Pulmonary exacerbations, airway pathogens, and long-term course of lung clearance index in children and young adults with cystic fibrosis

Multiple-breath washout to detect lung disease in patients with inborn errors of immunity

Background

Pulmonary manifestations are the major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with inborn errors of immunity (IEI). New and more sensitive diagnostic methods can potentially lead to earlier recognition and treatment of IEI lung disease and improve outcome. The aim of this study was to compare multiple-breath washout (MBW) and spirometry in patients with IEI and cystic fibrosis (CF) as well as healthy controls (HC) and to evaluate the sensitivity of lung clearance index (LCI) to assess lung disease in IEI.

Methods

IEI patients (n=114) were recruited from our paediatric and adult immunodeficiency outpatient clinics and compared to age-matched CF patients (n=114) and HC (n=114). MBW measurements and spirometry were performed in the study participants, and MBW testing was repeated after 63-707 days in IEI patients (n=70).

Results

The LCI was significantly higher in IEI patients than in HC (p<0.001) and significantly lower than in CF patients (p<0.001). The forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) z-score was significantly lower in IEI patients than in HC (p<0.01) and significantly higher than in CF patients (p<0.01). LCI and FEV1 z-score correlated moderately negatively in the total cohort, the IEI group and the CF group. Nineteen (20.7%) of 92 IEI patients and 35 (33.3%) of 105 CF patients had an elevated LCI but a normal FEV1 z-score. After a median of 364 days, the median LCI of 70 IEI patients increased significantly by 0.2.

Conclusion

MBW is useful to detect lung disease in IEI and is more sensitive than spirometry.

Impact of Reanalysis of Nitrogen Multiple-Breath Washout on its Relationship with Chest Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings in Clinically Stable and Pulmonary Exacerbated Children with Cystic Fibrosis

RATIONALE

Multiple-breath washout (MBW)-derived lung clearance index (LCI) detects lung disease in children with cystic fibrosis (CF). Correction of a cross-talk error in the software of the MBW device Exhalyzer D in a new software version has generated significant interest regarding its impact on previous MBW findings. Since LCI and chest magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) correlated before in CF children, this study aims to reassess previous MBW data after correction.

PATIENTS/METHODS

Reanalysis of the main findings from a previously published study comparing MBW and MRI in a pediatric CF cohort by reassessment of nitrogen (N2) MBW of 61 stable children with CF, 75 age-matched healthy controls (HC), and 15 CF children with pulmonary exacerbation (PEx) in the corrected software version.

RESULTS

The corrected LCI (N2LCIcor) decreased in the entire cohort (-17.0 (11.2)%), HC (-8.5 (8.2)%), stable CF children (-22.2 (11.1)%), and within the PEx group at baseline, at PEx and after antibiotic therapy (-21.5 (7.3)%; -22.5 (6.1)%; -21.4 (6.6)%; all P<0.01). N2LCIcor and N2LCIpre correlated with chest MRI scores in stable CF (r=0.70 to 0.84; all P<0.01) without a significant difference between N2LCIcor and N2LCIpre. Change in LCI from baseline to PEx and from PEx to after therapy decreased from N2LCIpre to N2LCIcor, but these changes remained significant (all P=0.001).

DISCUSSION/CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate that N2LCIcor is significantly lower than N2LCIpre, but key results published in the original study demonstrating N2MBW and MRI as complementary methods for clinical surveillance in children with CF remain unaffected.

Diagnosis and Management of Cystic Fibrosis Exacerbations

With the improving survival of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients and the advent of highly effective cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) therapy, the clinical spectrum of this complex multisystem disease continues to evolve. One of the most important clinical events for patients with CF in the course of this disease is acute pulmonary exacerbation (PEx). Clinical and microbial epidemiology studies of CF PEx continue to provide important insight into the disease course, prognosis, and complications. This work has now led to several large-scale clinical trials designed to clarify the treatment paradigm for CF PEx. The primary goal of this review is to provide a summary and update of the pathophysiology, clinical and microbial epidemiology, outcome and treatment of CF PEx, biomarkers for exacerbation, and the impact of highly effective modulator therapy on these events moving forward.