Phenotyping Before Starting Treatment in COPD?

Single-Breath Simultaneous Measurement of DLNO and DLCO as Predictor of the Emphysema Component in COPD - A Retrospective Observational Study

Background

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a respiratory condition characterized by heterogeneous abnormalities of the airways and lung parenchyma that cause different clinical presentations. The assessment of the prevailing pathogenetic components underlying COPD is not usually pursued in daily practice, also due to technological limitations and cost.

Aim

To assess non-invasively the lung emphysema component of COPD by the simultaneous measurement of DLNO and DLCO via a single-breath (sDLNO and sDLCO).

Methods

COPD patients aged ≥40 years of both genders were recruited consecutively and labelled by computed tomography as "with significant" emphysema (>10% of CT lung volume) or "with negligible" emphysema otherwise. Current lung function tests such as sDLNO, sDLCO and Vc (the lung capillary blood volume) were measured. All possible subsets of independent spirometric and diffusive parameters were tested as predictors of emphysema, and their predicted power compared to each parameter alone by ROC analysis and area under the curve (AUC).

Results

Thirty-one patients with "significant emphysema" were compared to thirty-one with "negligible emphysema". FEV1 and FEV1/FVC seemed to be the best spirometric predictors (AUC 0.80 and 0.81, respectively), while sDLCO and Vc had the highest predicted power among diffusive parameters (AUC 0.92 and 0.94, respectively). sDLCO and Vc values were the parameters most correlated to the extent of CT emphysema. Six subsets of independent predictors were identified and included at least one spirometric and one diffusive parameter. According to goodness-to-fit scores (AIC, BIC, log-likelihood and pseudo R2), RV coupled with sDLCO or Vc proved the best predictors of emphysema.

Conclusion

When investigating the parenchymal destructive component due to emphysema occurring in COPD, sDLNO, sDLCO and Vc do enhance the predictive power of current spirometric measures substantially. sDLNO, sDLCO and Vc contribute to phenotype of the main pathogenetic components of COPD easily and with high sensitivity. Organizational problems, radiation exposure, time and costs could be reduced, while personalized and precision medicine could be noticeably implemented.

The Current Molecular and Cellular Landscape of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): A Review of Therapies and Efforts towards Personalized Treatment

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) ranks as the third leading cause of global illness and mortality. It is commonly triggered by exposure to respiratory irritants like cigarette smoke or biofuel pollutants. This multifaceted condition manifests through an array of symptoms and lung irregularities, characterized by chronic inflammation and reduced lung function. Present therapies primarily rely on maintenance medications to alleviate symptoms, but fall short in impeding disease advancement. COPD's diverse nature, influenced by various phenotypes, complicates diagnosis, necessitating precise molecular characterization. Omics-driven methodologies, including biomarker identification and therapeutic target exploration, offer a promising avenue for addressing COPD's complexity. This analysis underscores the critical necessity of improving molecular profiling to deepen our comprehension of COPD and identify potential therapeutic targets. Moreover, it advocates for tailoring treatment strategies to individual phenotypes. Through comprehensive exploration-based molecular characterization and the adoption of personalized methodologies, innovative treatments may emerge that are capable of altering the trajectory of COPD, instilling optimism for efficacious disease-modifying interventions.

The contribution of estimated dead space fraction to mortality prediction in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease-a new proposal

Background

Mortality due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is increasing. However, dead space fractions at rest (VD/VTrest) and peak exercise (VD/VTpeak) and variables affecting survival have not been evaluated. This study aimed to investigate these issues.

Methods

This retrospective observational cohort study was conducted from 2010-2020. Patients with COPD who smoked, met the Global Initiatives for Chronic Lung Diseases (GOLD) criteria, had available demographic, complete lung function test (CLFT), medication, acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD), Charlson Comorbidity Index, and survival data were enrolled. VD/VTrest and VD/VTpeak were estimated (estVD/VTrest and estVD/VTpeak). Univariate and multivariable Cox regression with stepwise variable selection were performed to estimate hazard ratios of all-cause mortality.

