Validation of a Pathological Score for the Assessment of Bronchial Biopsies in Severe Uncontrolled Asthma: Beyond Blood Eosinophils

Background: Blood eosinophil count (BEC) is currently used as a surrogate marker of T2 inflammation in severe asthma but its relationship with tissue T2-related changes is elusive. Bronchial biopsy could add reliable information but lacks standardization. Objectives: To validate a systematic assessment of the bronchial biopsy for the evaluation of severe uncontrolled asthma (SUA) by standardizing a pathological score. Methods: A systematic assessment of submucosal inflammation, tissue eosinophilic count/field (TEC), goblet cells hyperplasia, epithelial changes, basement membrane thickening, prominent airway smooth muscle and submucosal mucous glands was initially agreed and validated in representative bronchial biopsies of 12 patients with SUA by 8 independent pathologists. In a second phase, 62 patients with SUA who were divided according to BEC≥300cells/mm3 or less underwent bronchoscopy with bronchial biopsies and the correlations between the pathological findings and the clinical characteristics were investigated. Results: The score yielded good agreement among pathologists regarding submucosal eosinophilia, TEC, goblet cells hyperplasia and mucosal glands (ICC=0.85, 0.81, 0.85 and 0.87 respectively). There was a statistically significant correlation between BEC and TEC (r=0.393, p=0.005) that disappeared after correction by oral corticosteroids (OCS) use (r=0.170, p=0.307). However, there was statistically significant correlation between FeNO and TEC (r=0.481, p=0.006) that was maintained after correction to OCS use (r=0.419, p=0.021). 82.4% of low-BEC had submucosal eosinophilia, 50% of them moderate to severe. Conclusion: A standardized assessment of endobronchial biopsy is feasible and could be useful for a better phenotyping of SUA especially in those receiving OCS. (AU)

Clinical characteristics, management, and outcome of eosinophilic pneumonia associated with daptomycin

Objective: The association between daptomycin exposure and eosinophilic pneumonia (EP) is mainly based on case reports. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical characteristics and provide more evidence for better identify and management of daptomycin-induced eosinophilic pneumonia in clinical practice.MethodsLiterature from 1991 to October 31, 2021 on EP induced by daptomycin were collected for retrospective analysis.ResultsA total of 47 patients (40 male and 7 female) from 35 studies were included. The median age was 67 years (range 28–89), and 78.7% of patients were ≥60 years. Daptomycin was mainly used in patients undergoing osteoarticular infections (63.8%). Typical initial symptoms were fever (91.5%), cough (55.3%) and dyspnea (59.6%). The median onset time of symptom was 3 weeks. EP recurred in 14.9% of patients after the re-administration of daptomycin, and 57.1% of EP recurred within 24h. Most cases were accompanied by marked accumulation of eosinophils in peripheral (41 cases) and/or bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (27 cases). The main radiological features were pulmonary infiltration, ground glass opacity or consolidation in CT/CXR. All patients had symptom resolution after discontinuation of daptomycin except for one patient died due to the progression of the primary disease, the median time to symptoms relief was 3 days. Corticosteroids have been shown to help symptoms relief in some cases (59.6%).ConclusionDaptomycin-induced eosinophilic pneumonia is a rare and serious complication. Physicians should consider eosinophilic pneumonia as a differential diagnosis when receiving daptomycin therapy, particularly in elderly male patients. (AU)

