS

After adapting to Spanish by standardized translation and retro-translation methodology, a sample of 58 stable CF patients from 7 to 18 years were recruited from three CF specialized centers in Spain. The questionnaire was administered twice; the second administration (LCQ2) was performed between 2-4 weeks later than the first one (LCQ1), in order to analyse the reliability and validity of the Spanish version. To correlate results with health related quality of life (HRQoL) we used the Cystic Fibrosis Questionnaire-Revised (CFQ-R).

RESULTS

Population was composed by 62% male, age 11.7 ± 3.1 years and body mass index (BMI) 19 ± 3 kg/m(2). Total scores from LCQ were: LCQ1 19 (17.75-21) vs LCQ2 19 (16-21) (P=.199). Cronbach's Alpha coefficient was 0.83 for the LCQtotal and for each specific domain was: 0.82 LCQphysical; 0.74 LCQpsychological and 0.62 LCQsocial. Intraclass correlation coefficient was: 0.69 LCQphysical; 0.59 LCQpsychological; 0.45 LCQsocial and 0.71 LCQtotal (good reliability). Relations with CFQ-R showed moderated and significant results: for the LCQtotal: respiratory symptom domain r = 0,51 (P<.001) and physical capacity domain r = 0,62 (P<.05).

CONCLUSION

The Spanish version of the Leicester Cough Questionnaire is reliable and valid for children and adolescents with CF and it has good relations with health related quality of life in this population.

Multidimensional clinical phenotyping of an adult cystic fibrosis patient population

Background

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a multi-systemic disease resulting from mutations in the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Regulator (CFTR) gene and has major manifestations in the sino-pulmonary, and gastro-intestinal tracts. Clinical phenotypes were generated using 26 common clinical variables to generate classes that overlapped quantiles of lung function and were based on multiple aspects of CF systemic disease.

Methods

The variables included age, gender, CFTR mutations, FEV1% predicted, FVC% predicted, height, weight, Brasfield chest xray score, pancreatic sufficiency status and clinical microbiology results. Complete datasets were compiled on 211 subjects. Phenotypes were identified using a proximity matrix generated by the unsupervised Random Forests algorithm and subsequent clustering by the Partitioning around Medoids (PAM) algorithm. The final phenotypic classes were then characterized and compared to a similar dataset obtained three years earlier.

Findings

Clinical phenotypes were identified using a clustering strategy that generated four and five phenotypes. Each strategy identified 1) a low lung health scores phenotype, 2) a younger, well-nourished, male-dominated class, 3) various high lung health score phenotypes that varied in terms of age, gender and nutritional status. This multidimensional clinical phenotyping strategy identified classes with expected microbiology results and low risk clinical phenotypes with pancreatic sufficiency.

Interpretation

This study demonstrated regional adult CF clinical phenotypes using non-parametric, continuous, ordinal and categorical data with a minimal amount of subjective data to identify clinically relevant phenotypes. These studies identified the relative stability of the phenotypes, demonstrated specific phenotypes consistent with published findings and identified others needing further study.

Evaluation of micronutrient profile of North Indian children with cystic fibrosis: a case-control study

BACKGROUND

Data on the micronutrient levels in children with cystic fibrosis (CF) are not available from developing countries, wherein the nutritional profile of children is quite different from that of Western countries.

METHODS

Levels of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, and E) and trace metals (iron, copper, and zinc) were measured in 27 CF cases and 27 controls.

RESULTS

CF cases had significantly low levels of all studied micronutrients compared with controls, and the levels were even lower in cases with exacerbation than in stable CF cases. Prevalence of deficiency of vitamin D, vitamin E, iron, copper, and zinc was significantly higher in cases than in controls, whereas vitamin A deficiency was almost equal in both the groups.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of deficiency of vitamins A, D, and E and iron, copper, and zinc was high in CF cases, and their levels were significantly lower in cases than controls. CF cases should be regularly monitored for these micronutrients, and appropriate supplementation should be considered.

The CF-ABLE score: a novel clinical prediction rule for prognosis in patients with cystic fibrosis

BACKGROUND

Determining prognosis and predicting outcomes in cystic fibrosis (CF) is a complex issue, and there have been very few clinically applicable models for this. The aim was to create a simple, practical outcome prediction tool for CF.