Results

Overall, 14,910 patients with COPD were obtained from the hospital database, and 456 were analyzed after excluding those without CLFT or meeting the lung function criteria during the follow-up period (median (IQR) 597 (331-934.5) days). Of the 456 subjects, 81% had GOLD stages 2 and 3, highly elevated dead space fractions, mild air-trapping and diffusion impairment. The hospitalized AECOPD rate was 0.60 ± 2.84/person/year. Forty-eight subjects (10.5%) died, including 30 with advanced cancer. The incidence density of death was 6.03 per 100 person-years. The crude risk factors for mortality were elevated estVD/VTrest, estVD/VTpeak, ≥2 hospitalizations for AECOPD, advanced age, body mass index (BMI) <18.5 kg/m2, and cancer (hazard ratios (95% C.I.) from 1.03 [1.00-1.06] to 5.45 [3.04-9.79]). The protective factors were high peak expiratory flow%, adjusted diffusing capacity%, alveolar volume%, and BMI 24-26.9 kg/m2. In stepwise Cox regression analysis, after adjusting for all selected factors except cancer, estVD/VTrest and BMI <18.5 kg/m2 were risk factors, whereas BMI 24-26.9 kg/m2 was protective. Cancer was the main cause of all-cause mortality in this study; however, estVD/VTrest and BMI were independent prognostic factors for COPD after excluding cancer.

Conclusions

The predictive formula for dead space fraction enables the estimation of VD/VTrest, and the mortality probability formula facilitates the estimation of COPD mortality. However, the clinical implications should be approached with caution until these formulas have been validated.

Clinical and Radiological Features Between Patients with Stable COPD from Plateau and Flatlands: A Comparative Study

Background

COPD patients living in Tibet are exposed to specific environments and different risk factors and probably have different characteristics of COPD from those living in flatlands. We aimed to describe the distinction between stable COPD patients permanently residing at the Tibet plateau and those in flatlands.

Methods

We conducted an observational cross-sectional study that enrolled stable COPD patients from Tibet Autonomous Region People's Hospital (Plateau Group) and Peking University Third Hospital (Flatland Group), respectively. Their demographic information, clinical features, spirometry test, blood routine and high-resolution chest CT were collected and evaluated.

Results

A total of 182 stable COPD patients (82 from plateau and 100 from flatland) were consecutively enrolled. Compared to those in flatlands, patients in plateau had a higher proportion of females, more biomass fuel use and less tobacco exposure. CAT score and frequency of exacerbation in the past year were higher in plateau patients. The blood eosinophil count was lower in plateau patients, with fewer patients having an eosinophil count ≥300/μL. On CT examination, the proportions of previous pulmonary tuberculosis and bronchiectasis were higher in plateau patients, but emphysema was less common and milder. The ratio of diameters of pulmonary artery to aorta ≥1 was more often in plateau patients.

Conclusion

Patients with COPD living at Tibet Plateau had a heavier respiratory burden, lower blood eosinophil count, less emphysema but more bronchiectasis and pulmonary hypertension. Biomass exposure and previous tuberculosis were more common in these patients.

Immunophenotype in acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a cross-sectional study

Background

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a heterogeneous disease, and the immune inflammatory response is thought to play an important role in pathogenesis. However, the immunophenotype of patients with COPD is unknown. Herein, we evaluated the immunophenotype of patients with acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD).

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted in West China Hospital from September 2018 to October 2019. The proportion of CD4 + T lymphocyte subtypes (Th1, Th2, Th17 and Treg) and levels of serum cytokines in the peripheral blood of patients with AECOPD, stable COPD (SCOPD), healthy smokers (HSs)and healthy controls (HCs) were evaluated.