Objetivo: La asociación entre la exposición a daptomicina y la neumonía eosinofílica (NE) se basa principalmente en informes de casos. El propósito de este estudio fue evaluar las características clínicas y proporcionar más evidencia para una mejor identificación y tratamiento de la NE inducida por daptomicina en la práctica clínica.MétodosSe recopiló literatura médica desde 1991 hasta el 31 de octubre de 2021 sobre NE inducida por daptomicina para un análisis retrospectivo.ResultadosSe incluyeron un total de 47 pacientes (40 hombres y 7 mujeres) de 35 estudios. La mediana de edad fue de 67 años (rango 28-89), y el 78,7% de los pacientes tenían≥60 años. La daptomicina se utilizó principalmente en pacientes con infecciones osteoarticulares (63,8%). Los síntomas iniciales típicos fueron fiebre (91,5%), tos (55,3%) y disnea (59,6%). La mediana del tiempo de aparición de los síntomas fue de 3 semanas. La NE reapareció en el 14,9% de los pacientes después de la readministración de daptomicina, y el 57,1% lo hizo dentro de las primeras 24h. La mayoría de los casos se acompañó de una marcada acumulación de eosinófilos en tejidos periféricos (91,1%)/pulmonares (7 casos) y/o líquido de lavado broncoalveolar (27 casos). Las principales características radiológicas fueron infiltración pulmonar, opacidad «en vidrio deslustrado» o consolidación en TC/CXR. Todos los pacientes tuvieron una resolución de los síntomas después de la interrupción de la daptomicina, excepto uno que falleció debido a la progresión de la enfermedad primaria; la mediana de tiempo hasta el alivio de los síntomas fue de 3 días. Se ha demostrado que los corticoides ayudan al alivio de los síntomas en algunos casos (59,6%).ConclusiónLa NE inducida por daptomicina es una complicación rara y grave. Los médicos deben considerar la NE como un diagnóstico diferencial cuando un paciente recibe tratamiento con daptomicina, particularmente en varones de edad avanzada. (AU)

A different starting line for allergic march: food protein-induced allergic proctocolitis

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the long-term prognosis of food protein--induced allergic proctocolitis (FPIAP) patients, the risk of developing both allergic and gastrointestinal diseases, and to evaluate whether it leads to allergic march. Methods: A total of 149 children who were diagnosed with FPIAP and developed tolerance at least 5 years prior to the study and 41 children (with no history of food allergy) as a control group were enrolled. Both groups were re-evaluated for allergic diseases as well as gastrointestinal disorders. Results: The mean age of diagnosis for the FPIAP group was 4.2 ± 3.0 months, while the mean age of tolerance was 13.9 ± 7.7 months. The mean age of both FPIAP and control groups at the last visit was 101.6 ± 24.4 and 96.3 ± 24.1 months, respectively (P = 0.213). At the final evaluation of both groups, the comorbid allergic disease was significantly higher in the FPIAP group (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs), eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases, and inflammatory bowel disease (P = 0.198, 0.579, and 0.579, respectively). In the FPIAP group, the allergic disease was significantly higher at the final visit in patients with comorbid allergic disease at diagnosis (P < 0.001). In the FPIAP group, FGID was significantly higher in the group that developed allergic diseases in the future, compared to the group that did not develop allergic diseases in the future (P = 0.034). The proportion of both FGID and allergic diseases was significantly higher in subjects that developed tolerance at >18 months, compared to subjects that developed tolerance at >18 months (P < 0.001 and <0.001, respectively). Conclusions: Patients with FPIAP may develop allergic diseases as well as FGID in the long term (AU)

Inhibition of CREB promotes glucocorticoids action on airway inflammation in pediatric asthma by promoting ferroptosis of eosinophils

Background: Pediatric asthma is a common chronic disease of childhood with airway inflammation. Cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element binding protein (CREB) plays a significant role in the transcription of proinflammatory genes, but its role in pediatric asthma has remained unclear. Herein, we investigated the functions of CREB in pediatric asthma. Methods: Eosinophils were purified from the peripheral blood of interleukin 5 (IL5) transgenic (IL5T) neonatal mice. The contents of CREB, long-chain fatty-acid–CoA ligase 4, transferrin receptor protein 1, ferritin heavy chain 1, and glutathione peroxidase 4 in eosinophils were examined by Western blot analysis. The viability of eosinophils, and the mean fluorescence intensity of Siglec F, C-C motif chemokine receptor 3 (CCR3), and reactive oxygen species were examined by flow cytometry. The concentration of iron in eosinophils was assessed by a commercial kit. The contents of malondialdehyde, glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, IL-5, and IL-4 were discovered by enzyme-linked-immunosorbent serologic assay. The C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into four groups: sham, ovalbumin (OVA), OVA+Ad-shNC, and OVA+Ad-shCREB. The bronchial and alveolar structures were evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Leukocytes and eosinophils in the blood were measured using a HEMAVET 950. Results: The abundance of CREB in eosinophils was enhanced by CREB overexpression vector transfection, but reduced by short hairpin (sh)CREB transfection. Downregulation of CREB triggered the cell death of eosinophils. Knockdown of CREB could obviously contribute to ferroptosis of eosinophils. In addition, downregulation of CREB facilitated dexamethasone (DXMS, a type of glucocorticoid)-induced eosinophils death. Moreover, we established an asthma mouse model by OVA treatment. The CREB was upregulated in OVA group mice, but Ad-shCREB treatment obviously downregulated CREB level (AU)