METHODS

Forty-nine consecutive patients with CF from a single center were studied over an 84-month period (2004-2010). All baseline clinical parameters were gathered, and FEV₁ measurements were analyzed over the study period. Using patterns of FEV₁ decline, a tipping point of 52.8% predicted was identified. Other clinical variables were analyzed and correlated with outcome. Poor outcome was defined as death or transplantation. Using age, BMI, lung function (ie, FEV₁), and number of exacerbations in the past 3 months, the CF-ABLE score was created. The score was validated for data from 370 patients from the national Cystic Fibrosis Registry of Ireland.

RESULTS

The ABLE score uses clinical parameters that are measured at every clinic visit and scored on a scale from 0 to 7. If FEV₁ is < 52%, then 3.5 points are added; if the number of exacerbations in the past 3 months is > 1, then 1.5 points are added; if BMI is < 20.1 kg/m² or age < 24 years, each receive 1 point.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with a low score have a very low risk of death or lung transplantation within 4 years; however, as the score increases, the risk significantly increases. Patients who score > 5 points have a 26% risk of poor outcome within 4 years. This score is simple and applicable and better predicts outcome than FEV₁ alone.

A rating scale for the functional assessment of patients with familial dysautonomia (Riley Day syndrome)

OBJECTIVE

To develop a reliable rating scale to assess functional capacity in children with familial dysautonomia, evaluate changes over time, and determine whether severity within a particular functional category at a young age affected survival.

STUDY DESIGN

Ten functional categories were retrospectively assessed in 123 patients with familial dysautonomia at age 7 years ± 6 months. Each of the 10 Functional Severity Scale categories (motor development, cognitive ability, psychological status, expressive speech, balance, oral coordination, frequency of dysautonomic crisis, respiratory, cardiovascular, and nutritional status) were scored from 1 (worst or severely affected) to 5 (best or no impairment). Changes over time were analyzed further in 22 of the 123 patients who were also available at ages 17 and 27 years.

RESULTS

Severely impaired cardiovascular function and high frequency of dysautonomic crisis negatively affected survival (P < .005 and P < .001, respectively). In the 22 individuals followed up to age 27 years, psychological status significantly worsened (P = .01), and expressive speech improved (P = .045). From age 17 to 27 years, balance worsened markedly (P = .048).

CONCLUSION

The Functional Severity Scale is a reliable tool to measure functional capacity in patients with familial dysautonomia. The scale may prove useful in providing prognosis and as a complementary endpoint in clinical trials.

Patient indicators of a pulmonary exacerbation: preliminary reports from school aged children map onto those of adults

BACKGROUND

Despite the importance of identifying and managing a pulmonary exacerbation, and its use as an outcome measure in interventions, there is no standardised definition in cystic fibrosis. In achieving standardised criteria it is important to identify patient-reported indicators.

METHODS

Interviews were undertaken with 35 school aged children. They reported symptoms experienced during a pulmonary exacerbation in two ways: the first symptoms they become aware of, and how they recognised when they were improving. Interviews were taped, transcribed verbatim and the data analysed thematically.

RESULTS

For many children, the onset of an exacerbation was characterised by 'cold' symptoms, tiredness, and changes in cough. For those with moderate or severe disease, sleep disruption, activity induced breathlessness, changes in mood, sputum volume and lack of appetite were common. When describing improvement children focused initially on activities they were now able to perform accompanied by improvements in tiredness and cough. Those with moderate or severe disease also reported improvements in sleep and mood, breathlessness, sputum volume and colour.

CONCLUSIONS

Child-reported indicators of a pulmonary exacerbation tend to map onto those reported by adults. These results provide the rationale for the development of a single scale for school age children and adults that could be sensitive to progressive stages of CF disease.

Iron and CF-related anemia: expanding clinical and biochemical relationships

INTRODUCTION

This cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the relationship between iron levels in the plasma and sputum of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients.

METHODS

Demographic, clinical, and iron-related laboratory data were prospectively obtained from 25 patients with stable clinical features and 14 patients with worsened clinical features since their most recent evaluations.

RESULTS

Compared to patients with stable clinical features, those who experienced clinical deterioration demonstrated significantly worse lung function and were more frequently malnourished and diabetic. Members of the latter group were also significantly more hypoferremic and had higher sputum iron content than patients with stable clinical features. No significant correlation was found between plasma and sputum iron levels when the groups were analyzed together and separately.

CONCLUSIONS

Sputum iron content does not correlate with iron-related hematologic tests. Hypoferremia is common in CF and correlates with poor lung function and overall health.