Results

A total of 15 HCs, 19 HSs, 42 patients with SCOPD, and 55 patients with AECOPD were included. Compared to patients with SCOPD, Th1 cells, Th17 cells, Treg cell ratio, Th1/Th2 cell ratio, and the levels of C-reactive protein, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-10 were significantly increased in patients with AECOPD (P < 0.001), while the proportion of Th2 cells was significantly reduced (P < 0.01). The proportion of Th17 cells was positively correlated with COPD Assessment Test score (r = 0.266, P = 0.009), modified Medical Research Council dyspnea score (r = 0.858, P < 0.0001), and Th1 cell ratio (r = 0.403, P < 0.0001) and negatively correlated with forced vital capacity (r = − 0.367, P = 0.009) and proportion of Th2 cells (r = − 0.655, P < 0.0001).

Conclusions

The immunophenotype of patients with AECOPD shows abnormal activation of Th1, Th17, and Treg cells. There is a correlation between the proportion of Th17 cells and the severity of COPD; therefore, this may represent a novel index for the evaluation of COPD severity.

Trial registration: China Clinical Trials Registry, ChiCTR1800018452, registered 19 September 2018, https://www.chictr.org.cn/index.aspx.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12931-022-02058-x.

Biomarkers in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Emerging Roles of Eosinophils and Procalcitonin

Antibiotics can improve the prognosis in patients with exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. However, the overuse of antibiotics can carry serious adverse effects for patients (gastrointestinal infections) and for society (bacterial resistance). Likewise, systemic corticosteroids may also help these patients, but also carries severe adverse effects like osteoporosis, muscle loss, and diabetes, in many patients. Whenever safe methods exist to reduce these two treatment modalities, they should be implemented. The blood biomarkers procalcitonin and the fraction of leukocytes known as eosinophil granulocytes have been proven in randomized controlled trials (RCTs), to effectively, significantly, and substantially assist in reducing the use of these two potent, yet toxic medication types. In this review, the background and main clinical results are discussed, explaining the rationale for biomarker-guided clinical decisions. Also, the main expected effects, their sizes, and importantly the limitations to such a strategy are described. Clinical evidence is prioritized with main weight on RCTs and meta-analyses of these and regarding outcomes, and focus is set on the safety of such a biomarker-guided strategy, as well as the effects on medicine reduction. In an epoch of increasing demands to physicians from patients and politicians to cure and reduce symptoms, the Hippocratic phrase of "primum non nocere" or "first, do no harm" seems more than ever of contemporary importance.

Multidimensional indices in the assessment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a very common disease, is the third leading cause of death worldwide. Due to the significant heterogeneity of clinical phenotypes of COPD there is no single method suitable for predicting patients' health status and outcomes, and therefore multidimensional indices, assessing different components of the disease, were developed and are recommended for clinical practice by international guidelines. Several indices have been widely accepted: BODE and its modifications, ADO, DOSE, CODEX, COTE. They differ in their composition and aim, while they are more accurate and better validated in specific settings and populations. We review the characteristics, strengths and limitations of these indices, and we discuss their role in routine management of patients with COPD, as well as in specific clinical scenarios, such as resuscitation and ceiling of care, or decisions to offer more invasive treatments. This analysis may help clinicians to use those indexes in a more practical and appropriate way.

Proceedings of the First Curing Coma Campaign NIH Symposium: Challenging the Future of Research for Coma and Disorders of Consciousness

Coma and disorders of consciousness (DoC) are highly prevalent and constitute a burden for patients, families, and society worldwide. As part of the Curing Coma Campaign, the Neurocritical Care Society partnered with the National Institutes of Health to organize a symposium bringing together experts from all over the world to develop research targets for DoC. The conference was structured along six domains: (1) defining endotype/phenotypes, (2) biomarkers, (3) proof-of-concept clinical trials, (4) neuroprognostication, (5) long-term recovery, and (6) large datasets. This proceedings paper presents actionable research targets based on the presentations and discussions that occurred at the conference. We summarize the background, main research gaps, overall goals, the panel discussion of the approach, limitations and challenges, and deliverables that were identified.