Analysis of response of severe eosinophilic asthmatic patients to benralizumab

Introduction Clinical trials and real-life studies have been published showing effectiveness of benralizumab in severe eosinophilic asthmatic patients. The aim of the present study is to describe super-responders to benralizumab in a series of 79 patients who completed at least 1 year of treatment, and to compare super-responders with non super-responders. Methods This is a multicenter study of the Register of Severe Asthma of the Region of Murcia (RE-ASGRAMUR) Group performed in eight hospitals under the conditions of routine clinical practice. Patients with zero exacerbations and no oral corticosteroid therapy for asthma were considered super-responders. We analyzed clinical, functional, and inflammatory parameters of selected patients. Results In all, 50 of the 79 patients (63%) met the super-responder criteria. In addition, 36% of the patients (26/71) were considered as complete responders to treatment (super--responder + Asthma Control Test [ACT] ≥ 20 + forced expiratory volume in 1 s [FEV1] ≥ 80%). The super--responders were significantly older in age (P = 0.0029), had higher eosinophils count (P = 0.0423), higher proportion of nasal polyps (P = 0.036), and they had less severe disease at baseline. After 1 year of treatment, the super-responders had higher levels of ACT questionnaire (23 vs 19, P = 0.0007) and better percentage of FEV1 (83 vs 75, P = 0.0359). Conclusion Almost two of the three patients treated with benralizumab were super--responders after 1 year of treatment and 36% had a complete response. Super-responders were associated with older age, higher eosinophils count, had nasal polyposis as comorbidity, and had less severe disease at baseline. This data illustrated the good real-life response of patients with severe eosinophilic asthma to the treatment with benralizumab (AU)

Association of Peripheral Blood and Cutaneous Eosinophils With Bullous Pemphigoid Disease Severity and Treatment Outcomes / Asociación entre eosinófilos de sangre periférica y cutáneos con la gravedad del penfigoide ampolloso y los resultados terapéuticos

Background and aims A dermal inflammatory infiltrate rich in eosinophils is a prominent histological feature of bullous pemphigoid (BP) and peripheral blood eosinophilia has been documented in 50–60% of BP patients. Nevertheless, the impact of circulating and dermal infiltrate eosinophil levels on BP remains poorly understood. The main objective of this work was to investigate the association of peripheral blood and dermal infiltrate eosinophil levels with clinical and immunological characteristics of the disease. Material and methods Retrospective cohort study including all patients diagnosed with BP between 2011 and 2020. Results The study cohort included 233 patients with BP. The mean baseline peripheral blood eosinophil count was 956.3±408.6×106/L and the mean number of tissue eosinophils at the dermal hot spot area was 30.5±19.0. Patients with disseminated presentation (i.e. BSA>50%) had significantly higher peripheral blood eosinophil counts (P=0.028). Mucosal involvement was significantly associated with lower dermal eosinophil count (P=0.001). Requiring inpatient care and relapsing were significantly associated with high peripheral blood eosinophil count (P=0.025; P=0.020, respectively). Among the 68 patients who experienced a relapse, 31 had peripheral blood eosinophilia (i.e. >500×106/L) at relapse (44.2%). Peripheral blood eosinophil counts at baseline and at relapse were significantly correlated (r=0.82, P<0.001). Conclusion Peripheral blood and cutaneous eosinophils levels may be useful biomarkers for disease activity and treatment outcomes in BP. Monitoring peripheral blood eosinophil counts may allow early detection of relapse (AU)