Using index of ventilation to assess response to treatment for acute pulmonary exacerbation in children with cystic fibrosis

BACKGROUND

The use of alternative more sensitive measures has become a focus of research in CF. The utility of indexes of ventilation, Lung Clearance Index (LCI) and peak aerobic capacity (peak VO(2)), were studied as assessment tools in gauging response to intravenous (IV) therapy in acute pulmonary exacerbation, in comparison to the more commonly used index of forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV(1)). The utility of a previously published clinical score was further explored.

METHODS

Patients aged 8-18 years admitted for IV antibiotic treatment of a pulmonary exacerbation were recruited. Spirometry, plethysmography, multiple breath nitrogen washout, exercise testing, and Cystic Fibrosis Clinical Score (CFCS) were performed on admission and prior to discharge.

RESULTS

Twenty-eight patients were recruited, with a mean (range) age of 13.7 (8; 17) years, 16 female and 12 male. Mean (range) admission FEV(1) was 61.4 (28; 92)% predicted, or z-score -3.09 (-6.15; -0.52), FVC 83.0 (38; 120)% predicted, or z-score -1.71 (-5.66; -1.17), and Shwachman-Kulczycki 68.9 (50; 90). FEV(1) increased by 7.0% (P < 0.01) from admission to discharge. Mean (range) admission LCI, 10.10 (6.87; 14.83), decreased by 3.8% (P = 0.03). Mean (range) admission peak VO(2) (ml/kg/min), 31.2 (23.4; 45.4), increased on discharge by 6.6% (P < 0.01). Proposed clinical thresholds, based on the available variability data, highlighted the heterogeneity of response in lung function tests. Mean (range) admission CFCS, 26.5 (19; 39), decreased to 19.9 (13; 31) on discharge, a 25.2% improvement (P < 0.01). CFCS demonstrated improvement in 27 of 28 patients. Changes in peak VO(2) (r = -0.50, P = 0.02) and LCI (r = 0.48, P = 0.01) correlated with CFCS change.

CONCLUSIONS

In children with mild-to-moderate CF, whilst statistically significant improvement in both LCI and peak VO(2) were seen, heterogeneity of response was evident. The most consistent improvement was seen in CFCS. Correlation of LCI and peak VO(2) with change in clinical score (CFCS) was seen. The full clinical significance of these changes in LCI and peak VO(2) needs to be evaluated further with additional variability data. The CFCS may be useful in the assessment of response to treatment in CF but requires formal validation.

A new scoring system in Cystic Fibrosis: statistical tools for database analysis - a preliminary report

Background

Cystic fibrosis is the most common fatal genetic disorder in the Caucasian population. Scoring systems for assessment of Cystic fibrosis disease severity have been used for almost 50 years, without being adapted to the milder phenotype of the disease in the 21^st century. The aim of this current project is to develop a new scoring system using a database and employing various statistical tools. This study protocol reports the development of the statistical tools in order to create such a scoring system.

Methods

The evaluation is based on the Cystic Fibrosis database from the cohort at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne. Initially, unsupervised clustering of the all data records was performed using a range of clustering algorithms. In particular incremental clustering algorithms were used. The clusters obtained were characterised using rules from decision trees and the results examined by clinicians. In order to obtain a clearer definition of classes expert opinion of each individual's clinical severity was sought. After data preparation including expert-opinion of an individual's clinical severity on a 3 point-scale (mild, moderate and severe disease), two multivariate techniques were used throughout the analysis to establish a method that would have a better success in feature selection and model derivation: 'Canonical Analysis of Principal Coordinates' and 'Linear Discriminant Analysis'. A 3-step procedure was performed with (1) selection of features, (2) extracting 5 severity classes out of a 3 severity class as defined per expert-opinion and (3) establishment of calibration datasets.

Results

(1) Feature selection: CAP has a more effective "modelling" focus than DA.

(2) Extraction of 5 severity classes: after variables were identified as important in discriminating contiguous CF severity groups on the 3-point scale as mild/moderate and moderate/severe, Discriminant Function (DF) was used to determine the new groups mild, intermediate moderate, moderate, intermediate severe and severe disease. (3) Generated confusion tables showed a misclassification rate of 19.1% for males and 16.5% for females, with a majority of misallocations into adjacent severity classes particularly for males.

