The role of recombinant human CC10 in the prevention of chronic pulmonary insufficiency of prematurity

Pneumoprotein CC16 in the Umbilical Cord Blood of Preterm Neonates

OBJECTIVE

 We examined the impact of perinatal factors on cord serum club cell protein (CC16) and the association of CC16 with mechanical ventilation and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in preterm neonates.

STUDY DESIGN

 A retrospective cohort study including 60 neonates born with gestational age (GA) < 34 weeks. The impact of categorical perinatal factors on cord blood levels of CC16 was examined with univariate and multivariate regression analyses.

RESULTS

 In neonates with GA < 32 weeks, cord blood CC16 concentrations were significantly lower compared to neonates with GA between 320/7 and 336/7 weeks (5.4 ± 2.5 compared to 7.6 ± 2.9 ng/mL, p = 0.039). Neonates with prolonged rupture of membranes had significantly lower CC16 compared to those without prolonged rupture of membranes (4.0 ± 1.9 compared to 7.2 ± 2.2, p < 0.001). Finally, neonates with BPD had significantly lower CC16, compared to neonates without BPD (4.2 ± 2.1 compared to 7.0 ± 2.2 ng/mL, p = 0.004).Prolonged rupture of membranes was significantly negatively associated with CC16 (b = -2.67, 95% confidence interval [CI] -0.49 to -4.85, p = 0.017), after adjusting for GA (b = 0.23, 95% CI 0.03-0.42, p = 0.022), mode of conception, and mode of delivery. Finally, higher CC16 levels were significantly inversely associated with BPD (odds ratio = 0.33, 95% CI 0.12-0.88, p = 0.028), after adjusting for GA (b = 0.27, 95% CI 0.09-0.78, p = 0.015), and birth weight.

CONCLUSION

 Prolonged rupture of membranes was significantly negatively associated with cord serum CC16, after adjusting for GA, conception, and delivery mode, and CC16 was significantly inversely associated with BPD, after adjusting for GA and birth weight.

KEY POINTS

· Neonates with prolonged rupture of membranes had lower CC16 levels.. · CC16 was significantly negatively associated with BPD.. · CC16 could be a biomarker of lung injury and BPD..

Club Cell Secretory Protein in Lung Disease: Emerging Concepts and Potential Therapeutics

Club cell secretory protein (CCSP), also known as secretoglobin 1A1 (gene name SCGB1A1), is one of the most abundant proteins in the lung, primarily produced by club cells of the distal airway epithelium. At baseline, CCSP is found in large concentrations in lung fluid specimens and can also be detected in the blood and urine. Obstructive lung diseases are generally associated with reduced CCSP levels, thought to be due to decreased CCSP production or club cell depletion. Conversely, several restrictive lung diseases have been found to have increased CCSP levels both in the lung and in the circulation, likely related to club cell dysregulation as well as increasedlung permeability. Recent studies demonstrate multiple mechanisms by which CCSP dampens acute and chronic lung inflammation. Given these anti-inflammatory effects, CCSP represents a novel potential therapeutic modality in lung disease.

The benefits, limitations and opportunities of preclinical models for neonatal drug development

Increased research to improve preclinical models to inform the development of therapeutics for neonatal diseases is an area of great need. This article reviews five common neonatal diseases – bronchopulmonary dysplasia, retinopathy of prematurity, necrotizing enterocolitis, perinatal hypoxic–ischemic encephalopathy and neonatal sepsis – and the available in vivo, in vitro and in silico preclinical models for studying these diseases. Better understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of specialized neonatal disease models will help to improve their utility, may add to the understanding of the mode of action and efficacy of a therapeutic, and/or may improve the understanding of the disease pathology to aid in identification of new therapeutic targets. Although the diseases covered in this article are diverse and require specific approaches, several high-level, overarching key lessons can be learned by evaluating the strengths, weaknesses and gaps in the available models. This Review is intended to help guide current and future researchers toward successful development of therapeutics in these areas of high unmet medical need.

Summary: This article reviews and analyzes the available preclinical models for five common neonatal diseases to direct therapeutic development in these areas of high unmet medical need.

Pharmacotherapy in Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia: What Is the Evidence?

Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD) is a multifactorial disease affecting over 35% of extremely preterm infants born each year. Despite the advances made in understanding the pathogenesis of this disease over the last five decades, BPD remains one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality in this population, and the incidence of the disease increases with decreasing gestational age. As inflammation is one of the key drivers in the pathogenesis, it has been targeted by majority of pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods to prevent BPD. Most extremely premature infants receive a myriad of medications during their stay in the neonatal intensive care unit in an effort to prevent or manage BPD, with corticosteroids, caffeine, and diuretics being the most commonly used medications. However, there is no consensus regarding their use and benefits in this population. This review summarizes the available literature regarding these medications and aims to provide neonatologists and neonatal providers with evidence-based recommendations.

Differences in clinical and laboratory biomarkers for short and long-term respiratory outcomes in preterm neonates

BACKGROUND

Pulmonary outcome of premature neonates has focused more on short-term than long-term respiratory morbidities.