Antecedentes y objetivos El infiltrado inflamatorio dérmico rico en eosinófilos es una característica histológica destacada de penfigoide ampolloso (PA) y eosinofilia en sangre periférica, que se ha documentado en el 50-60% de los pacientes con esta enfermedad. Sin embargo, el impacto de los niveles de eosinófilos circulantes y en infiltrados dérmicos en el PA sigue sin comprenderse. El objetivo principal de este estudio fue investigar la asociación entre los niveles de eosinófilos en sangre periférica y en infiltrados dérmicos y las características clínicas e inmunológicas de esta enfermedad. Material y métodos Estudio de cohorte retrospectivo que incluyó a todos los pacientes con PA entre 2011 y 2020. Resultados El estudio de cohorte incluyó 233 pacientes con PA. El recuento de eosinófilos basal medio en sangre periférica fue de 956,3 ± 408,6 x106/L y el número medio de eosinófilos tisulares en la zona dérmica clave fue de 30,5 ± 19. Los pacientes con presentación diseminada (es decir, BSA >50%) tuvieron conteos de eosinófilos en sangre periférica significativamente superiores (p = 0,028). El compromiso mucoso estuvo significativamente asociado a un conteo de eosinófilos cutáneo inferior (p = 0,001). La necesidad de cuidados hospitalarios y las recaídas estuvieron significativamente asociadas a conteos de eosinófilos en sangre periférica más elevados (p = 0,025; p = 0,020, respectivamente). Entre los 68 pacientes que experimentaron recidiva, 31 tuvieron eosinofilia en sangre periférica (es decir, > 500 x 106/L) en recaída (44,2%). Los conteos de eosinófilos en sangre periférica basales y en recaída se correlacionaron significativamente (r = 0,82, p < 0,001). Conclusione Los niveles de eosinófilos en sangre periférica y cutáneos pueden constituir biomarcadores útiles para la actividad de la enfermedad y los resultados terapéuticos en el PA. Supervisar los conteos de eosinófilos en sangre periférica puede ayudar a detectar la recidiva tempranamente (AU)

[Artículo traducido] Asociación entre eosinófilos de sangre periférica y cutáneos con la gravedad del penfigoide ampolloso y los resultados terapéuticos / Association of Peripheral Blood and Cutaneous Eosinophils With Bullous Pemphigoid Disease Severity and Treatment Outcomes

Antecedentes y objetivos El infiltrado inflamatorio dérmico rico en eosinófilos es una característica histológica destacada de penfigoide ampolloso (PA) y eosinofilia en sangre periférica, que se ha documentado en el 50-60% de los pacientes con esta enfermedad. Sin embargo, el impacto de los niveles de eosinófilos circulantes y en infiltrados dérmicos en el PA sigue sin comprenderse. El objetivo principal de este estudio fue investigar la asociación entre los niveles de eosinófilos en sangre periférica y en infiltrados dérmicos y las características clínicas e inmunológicas de esta enfermedad. Material y métodos Estudio de cohorte retrospectivo que incluyó a todos los pacientes con PA entre 2011 y 2020. Resultados El estudio de cohorte incluyó 233 pacientes con PA. El recuento de eosinófilos basal medio en sangre periférica fue de 956,3 ± 408,6 x106/L y el número medio de eosinófilos tisulares en la zona dérmica clave fue de 30,5 ± 19. Los pacientes con presentación diseminada (es decir, BSA >50%) tuvieron conteos de eosinófilos en sangre periférica significativamente superiores (p = 0,028). El compromiso mucoso estuvo significativamente asociado a un conteo de eosinófilos cutáneo inferior (p = 0,001). La necesidad de cuidados hospitalarios y las recaídas estuvieron significativamente asociadas a conteos de eosinófilos en sangre periférica más elevados (p = 0,025; p = 0,020, respectivamente). Entre los 68 pacientes que experimentaron recidiva, 31 tuvieron eosinofilia en sangre periférica (es decir, > 500 x 106/L) en recaída (44,2%). Los conteos de eosinófilos en sangre periférica basales y en recaída se correlacionaron significativamente (r = 0,82, p < 0,001). Conclusione Los niveles de eosinófilos en sangre periférica y cutáneos pueden constituir biomarcadores útiles para la actividad de la enfermedad y los resultados terapéuticos en el PA. Supervisar los conteos de eosinófilos en sangre periférica puede ayudar a detectar la recidiva tempranamente (AU)

