Budesonide, Aclidinium and Formoterol in combination limit inflammaging processes in bronchial epithelial cells exposed to cigarette smoke

Inflammation and cellular senescence (also called inflammaging) are involved in the pathogenesis of premature lung aging, a key driver of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Downregulation of histone deacetylases and FoxO3 expression, activation of the ERK 1/2 pathway and IL-8 increase are hallmarks of lung inflammaging. The effects of Budesonide (BUD), Aclidinium (ACL) and Formoterol (FO) on lung inflammaging are unknown. This study was aimed to assess the effects of BUD, ACL and FO in bronchial epithelial cells exposed to cigarette smoke extract (CSE) by evaluating: a) Expression of TLR4 and survivin and LPS binding by flow cytometry; b) expression of HDAC2, HDAC3, SIRT1 and FoxO3 and activation of the ERK 1/2 pathway by western blot; c) IL-8 mRNA levels and release by Real Time-PCR and ELISA, respectively. Reported results show that CSE increased TLR4 and survivin, LPS binding, ERK 1/2 activation, IL-8 release and mRNA levels but decreased SIRT1, HDAC2, HDAC3 and FoxO3 nuclear expression. Combined therapy with BUD, ACL and FO counteracted the effects of CSE on LPS binding, FoxO3 nuclear expression, ERK 1/2 activation, survivin and IL-8 release and mRNA levels. These findings suggest a new role of combination therapy with BUD, ACL and FO in counteracting inflammaging processes induced by cigarette smoke exposure.

Drug delivery to the lungs: challenges and opportunities

Pulmonary drug delivery is relatively complex because the respiratory tract has evolved defense mechanisms to keep inhaled drug particles out of the lungs and to remove or inactivate them once deposited. In addition to these mechanical, chemical and immunological barriers, pulmonary drug delivery is adversely affected by the behavioral barriers of poor adherence and poor inhaler technique. Strategies to mitigate the effects of these barriers include use of inhaler devices and formulations that deliver drug to the lungs efficiently, appropriate inhaler technique and improved education of patients. Owing to the advantages offered by the pulmonary route, the challenges that the route poses are worth addressing, and if successfully addressed, the pulmonary route offers huge opportunities, often fulfilling unmet clinical needs.

Cost-effectiveness of tiotropium versus glycopyrronium in moderate to very severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Canada, Spain, Sweden, and the UK

OBJECTIVES

Tiotropium (TIO), Spiriva® Handihaler®, is a well-established bronchodilator, LAMA (long acting muscarinic antagonist), for the treatment of moderate to very severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Clinical evidence from the SPARK trial suggests that TIO is superior to glycopyrronium (GLY), Seebri® Breezhaler®, in terms of severe exacerbations. This modeling study assessed the cost-effectiveness of TIO versus GLY for Canada (CAN), Spain (ESP), Sweden (SWE), and the UK, making use of this new clinical evidence.

METHODS

A Markov cohort model, with moderate to very severe (Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease II-IV) COPD patients, was populated with efficacy data from the Understanding Potential Long-term Impacts on Function with Tiotropium (UPLIFT) and SPARK trials as well as costs, utilities, and epidemiological data relevant for each country. Treatment efficacy was modeled as improvements in lung function, quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), and as a lowering of the risk of exacerbations (rate of exacerbations). Risks of exacerbations differed between cohorts based on data from SPARK. Health and cost outcomes were simulated over an approximate lifetime horizon, starting from the age of 65 years. Robustness of results was validated in deterministic sensitivity analyses.

RESULTS

Over the lifetime horizon, patients treated with TIO accumulated -623 (CAN), 1,066 (ESP), 1,137 (SWE), and -169 (UK), respectively, in incremental costs (€2014). TIO generated better health outcomes compared to GLY in all countries, 0.21 (CAN), 0.25 (ESP), 0.23 (SWE), and 0.23 (UK) in incremental QALYs. The cost per QALY gained was found to be €4,281 and €1,137 for ESP and SWE, respectively, while TIO was found to be cost saving in CAN and the UK. The results were mainly driven by the relative risk of severe exacerbations found in SPARK (GLY/TIO relative risk: 1.43, 95% confidence interval: 1.05-1.97, P=0.025).