Twenty years of changes in the disease assessment method of the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease

The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) has been changing for nearly 20 years. GOLD has moved from single assessment using spirometry to a more comprehensive assessment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease using spirometry, symptoms and exacerbation history. And subsequently, a new assessment system for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease separated spirometric grades from the old assessment system, and classified patients only according to their symptoms and history of exacerbation. The distribution, clinical characteristics, treatment, and prognosis of the new subgroups were different from the old ones. In this review, we will present a brief profile of changes made to the disease assessment method of GOLD, based on the relevant existing literature.

Pulmonary function testing in COPD: looking beyond the curtain of FEV1

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) management remains challenging due to the high heterogeneity of clinical symptoms and the complex pathophysiological basis of the disease. Airflow limitation, diagnosed by spirometry, remains the cornerstone of the diagnosis. However, the calculation of the forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) alone, has limitations in uncovering the underlying complexity of the disease. Incorporating additional pulmonary function tests (PFTs) in the everyday clinical evaluation of COPD patients, like resting volume, capacity and airway resistance measurements, diffusion capacity measurements, forced oscillation technique, field and cardiopulmonary exercise testing and muscle strength evaluation, may prove essential in tailoring medical management to meet the needs of such a heterogeneous patient population. We aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of the available PFTs, which can be incorporated into the primary care physician's practice to enhance the efficiency of COPD management.

Characteristics of COPD Phenotypes in Serbia

Background

Establishing a regional/national/international registry of patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is essential for both research and healthcare, because it enables collection of comprehensive real-life data from a large number of individuals.

Objective

The aim of this study was to describe characteristics of COPD patients from the Serbian patient registry, and to investigate actual differences of those characteristics among the COPD phenotypes.

Methods

The Serbian registry of patients with COPD was established in 2018 at University of Kragujevac, Faculty of Medical Sciences, based on an online platform. Entry in the Registry was allowed for patients who were diagnosed with COPD according to the following criteria: symptoms of dyspnea, chronic cough or sputum production, history of risk factors for COPD and any degree of persistent airflow limitation diagnosed at spirometry.

Results

In the Serbian COPD registry B and D GOLD group were dominant, while among the COPD phenotypes, the most prevalent were non-exacerbators (49.4%) and then frequent exacerbators without chronic bronchitis (29.6%). The frequent exacerbator with chronic bronchitis phenotype was associated with low levels of bronchopulmonary function and absolute predominance of GOLD D group. Anxiety, depression, insomnia, hypertension and chronic heart failure were the most prevalent in the frequent exacerbator with chronic bronchitis phenotype; patients with this phenotype were also treated more frequently than other patients with a triple combination of the most effective inhaled anti-obstructive drugs: long-acting muscarinic antagonists, long-acting beta 2 agonists and corticosteroids.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the data from the Serbian registry are in line with those from other national registries, showing that frequent exacerbators with chronic bronchitis have worse bronchopulmonary function, more severe signs and symptoms, and more comorbidities (especially anxiety and depression) than other phenotypes. Other studies also confirmed worse quality of life and worse prognosis of the AE-CB phenotype, stressing importance of both preventive and appropriate therapeutic measures against chronic bronchitis.

Neurological and Psychiatric Comorbidities in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Background and Purpose

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is often accompanied by different neurological and psychiatric comorbidities. The purpose of this study was to examine which of them are the most frequent and to explore whether their manifestation can be explained by underlying latent variables.

Methods

Data about patients with COPD and their neurological and psychiatric comorbidities were extracted from an electronic database of the National Health Insurance Fund of Lithuania for the period between January 1, 2012, and June 30, 2014. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to investigate comorbidity patterns.