Background and aims A dermal inflammatory infiltrate rich in eosinophils is a prominent histological feature of bullous pemphigoid (BP) and peripheral blood eosinophilia has been documented in 50–60% of BP patients. Nevertheless, the impact of circulating and dermal infiltrate eosinophil levels on BP remains poorly understood. The main objective of this work was to investigate the association of peripheral blood and dermal infiltrate eosinophil levels with clinical and immunological characteristics of the disease. Material and methods Retrospective cohort study including all patients diagnosed with BP between 2011 and 2020. Results The study cohort included 233 patients with BP. The mean baseline peripheral blood eosinophil count was 956.3±408.6×106/L and the mean number of tissue eosinophils at the dermal hot spot area was 30.5±19.0. Patients with disseminated presentation (i.e. BSA>50%) had significantly higher peripheral blood eosinophil counts (P=0.028). Mucosal involvement was significantly associated with lower dermal eosinophil count (P=0.001). Requiring inpatient care and relapsing were significantly associated with high peripheral blood eosinophil count (P=0.025; P=0.020, respectively). Among the 68 patients who experienced a relapse, 31 had peripheral blood eosinophilia (i.e. >500×106/L) at relapse (44.2%). Peripheral blood eosinophil counts at baseline and at relapse were significantly correlated (r=0.82, P<0.001). Conclusion Peripheral blood and cutaneous eosinophils levels may be useful biomarkers for disease activity and treatment outcomes in BP. Monitoring peripheral blood eosinophil counts may allow early detection of relapse (AU)

Is it Time to Readjust the Doses of Inhaled Corticosteroids in COPD?

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T2 Biomarkers as Predictors of Exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Introduction: Type 2 (T2) biomarkers such as blood eosinophil count (BEC) and FeNO have been related to a higher risk of exacerbations in COPD. It is unknown whether combining these biomarkers could be useful in forecasting COPD exacerbations. Methods: COPD patients were enrolled in this prospective, multicenter, observational study and followed up for 1 year, during which BEC were analysed at baseline (V0) while FeNO analyses were performed at baseline (V0), 6 months (V1) and 12 months (V2). The risk of moderate or severe exacerbation during follow up was assessed by Cox regression analysis, and the predictive capacity of both measurements was assessed by ROC curves and the DeLong test. Statistical significance was assumed at P<.05. Results: Of the 322 COPD patients initially recruited, 287 were followed up. At baseline, 28.0% were active smokers, and experienced moderate airflow limitation (mean FEV1 56.4%±17.0% predicted). Patients with at least one elevated T2 biomarker (n=125, 42.5%) were at increased risk of COPD exacerbation (HR 1.75, 95% CI 1.25–2.45, P=.001) and of shorter time to first COPD exacerbation. There was no difference between BEC and FeNO regarding the predictive capacity for moderate to severe exacerbation (AUC 0.584 vs 0.576, P=.183) but FeNO predicted severe episodes more accurately than BEC (AUC 0.607 vs 0.539, P<.05). Combining the two biomarkers enhanced the detection of moderate and severe COPD exacerbations. Conclusions: Both eosinophil count and FeNO have limited utility for predicting COPD exacerbations. Combining these T2 biomarkers could enhance the detection of future COPD exacerbations. (AU)

Association of severity of allergic rhinitis with neutrophil-to-lymphocyte, eosinophil-to-neutrophil, and eosinophil-to-lymphocyte ratios in adults