CONCLUSION

The results from this study show that TIO is a cost-effective treatment compared to GLY in moderate to very severe COPD. The cost per QALY is well below the existing implicit and explicit willingness-to-pay thresholds.

COPD control: Can a consensus be found?

There are currently no reliable instruments for assessing the onset and progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or predicting its prognosis. Currently, a comprehensive assessment of COPD including several objective and subjective parameters is recommended. However, the lack of biomarkers precludes a correct assessment of COPD severity, which consequently hampers adequate therapeutic approaches and COPD control. In the absence of a definition of "well-controlled disease", a consensus regarding COPD control will be difficult to reach. However, COPD patient assessment should be multidimensional, and anchored in five points: control of symptoms, decline of pulmonary function, levels of physical activity, exacerbations, and Quality of Life. Several non-pharmacological and pharmacological measures are currently available to achieve disease control. Smoking cessation, vaccination, exercise training programs and pulmonary rehabilitation are recognized as important non-pharmacological measures but bronchodilators are the pivotal therapy in the control of COPD. This paper discusses several objective and subjective parameters that may bridge the gap between disease assessment and disease control. The authors conclude that, at present, it is not possible to reach a consensus regarding COPD control, essentially due to the lack of objective instruments to measure it. Some recommendations are set forth, but true COPD control awaits further objective assessments.

The Impact of Exogenous Factors on Respiratory Pathogen-Induced Innate Alveolar Macrophage Responses in COPD

Alveolar macrophages in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have fundamentally impaired innate immune responses to toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands of nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHI). However, whether dysfunctional inflammatory responses in COPD extend to macrophage interactions with intact respiratory pathogens beyond NTHI has not been explored. Furthermore, the influences of exogenous factors, including active smoking and medications, on pathogen-induced innate immune responses have only begun to be investigated. We hypothesized that distinct alveolar macrophage impairments in COPD are not limited to NTHI TLR ligands and that active smoking and select COPD medications modulate innate responses. Alveolar macrophages, obtained from COPD ex-smokers (n = 32) and active smokers (n = 64) by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), were incubated with NTHI, Moraxella catarrhalis, and Streptococcus pneumoniae, and with TLR2 and TLR4 ligands. Elicited IL-8 and TNF-α were measured by multianalyte microsphere flow cytometry to determine proinflammatory responsiveness. Induced IL-8, but not TNF-α, was greater from alveolar macrophages of active smokers compared with ex-smokers, in response to NTHI (p = 0.04), M. catarrhalis (p = 0.003), and S. pneumoniae (p = 0.03). Both IL-8 and TNF-α induction by TLR2 and TLR4 ligands were greater in active smokers. While intergroup NTHI- and M. catarrhalis-induced TNF-α levels were no different, they were notably lower among ex-smokers taking anticholinergic medications (p < 0.04 for each), but not with any other bronchoactive medications. Our results support a paradigm of distinct immunologic responses of COPD alveolar macrophages of ex- and active smokers to diverse respiratory pathogens and highlight a subset of ex-smokers whose diminished alveolar macrophage responsiveness may be associated with anticholinergic agents.

8th international conference on management and rehabilitation of chronic respiratory failure: the long summaries – part 1

This paper summarizes the Part 1 of the proceedings of the 8^th International Conference on Management and Rehabilitation of Chronic Respiratory Failure, held in Pescara, Italy, on 7 and 8 May, 2015. It summarizes the contributions from numerous experts in the field of chronic respiratory disease and chronic respiratory failure. The outline follows the temporal sequence of presentations.

This paper (Part 1) includes sections regarding: Advances in Asthma and COPD Therapy (Novel Therapeutic Targets for Asthma: Proteinases, Blood Biomarker Changes in COPD Patients); The problem of Hospital Re-Admission following Discharge after the COPD Exacerbation (Characteristics of the Hospitalized COPD Patient, Reducing Hospital Readmissions Following COPD Exacerbation).