Results

A study sample of 4834 patients with COPD was obtained from the database, 3338 (69.1%) of who were male. The most frequent neurological and psychiatric comorbidities were nerve, nerve root and plexus disorders (n=1439, 29.8%), sleep disorders (n=666, 13.8%), transient ischemic attack (n=545, 11.3%), depression (n=364, 7.5%) and ischemic stroke (n=349, 7.2%). The prevalence of ischemic stroke, transient ischemic attack, Parkinson’s disease, dementia and sleep disorders increased with age. One latent variable outlined during EFA grouped neurological disorders, namely ischemic stroke, transient ischemic attack, epilepsy, dementia and Parkinson’s disease. The second encompassed depression, anxiety, somatoform and sleep disorders. While similar patterns emerged in data from male patients, no clear comorbidity profiles among women with COPD were obtained.

Conclusion

Our study provides novel insights into the neurological and psychiatric comorbidities in COPD by outlining an association among cerebrovascular, neurodegenerative disorders and epilepsy, and psychiatric and sleep disorders. Future studies could substantiate the discrete pathological mechanism that underlie these comorbidity groups.

Identification of hub genes and key pathways in the emphysema phenotype of COPD

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a heterogeneous condition associated with high morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to use weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) to explore the molecular pathogenesis of the emphysema phenotype of COPD. After obtaining lung mRNA expression profiles from ten patients with the emphysema phenotype of COPD and eight controls, emphysema-associated gene modules were identified with WGCNA. Among 13 distinct modules, the green-yellow and brown modules showed the strongest correlations with emphysema severity and lung function and were thus selected as hub modules. On gene ontology analysis, these two modules were mainly enriched in immune response, B cell receptor (BCR) signaling pathway, extracellular matrix (ECM) organization, and collagen fibril organization. Pathway analysis primarily showed enrichment in BCR signaling pathways, ECM receptor interaction, and NF-κB and TGF-β signaling pathways for the two hub modules. Several genes, including FCRLA, MS4A1, CD19, FKBP10, C1S and HTRA1, among others, were identified as hub genes. Our results shed light on the potential genetic mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of the emphysema phenotype of COPD. However, further research will be needed to confirm the involvement of the identified genes and to determine their therapeutic relevance.

Prevalence and clinical features of most frequent phenotypes in the Italian COPD population: the CLIMA Study

Background

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a complex, progressive respiratory condition characterized by heterogeneous clinical presentations (phenotypes). The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of the main COPD phenotypes and match of each phenotype to the most fitting clinical and lung function profile.

Methods

the CLIMA (Clinical Phenotypes in Actual Clinical Practice) study was an observational, cross-sectional investigation involving twenty-four sites evenly distributed throughout Italy. Patients were tentatively grouped based on their history and claimed prevailing symptoms at recruitment: chronic cough (CB, suggesting chronic bronchitis); dyspnoea (possible emphysema components, E); recurrent wheezing (presuming asthma components, A). Variables collected were: anagraphics; smoking habit; history of asthma; claim of >1 exacerbations in the previous year; blood eosinophil count; total blood IgE and alpha¹ anti-trypsin (α¹-AT) levels; complete lung function, and the chest X-ray report. mMRC, CAT, BCS, EQ5d-5L were also used. The association between variables and phenotypes were checked by Chi-square test and multinomial logistic regression.

Results

The CB phenotype was prevalent (48.3%), followed by the E and the A phenotypes (38.8% and 12.8%, respectively). When dyspnoea was the prevailing symptom, the probability of belonging to the COPD-E phenotype was 3.40 times higher. Recurrent wheezing was mostly related to the COPD-A phenotype. Lung function proved more preserved in the COPD-CB phenotype. Smoke; n. exacerbations/year; VR, and BODE index were positively correlated with the COPD-E phenotype, while SpO₂, FEV₁/FVC, FEV₁/VC, and FEV₁ reversibility were negatively correlated. Lower DLco values were highly probative for the COPD-E phenotype (p<0.001). Conversely, smoke, wheezing, plasma eosinophils, FEV₁ reversibility, and DLco were positively correlated with the COPD-A phenotype. The probability of belonging to the COPD-A phenotype raised by 2.71 times for any increase of one unit in % plasma eosinophils (p<0.001). Also multiparametrical scores contributed to discriminate the three phenotypes.