Background: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is characterized by chronic inflammation of the nasal mucosa. T-helper 2 lymphocytes, neutrophils, and eosinophils play an active role during the late-phase immune response after exposure to allergen. Objective: We aimed to investigate the usefulness of inflammatory parameters of neutro-phil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), eosinophil-to-neutrophil ratio (ENR), and eosinophil-to- lymphocyte ratio (ELR) as markers for distinction between intermittent and persistent allergic rhinitis. Material and Methods: This was a double-center, retrospective study. Patients were enrolled after diagnosed with AR according to the Allergic Rhinitis and Its Impact on Asthma guidelines. Individuals with an active infection were excluded. A cohort of healthy subjects acted as a control group. NLR, ENR, and ELR were calculated using the results obtained from the patients’ complete blood count. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed for all studied variables. Results: In all, 205 AR patients and 49 healthy individuals were included. AR patients had significantly higher levels of absolute eosinophils, ENR, and ELR, and significantly lower levels of NLR than the healthy controls (P < 0.05). A total of 160 (78%) patients with persistent AR had significantly higher levels of absolute eosinophils, ENR, and ELR, and significantly lower levels of NLR than patients with intermittent AR (P < 0.05) Conclusion: Currently, classification of severity of AR is based on the patient’s anamnesis. It has been shown in this study that serum eosinophil levels in persistent AR patients could be used as traceable parameters in evaluating severity of the disease by looking at the proportions of ENR and ELR. We anticipate that in the future this issue would be supported by a larger number of studies (AU)

Eosinophil: a central player in modulating pathological complexity in asthma

Eosinophils are the major inflammatory cells which play a crucial role in the development of allergic and non-allergic asthma phenotypes. Eosinophilic asthma is the most heterogeneous phenotype where activated eosinophils are reported to be significantly associated with asthma severity. Activated eosinophils display an array of cell adhesion molecules that not only act as an activation marker, suitable for assessing severity, but also secrete several tissue factors, cytokines and chemokines which modulate the clinical severity. Eosinophil activations are also strictly associated with activation of other hetero cellular populations like neutrophils, macrophages, mast cells, and platelets which culminate in the onset and progression of abnormal phenotypes such as bronchoconstriction, allergic response, fibrosis instigated by tissue inflammation, epithelial injury, and oxidative stress. During the activated state, eosinophils release several potent toxic signaling molecules such as major basic proteins, eosinophil peroxidase, eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), and lipid mediators, rendering tissue damage and subsequently leading to allergic manifestation. The tissue mediators render a more complex manifestation of a severe phenotype by activating prominent signaling cross-talk. Here, in the current review with the help of search engines of PubMed, Medline, etc, we have tried to shed light and explore some of the potent determinants regulating eosinophil activation leading to asthma phenotype (AU)

Blood Eosinophil Counts and Their Variability and Risk of Exacerbations in COPD: A Population-Based Study / Recuento de eosinófilos en sangre y variabilidad de este y el riesgo de exacerbaciones en la EPOC: un estudio poblacional

BACKGROUND: There is controversy regarding the role of blood eosinophil levels as a biomarker of exacerbation risk in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Our aim was to quantify blood eosinophil levels and determine the risk of exacerbations associated with these levels and their variability. METHODS: Observational, retrospective, population-based study with longitudinal follow-up in patients with COPD identified in a primary care electronic medical record database in Catalonia, Spain, covering 80% of the general population. Patients were classified into 4 groups using the following cut-offs: (a) < 150cells/Mul; (b) ≥ 150 and < 300cells/Mul; (c) ≥ 300 and < 500cells/Mul; (d) ≥ 500cells/Mul. RESULTS: A total of 57,209 patients were identified with a mean age of 70.2 years, a mean FEV1(% predicted) of 64.1% and 51.6% had at least one exacerbation the previous year. The number of exacerbations in the previous year was higher in patients with the lowest and the highest eosinophil levels compared with the intermediate groups. During follow-up the number of exacerbations was slightly higher in the group with the lowest blood eosinophil levels and in those with higher variability in eosinophil counts, but ROC curves did not identify a reliable threshold of blood eosinophilia to discriminate an increased risk of exacerbations. CONCLUSIONS: Our results do not support the use of blood eosinophil count as a reliable biomarker of the risk of exacerbation in COPD in a predominantly non-exacerbating population. Of note was that the small group of patients with the highest variability in blood eosinophils more frequently presented exacerbations