Conclusion

Our preliminary data show that using CAP for detection of selection features and Linear DA to derive the actual model in a CF database might be helpful in developing a scoring system. However, there are several limitations, particularly more data entry points are needed to finalize a score and the statistical tools have further to be refined and validated, with re-running the statistical methods in the larger dataset.

Neutrophils in cystic fibrosis display a distinct gene expression pattern

We compared gene expression in blood neutrophils (polymorphonuclear leukocytes, or PMNs) collected from healthy subjects with those of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients devoid of bacterial colonization. Macroarray analysis of 1050 genes revealed upregulation of 62 genes and downregulation expression of 27 genes in CF blood PMNs. Among upregulated genes were those coding for vitronectin, some chemokines (particularly CCL17 and CCL18), some interleukin (IL) receptors (IL-3, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12), all three colony-stimulating factors (G-, M-, GM-CSF), numerous genes coding for molecules involved in signal transduction, and a few genes under the control of gamma-interferon. In contrast, none of the genes coding for adhesion molecules were modulated. The upregulation of six genes in CF PMNs (coding for thrombospondin-1, G-CSF, CXCL10, CCL17, IKKvarepsilon, IL-10Ra) was further confirmed by qPCR. In addition, the increased presence of G-CSF, CCL17, and CXCL10 was confirmed by ELISA in supernatants of neutrophils from CF patients. When comparison was performed between blood and airway PMNs of CF patients, there was a limited difference in terms of gene expression. Only the mRNA expression of amphiregulin and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor p55 were significantly higher in airway PMNs. The presence of amphiregulin was confirmed by ELISA in the sputum of CF patients, suggesting for the first time a role of amphiregulin in cystic fibrosis. Altogether, this study clearly demonstrates that blood PMNs from CF patients display a profound modification of gene expression profile associated with the disease, suggesting a state of activation of these cells.

Economic evaluation of cystic fibrosis screening: A review of the literature

OBJECTIVES

To critically examine the economic evidence regarding cystic fibrosis (CF) carrier screening and to understand issues relating to the transferability of international findings to any national context for policy decisions.

METHODS

A systematic literature search identified 14 studies (out of 29 economic studies on CF) focusing on preconception or prenatal screening between 1990 and 2006. These studies were then assessed against international benchmarks on conducting and reporting of economic evaluations, costing methodology used and focusing on the transferability of the evidence to national contexts.

RESULTS

The primary outcome measures varied considerably between studies and there was considerable ambiguity and variation on how costs were estimated. The Incremental Cost Effectiveness Ratio (ICER) and net savings, for preconception and prenatal screening were inconsistent and varied significantly, even after adjusting for timing and exchange rates. Differences in screening participation rates, reproductive choices, test sensitivity, cost of test and lifetime cost of care make up a large part of the ICER variations.

CONCLUSION

The heterogeneity in study design, model inputs and reporting of economic evaluations of CF carrier screening makes comparability and transferability across countries and even within countries difficult. This reinforces the need to assess any technology within the relevant context, and to not simply generalize from reported studies. In turn, this adds to the complex task of making efficient resource allocation decisions in the area of CF carrier screening. Our evaluation adds weight to the calls for revisiting the way economic studies are conducted and reported.

Circulating and airway neutrophils in cystic fibrosis display different TLR expression and responsiveness to interleukin-10

We compared blood neutrophils (PMNs) collected from healthy subjects with PMNs derived from either blood or airways collected from the same cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. When compared to healthy blood PMNs, CF blood PMNs expressed enhanced level of CD64, a marker of neutrophil activation, and lower level of Toll-like receptor-2 (TLR2). CF airway PMNs expressed enhanced level of TLR4. Interleukin-8 (IL-8) production by CF blood PMNs could be enhanced upon addition of lipopolysaccharide or peptidoglycan, and this production was inhibited by recombinant human IL-10. In contrast, CF airway PMNs released spontaneously high level of IL-8 that was neither further enhanced by microbial activators nor inhibited by recombinant human IL-10. The levels of IL-10 receptors were similar in all types of neutrophils. These data further demonstrate that circulating PMNs from CF patients display a distinct pattern of surface markers, including TLRs, as compared to PMNs from healthy donors, and that airways PMNs from CF patients are primed and resistant to anti-inflammatory signals delivered by IL-10.

Hypertonic saline inhalation in cystic fibrosis--salt in the wound, or sweet success?

A large‐scale study has put hypertonic saline back in the spotlight