Association of Risk of Obstructive Sleep Apnea With Thyroid Eye Disease: Compressive Optic Neuropathy

Glycemic Trends in Patients with Thyroid Eye Disease Treated with Teprotumumab in 3 Clinical Trials

PURPOSE

Assess incidence, severity, and glucose excursion outcomes in thyroid eye disease (TED) patients receiving the insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor inhibitor teprotumumab from 3 clinical trials.

DESIGN

Analysis of pooled glycemic data over time.

PARTICIPANTS

Eighty-four teprotumumab- and 86 placebo-treated active TED patients from the phase 2 and phase 3 (OPTIC) controlled clinical trials and 51 teprotumumab-treated patients from the OPTIC extension (OPTIC-X) trial.

METHODS

Eight intravenous infusions were given over 21 weeks. Phase 2 serum glucose was measured at weeks 1, 4, 15, and 21, with fasting measurements at weeks 1 and 4. Serum glucose was measured at each study visit in OPTIC and OPTIC-X, with fasting measurements at weeks 1 and 4 (in patients without diabetes) or all visits (in patients with diabetes). In all studies, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) was measured at baseline, 12, and 24 weeks plus weeks 36 and 48 in OPTIC-X.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Serum glucose and HbA1c.

RESULTS

In the phase 2 and 3 studies, 9 hyperglycemic episodes occurred in 8 teprotumumab patients; mean HbA1c level increased 0.22% from baseline to week 24 (to 5.8%; range, 5.0%-7.9%) versus 0.04% in patients receiving the placebo (to 5.6%; range, 4.6%-8.1%). At study end, 78% (59/76) of teprotumumab patients and 87% (67/77) of patients receiving placebo had normoglycemic findings. Normoglycemia was maintained in 84% (57/68) of patients receiving teprotumumab and 93% (64/69) of patients receiving placebo. Among baseline prediabetic patients, 43% (3/7) remained prediabetic in both groups, and 29% (2/7) of teprotumumab patients and 14% (1/7) of patients receiving placebo had diabetic findings at week 24. OPTIC-X patients trended toward increased fasting glucose and HbA1c whether initially treated or retreated with teprotumumab. Fasting glucose commonly rose after 2 or 3 infusions and stabilized thereafter. Most hyperglycemic incidents occurred in patients with baseline prediabetes/diabetes but were controlled with medication. No evidence was found for progression or increased incidence of hyperglycemia with subsequent doses.

CONCLUSIONS

Serious glycemic excursions are uncommon in patients with normoglycemia before teprotumumab therapy. Patients with controlled diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance can be treated safely if baseline screening, regular monitoring of glycemic control, and timely treatment of hyperglycemia are practiced.

FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S)

Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article.

Assessment of risk of obstructive sleep apnea with thyroid eye disease and its activity

PURPOSE

To evaluate the association between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and thyroid eye disease (TED) and its effect on disease activity.

METHODS

A prospective case-control study was conducted from January 2020 to March 2022. All TED patients (group A) were clinically evaluated. The activity of thyroid eye disease was calculated based on the clinical activity score (CAS), and grading of severity was done according to the EUGOGO classification. All TED patients (group A) were screened for OSA using the Snoring Tired Observed Pressure (STOP)-Bang survey. Age- and gender-matched control group patients (group B) without TED were screened for OSA.

RESULTS

One hundred TED patients and 138 control patients without TED were included in the respective groups. Sixty-two (62%) patients in group A and 48 (34.78%) patients in group B were having high risk of OSA, and this difference was statistically significant (P = 0.001). Further, in group A patients, on univariate analysis, TED activity was significantly associated with a high risk of OSA (P = 0.009). On multivariate logistic regression analysis, OSA also showed significant association with TED activity (odds ratio [OR]: 4.14, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.11-18.85 at 10% level; P = 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Our study showed that OSA is significantly associated with TED disease and its activity. However, no significant association was found between OSA and severity of the disease.

Teprotumumab and the Evolving Therapeutic Landscape in Thyroid Eye Disease

CONTEXT

Thyroid eye disease (TED) is a sight-threatening and debilitating autoimmune condition, with limited therapies available, that often poses diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. In recent years, the treatment landscape has shifted to early intervention with targeted therapy.

METHODS

A PubMed review of the literature was conducted for the period between 1979 and 2021. Search terms included thyroid eye disease, teprotumumab, targeted therapy, Graves disease, Graves ophthalmopathy, dysthyroid optic neuropathy, and related terms in different combinations. Novel biologic therapies for TED have emerged as alternatives to traditional steroid regimens in recent years. New insights into TED pathophysiology have uncovered the role of the insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R) and led to the development of teprotumumab, an IGF-1R-inhibiting monoclonal antibody.

RESULTS

Randomized clinical trials demonstrating the efficacy of teprotumumab for TED led to Food and Drug Administration approval. Teprotumumab is gradually replacing immunosuppressive agents as first-line therapy in the United States for active moderate-to-severe TED, while emerging reports also show its use in other stages of the disease. Recent data highlight risk factors for adverse events and screening protocols to maximize patient safety. Personalized therapeutic plans developed through effective partnership between endocrinologists and ophthalmologists aim to enhance the safety and outcomes of TED treatments and improve care for this complex disease.

CONCLUSION

TED management is shifting to an era of targeted therapy with multidisciplinary care. Teprotumumab has demonstrated superior efficacy to conventional treatments and has transformed our therapeutic and surgical algorithms. Clinical guidelines and additional studies are needed to further guide and refine therapy.