OBJECTIVE

Describe risk factors/biomarkers associated with short-term (bronchopulmonary dysplasia [BPD]) (supplemental oxygen use at 36 weeks postmenstrual age [PMA]) and longer-term (chronic respiratory morbidity [CRM]) (respiratory related symptoms, medications, medical/emergency visits, hospitalizations at 6-12 months corrected gestational age [CGA]) respiratory outcomes in a longitudinal cohort.

DESIGN/METHODS

Neonates born at 24-29-week gestation were prospectively followed to 6-12-month CGA. Associations between clinical and laboratory risk factors/biomarkers of BPD and CRM were explored.

RESULTS

Of 86 subjects, 94% survived. Outcomes were available for 89% at 36-week PMA (BPD present in 42% of infants) and 72% at 6-12-month CGA (CRM present in 47% of infants). For the 54 infants with known outcomes for both BPD and CRM, diagnoses were discordant in 41%. BPD was associated with lower birthweight and birthweight Z-score for GA, lower Apgar scores, more surfactant doses, higher SNAPPE-II scores, highest Day 1 inspired oxygen concentration, Day 7 oxygen use, prolonged ventilatory support, bacteremia, necrotizing enterocolitis, and treated patent ductus arteriosus. CRM was associated with lower Apgar scores, Day 7 oxygen use and higher urine vascular endothelial growth factor. Patterns of plasma and urine lipid oxidation products differed in the two outcomes.

CONCLUSION

In this hypothesis generating and exploratory study, BPD and CRM were associated with different risk factors/biomarker patterns. Concordance between these two outcomes was weak. Strategies for reducing CRM should be studied in cohorts identified by appropriate early risk factors/biomarkers.

CC16 Binding to α4β1 Integrin Protects against Mycoplasma pneumoniae Infection

Rationale CC16 (club cell secretory protein) is a pneumoprotein produced predominantly by pulmonary club cells. Circulating CC16 is associated with protection from the inception and progression of the two most common obstructive lung diseases (asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). Objectives Although exact mechanisms remain elusive, studies consistently suggest a causal role of CC16 in mediating antiinflammatory and antioxidant functions in the lung. We sought to determine any novel receptor systems that could participate in CC16's role in obstructive lung diseases. Methods Protein alignment of CC16 across species led to the discovery of a highly conserved sequence of amino acids, leucine-valine-aspartic acid (LVD), a known integrin-binding motif. Recombinant CC16 was generated with and without the putative integrin-binding site. A Mycoplasma pneumoniae mouse model and a fluorescent cellular adhesion assay were used to determine the impact of the LVD site regarding CC16 function during live infection and on cellular adhesion during inflammatory conditions. Measurements and Main Results CC16 bound to integrin α₄β₁), also known as the adhesion molecule VLA-4 (very late antigen 4), dependent on the presence of the LVD integrin-binding motif. During infection, recombinant CC16 rescued lung function parameters both when administered to the lung and intravenously but only when the LVD integrin-binding site was intact; likewise, neutrophil recruitment during infection and leukocyte adhesion were both impacted by the loss of the LVD site. Conclusions We discovered a novel receptor for CC16, VLA-4, which has important mechanistic implications for the role of CC16 in circulation as well as in the lung compartment.

New Pharmacologic Approaches to Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia

Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia is the most common long-term respiratory morbidity of preterm infants, with the risk of development proportional to the degree of prematurity. While its pathophysiologic and histologic features have changed over time as neonatal demographics and respiratory therapies have evolved, it is now thought to be characterized by impaired distal lung growth and abnormal pulmonary microvascular development. Though the exact sequence of events leading to the development of BPD has not been fully elucidated and likely varies among patients, it is thought to result from inflammatory and mechanical/oxidative injury from chronic ventilatory support in fragile, premature lungs susceptible to injury from surfactant deficiency, structural abnormalities, inadequate antioxidant defenses, and a chest wall that is more compliant than the lung. In addition, non-pulmonary issues may adversely affect lung development, including systemic infections and insufficient nutrition. Once BPD has developed, its management focuses on providing adequate gas exchange while promoting optimal lung growth. Pharmacologic strategies to ameliorate or prevent BPD continue to be investigated. A variety of agents, to be reviewed henceforth, have been developed or re-purposed to target different points in the pathways that lead to BPD, including anti-inflammatories, diuretics, steroids, pulmonary vasodilators, antioxidants, and a number of molecules involved in the cell signaling cascade thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of BPD.

Inter-rater reliability of the neonatal adverse event severity scale using real-world Neonatal clinical trial data

OBJECTIVE

The Neonatal Adverse Event Severity Scale (NAESS) was developed to improve scoring of neonatal adverse events (AEs) and accelerate neonatal drug development. This is the first validation study of the novel tool.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective validation study assessing the inter-rater reliability (IRR) of the NAESS. Reviewers used real-world AE data from a neonatal trial. Intra-class correlation (ICC) statistical analysis was performed.

RESULT

Sixty AEs were randomly assigned to twelve reviewers for a total of 240 severity scores. Generic and AE-specific NAESS tables were assessed. The ICC was 0.63 (95% confidence interval 0.51 to 0.73). Percent variation due to reviewer and residual error was 0.03 and 0.34, respectively.

CONCLUSION

In this first study of the NAESS tool, an ICC of 0.63 indicates moderate reliability. Results highlight the need for improved data collection on neonatal AE forms, augmented training on the NAESS tool, and will inform the prospective validation studies.