CONTEXTO GENERAL: Existe cierta controversia con respecto al papel de los niveles de eosinófilos en sangre como biomarcador del riesgo de exacerbación en la enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica (EPOC). Nuestro objetivo fue cuantificar los niveles de eosinófilos en sangre y determinar el riesgo de exacerbaciones asociadas con estos niveles y su variabilidad. MÉTODOS: Estudio observacional, retrospectivo y poblacional con seguimiento longitudinal en pacientes con EPOC identificados en una base de datos electrónica de historiales médicos de atención primaria en Cataluña, España, que abarca el 80% de la población general. Los pacientes se clasificaron en 4 grupos utilizando los siguientes puntos de corte: a) < 150 células/mil; b) ≥ 150 y < 300 células/mil; c) ≥ 300 y < 500 células/mil, y d) ≥ 500 células/mil. RESULTADOS: Se identificaron un total de 57.209 pacientes con una edad media de 70,2 años, un FEV1 medio (% del predicho) el 64,1 y el 51,6% habían sufrido al menos una exacerbación el año anterior. El número de exacerbaciones en el año previo fue mayor en aquellos pacientes con los niveles más bajos y los más altos de eosinófilos en comparación con los grupos intermedios. Durante el seguimiento, el número de exacerbaciones fue ligeramente mayor en el grupo con los niveles más bajos de eosinófilos en sangre y en aquellos con mayor variabilidad en el recuento, pero las curvas ROC no identificaron un umbral fiable de eosinofilia en sangre para discriminar un mayor riesgo de exacerbaciones. CONCLUSIONES: Nuestros resultados no apoyan el uso del recuento de eosinófilos en sangre como un biomarcador fiable del riesgo de exacerbación de la EPOC en una población predominantemente no exacerbada. Cabe destacar que el pequeño grupo de pacientes con mayor variabilidad en los niveles de eosinófilos en sangre presentaba exacerbaciones con mayor frecuencia

Clinical Features and Disease Management in Adult Patients With Atopic Dermatitis Receiving Care at Reference Hospitals in Brazil: the ADAPT Study

Background: Atopic dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease with a prevalence of 0.02% to 8.1% in adults. Adult patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis are affected by frequent relapses and a significant disease burden. Objective: To determine the clinical, immunological, and therapeutic profile of Brazilian adults with atopic dermatitis. Methods: A multicenter, observational, retrospective, descriptive registry-based study was conducted at reference hospitals between December 2016 and October 2017. The data collected were demographics, personal and family history of atopic diseases, clinical manifestations, laboratory tests, disease severity and management. Results: Of the 187 patients included in the analysis, 56.1% were female and 71.7% were White, with a mean age of 24.7 years. Mean follow-up was 9 years. Asthma or other allergic diseases were reported by 80.2% of patients. The main comorbidity was hypertension (10.2%), and common disease manifestations included pruritus and erythema. Lesions generally affected flexural and nonflexural areas, with typical morphology. Around 83% of patients had moderate-to-severe disease, and 8.6% reported at least 1 hospitalization. Most patients received topical and/or systemic pharmacological therapies, including omalizumab (5.9%); 4.3% received phototherapy. Moreover, 66.8% of patients received adjuvant therapy, and 79.1% changed or discontinued treatment for atopic dermatitis due to remission (46.5%), poor effectiveness (33.7%), or lack of adherence (12.9%). Most patients presented characteristics of type 2 inflammation, with immunoglobulin E levels above 100 IU/mL (94.4%) and peripheral blood eosinophils above 5% (55.9%). Conclusion: Brazilian adult patients with severe atopic dermatitis need treatment to efficiently control the disease and improve quality of life (AU)