Conclusion

The recognition of the main phenotypes of COPD can be effectively pursued by means of a few clinical and instrumental parameters, easy to obtain also in current daily practice. The phenotypical approach is crucial in the management of COPD as it allows to individualize the therapeutic strategy and to obtain more effective clinical outcomes.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease - diagnosis and management of stable disease; a personalized approach to care, using the treatable traits concept based on clinical phenotypes. Position paper of the Czech Pneumological and Phthisiological Society

This position paper has been drafted by experts from the Czech national board of diseases with bronchial obstruction, of the Czech Pneumological and Phthisiological Society. The statements and recommendations are based on both the results of randomized controlled trials and data from cross-sectional and prospective real-life studies to ensure they are as close as possible to the context of daily clinical practice and the current health care system of the Czech Republic. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a preventable and treatable heterogeneous syndrome with a number of pulmonary and extrapulmonary clinical features and concomitant chronic diseases. The disease is associated with significant mortality, morbidity and reduced quality of life. The main characteristics include persistent respiratory symptoms and only partially reversible airflow obstruction developing due to an abnormal inflammatory response of the lungs to noxious particles and gases. Oxidative stress, protease-antiprotease imbalance and increased numbers of pro-inflammatory cells (mainly neutrophils) are the main drivers of primarily non-infectious inflammation in COPD. Besides smoking, household air pollution, occupational exposure, low birth weight, frequent respiratory infections during childhood and also genetic factors are important risk factors of COPD development. Progressive airflow limitation and airway remodelling leads to air trapping, static and dynamic hyperinflation, gas exchange abnormalities and decreased exercise capacity. Various features of the disease are expressed unequally in individual patients, resulting in various types of disease presentation, emerging as the "clinical phenotypes" (for specific clinical characteristics) and "treatable traits" (for treatable characteristics) concept. The estimated prevalence of COPD in Czechia is around 6.7% with 3,200-3,500 deaths reported annually. The elementary requirements for diagnosis of COPD are spirometric confirmation of post-bronchodilator airflow obstruction (post-BD FEV₁/VCmax <70%) and respiratory symptoms assessement (dyspnoea, exercise limitation, cough and/or sputum production. In order to establish definite COPD diagnosis, a five-step evaluation should be performed, including: 1/ inhalation risk assessment, 2/ symptoms evaluation, 3/ lung function tests, 4/ laboratory tests and 5/ imaging. At the same time, all alternative diagnoses should be excluded. For disease classification, this position paper uses both GOLD stages (1 to 4), GOLD groups (A to D) and evaluation of clinical phenotype(s). Prognosis assessment should be done in each patient. For this purpose, we recommend the use of the BODE or the CADOT index. Six elementary clinical phenotypes are recognized, including chronic bronchitis, frequent exacerbator, emphysematous, asthma/COPD overlap (ACO), bronchiectases with COPD overlap (BCO) and pulmonary cachexia. In our concept, all of these clinical phenotypes are also considered independent treatable traits. For each treatable trait, specific pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies are defined in this document. The coincidence of two or more clinical phenotypes (i.e., treatable traits) may occur in a single individual, giving the opportunity of fully individualized, phenotype-specific treatment. Treatment of COPD should reflect the complexity and heterogeneity of the disease and be tailored to individual patients. Major goals of COPD treatment are symptom reduction and decreased exacerbation risk. Treatment strategy is divided into five strata: risk elimination, basic treatment, phenotype-specific treatment, treatment of respiratory failure and palliative care, and treatment of comorbidities. Risk elimination includes interventions against tobacco smoking and environmental/occupational exposures. Basic treatment is based on bronchodilator therapy, pulmonary rehabilitation, vaccination, care for appropriate nutrition, inhalation training, education and psychosocial support. Adequate phenotype-specific treatment varies phenotype by phenotype, including more than ten different pharmacological and non-pharmacological strategies. If more than one clinical phenotype is present, treatment strategy should follow the expression of each phenotypic label separately. In such patients, multicomponental therapeutic regimens are needed, resulting in fully individualized care. In the future, stronger measures against smoking, improvements in occupational and environmental health, early diagnosis strategies, as well as biomarker identification for patients responsive to specific treatments are warranted. New classes of treatment (inhaled PDE3/4 inhibitors, single molecule dual bronchodilators, anti-inflammatory drugs, gene editing molecules or new bronchoscopic procedures) are expected to enter the clinical practice in a very few years.