Update on thyroid eye disease: Regional variations in prevalence, diagnosis, and management

Thyroid eye disease (TED) is a rare disease that can lead to decreased quality of life, permanent disfigurement, and vision loss. Clinically, TED presents with exophthalmos, periorbital edema, extraocular muscle dysfunction, and eyelid retraction, and can lead to vision-threatening complications such as exposure to keratopathy and dysthyroid optic neuropathy (DON). Over the last several years, significant advancements have been made in the understanding of its pathophysiology as well as optimal management. Ethnic variations in the prevalence, clinical presentation, and risk of vision-threatening complications of TED are summarized, and risk factors associated with TED are discussed. Additionally, significant advances have been made in the management of TED. The management of TED traditionally included anti-inflammatory medications, orbital radiation therapy, orbital surgical decompression, and biologic therapies. Most recently, targeted therapies such as teprotumumab, an insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor antagonist, have been studied in the context of TED, with promising initial data. In this review, updates in the understanding and management of TED are presented with a focus on the international variations in presentation and management.

Advances in the Treatment of Thyroid Eye Disease Associated Extraocular Muscle Myopathy and Optic Neuropathy

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To review emerging treatments for thyroid eye disease (TED) associated extraocular muscle myopathy and dysthyroid optic neuropathy (DON).

RECENT FINDINGS

Emerging targeted biologic therapies may alter the disease course in TED. Teprotumumab, a type I insulin-like growth factor receptor inhibitor, is the most recent addition to the treatments available for TED-associated extraocular muscle myopathy causing diplopia. Small studies also suggest a potential therapeutic benefit for DON. Various recent studies have also expanded our knowledge on conventional TED therapies. The therapeutic landscape of TED and its sequelae has evolved in recent years. New targeted therapies have the potential to reduce the extraocular muscle and orbital volume expansion which can lead to diplopia and vision loss from optic nerve compression. Longer term efficacy and durability data is needed to determine the role biologics, such as teprotumumab, should play in the treatment of TED patients compared to the current standard of care.

Ocular Complications of Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the most common form of sleep-disordered breathing, is characterized by repetitive episodes of paused breathing during sleep, which in turn induces transient nocturnal hypoxia and hypercapnia. The high prevalence of OSA and its associated health consequences place a heavy burden on the healthcare system. In particular, the consequent episodic oxygenic desaturation/reoxygenation series and arousals from sleep in patients with OSA have the potential to trigger oxidative stress, elevated systemic inflammatory responses, and autonomic dysfunction with sympathetic activation. Given these adverse side-effects, OSA is highly correlated to many eye diseases that are common in everyday ophthalmic practices. Some of these ocular consequences are reversible, but they may permanently threaten a patient’s vision if not treated appropriately. Here, this article seeks to review the ocular consequences and potential pathophysiologic associations in patients with OSA. Understanding these OSA-related eye diseases may help clinicians provide comprehensive care to their patients.

Prospective Correlation of Risk of Obstructive Sleep Apnea With Severe Clinical Features of Thyroid Eye Disease

PURPOSE

To evaluate the association between risk of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and severity of thyroid eye disease (TED) using a validated OSA screening tool.

METHODS

A prospective, observational cohort study was performed. New adult TED patients were offered OSA screening with the Snoring Tired Observed Pressure (STOP)-Bang survey during their initial evaluation. Clinical examination and treatment for TED were standard of care and utilized the International Thyroid Eye Disease Society Vision Inflammation Strabismus Appearance system. At the conclusion of the study period, analysis was performed correlating maximum severity of TED signs and symptoms between high- and low-risk OSA groups. Multivariate logistic and linear regression analyses were also performed to analyze the association between the numerical STOP-Bang score and maximum severity of the potentially actionable clinical features of TED (compressive optic neuropathy, vertical prism deviation, horizontal prism deviation, exophthalmos, vertical fissure height).

RESULTS

Eighty-five patients met inclusion criteria. Twenty-eight percent were at high risk of OSA (STOP-Bang score of 3 or higher). When comparing the low- and high-risk cohorts, increased risk of OSA was significantly associated with the development of TED compressive optic neuropathy (p = 0.014), conjunctival injection (p = 0.027), chemosis (p = 0.013), upper eyelid edema (p = 0.024), lower eyelid edema (p = 0.003), eyelid erythema (p = 0.037), and vertical strabismus (p = 0.047). In the multivariate regression analyses, higher STOP-Bang scores correlated with increased risk of TED compressive optic neuropathy (p = 0.006), vertical strabismus (p = 0.019), and higher subjective diplopia scores (p = 0.045).

CONCLUSIONS

Increased risk of OSA, as determined by the STOP-Bang survey, is associated with increased severity of multiple clinical features of TED, including TED compressive optic neuropathy and strabismus.

Orbital disease in neuro-ophthalmology

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Orbital disease represents a diverse spectrum of pathology and can result in a variety of neuro-ophthalmic manifestations. The aim of this review is to provide updates on recent advances in our understanding of orbital disease secondary to thyroid eye disease, myositis, IgG4-related disease, sarcoidosis, granulomatosis with polyangiitis and various tumours.

RECENT FINDINGS

With regards to thyroid eye disease, there have been recent advances in the development of steroid-sparing therapies, new modalities for objectively monitoring disease activity and increased understanding of the role of environmental risk factors. There has been interest in characterizing the clinical course and underlying mechanism of optic nerve disease secondary to orbital disorders, which has led to advances in how we monitor for and prevent permanent vision loss. Increased knowledge of orbital tumour subtype histopathology and the development of novel classification systems has had prognostic value and aided medical decision-making.

SUMMARY

Orbital disease occurs secondary to a wide variety of diseases and can lead to neuro-ophthalmic manifestations with significant morbidity. Advances in our understanding of different subtypes of orbital disease have improved our ability to treat these potentially debilitating conditions.