Ultra Long-Acting β-Agonists in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

INTRODUCTION

Inhaled β-agonists have been foundational medications for maintenance COPD management for decades. Through activation of cyclic adenosine monophosphate pathways, these agents relax airway smooth muscle and improve expiratory airflow by relieving bronchospasm and alleviating air trapping and dynamic hyperinflation improving breathlessness, exertional capabilities, and quality of life. β-agonist drug development has discovered drugs with increasing longer durations of action: short acting (SABA) (4-6 h), long acting (LABA) (6-12 h), and ultra-long acting (ULABA) (24 h). Three ULABAs, indacaterol, olodaterol, and vilanterol, are approved for clinical treatment of COPD.

PURPOSE

This article reviews both clinically approved ULABAs and ULABAs in development.

CONCLUSION

Indacaterol and olodaterol were originally approved for clinical use as monotherapies for COPD. Vilanterol is the first ULABA to be approved only in combination with other respiratory medications. Although there are many other ULABA's in various stages of development, most clinical testing of these novel agents is suspended or proceeding slowly. The three approved ULABAs are being combined with antimuscarinic agents and corticosteroids as dual and triple agent treatments that are being tested for clinical use and efficacy. Increasingly, these clinical trials are using specific COPD clinical characteristics to define study populations and to begin to develop therapies that are trait-specific.

Sonic hedgehog signalling as a potential endobronchial biomarker in COPD

BACKGROUND

The hedgehog (HH) pathway has been associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in genome-wide association studies and recent studies suggest that HH signalling could be altered in COPD. We therefore used minimally invasive endobronchial procedures to assess activation of the HH pathway including the main transcription factor, Gli2, and the ligand, Sonic HH (Shh).

METHODS

Thirty non-COPD patients and 28 COPD patients were included. Bronchial brushings, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and bronchial biopsies were obtained from fiberoptic bronchoscopy. Characterization of cell populations and subcellular localization were evaluated by immunostaining. ELISA and RNAseq analysis were performed to identify Shh proteins in BAL and transcripts on lung tissues from non-COPD and COPD patients with validation in an external and independent cohort.

RESULTS

Compared to non-COPD patients, COPD patients exhibited a larger proportion of basal cells in bronchial brushings (26 ± 11% vs 13 ± 6%; p < 0.0001). Airway basal cells of COPD subjects presented less intense nuclear staining for Gli2 in bronchial brushings and biopsies (p < 0.05). Bronchial BALF from COPD patients contained lower Shh concentrations than non-COPD BALF (12.5 vs 40.9 pg/mL; p = 0.002); SHH transcripts were also reduced in COPD lungs in the validation cohort (p = 0.0001).

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrates the feasibility of assessing HH pathway activation in respiratory samples collected by bronchoscopy and identifies impaired bronchial epithelial HH signalling in COPD.

Paraoxonase Activity and Phenotype Distribution in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

OBJECTIVE

Paraoxonase 1 (PON1) and arylesterase (ARE) enzymes have an important role in the prevention of oxidative stress which is related to the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). PON1 levels vary widely among individuals and ethnic groups, which is in part associated with polymorphisms.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We investigated PON1 and ARE activity and phenotype distribution in COPD patients and healthy individuals. Sixty six COPD patients and 59 control subjects were involved in the study. Serum PON1 and ARE activities were detected by spectrophotometric method. The ratio of salt-induced PON1 to ARE activity was used to determine phenotypes as QQ, QR, and RR.

RESULTS

COPD patients exhibited higher PON1 activity (199.1 vs 129.2, p=0.002) but lower ARE activity compared to control (21.3 vs 33.5, p=0.021). There was a significant difference between COPD and control group with respect to PON1 phenotype characteristics. RR phenotypic distribution was more common in the COPD group than in control (60.6% [95% CI: 48.8 - 72.3] versus 22.0 % [95% CI: 12.0 - 31.9], p=0.001). We also found that smoking (95.0% CI: 0.001-0.036, p<0.001) and RR phenotype (95.0% CI: 0.006 - 0.59, p=0.016) are independent determinants in COPD.

CONCLUSION

We found that RR phenotype was more common in COPD patients compared to control. Smoking and RR phenotype may be defined as independent factors associated with COPD.

"Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and phenotypes: a state-of-the-art."

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a heterogeneous and multisystemic disease with progressive increasing morbidity and mortality. COPD is now widely accepted as a heterogeneous condition with multiple phenotypes and endotypes. This review will discuss the old and new concepts for the different types of COPD phenotypes, as well as the inclusion of them in current guidelines. Phenotypical approach to COPD is having huge impact on everyday practice and changed nonpharmacological and pharmacological management of COPD in last decade. However, phenotypical approach is small step to precision medicine in COPD management in the absence of big, specific and well-designed COPD trials with exact identification of phenotypes for more personalization of the treatment of COPD.

Review of Drug Development Guidance to Treat Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: US and EU Perspectives

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remains a leading cause of death worldwide, yet only one new drug class has been approved in the last decade. However, resurgence in COPD treatment has been recently fueled by a greater understanding of the pathophysiology and natural history of the disease, as well as a growing prevalence and an aging population. Currently, there are nearly 25 novel drug targets in development. Furthermore, the indication has undergone some fundamental changes over the last couple of years, including an updated diagnosis paradigm, validation, and approval of patient-reported outcome questionnaires for clinical trials, and drug development tools, such as a prognostic biomarker for patient selection. In the context of clinical trials, this review aims to summarize recent changes to the diagnosis and evaluation of COPD and to provide an overview of US and European regulatory guidance.

Practical considerations when prescribing a long-acting muscarinic antagonist for patients with COPD

COPD is characterized by persistent airflow limitation, progressive breathlessness, cough, and sputum production. Long-acting muscarinic antagonists (LAMAs) are one of the recommended first-choice therapeutic options for patients with COPD, and several new agents have been developed in recent years. A literature search identified 14 published randomized, placebo-controlled studies of the efficacy and safety of LAMAs in patients with COPD, with improvements seen in lung function, exacerbations, breathlessness, and health status. A greater weight of evidence currently exists for glycopyrronium (GLY) and tiotropium than for umeclidinium and aclidinium, especially in terms of exacerbation reductions. To date, there have been few head-to-head clinical studies of the different LAMAs. Available data indicate that GLY and aclidinium have similar efficacy to tiotropium in terms of improving lung function, dyspnea, exacerbations, and health status. Overall, evidence demonstrates that currently available LAMAs provide effective and generally well-tolerated therapy for patients with COPD. Delivery devices for the different LAMAs vary, which may affect individual patient's adherence to and preference for treatment. Subtle differences between individual therapeutic options may be important to individual patients and the final treatment choice should involve physician's and patient's experiences and preferences.