Utility of eosinophil peroxidase as a biomarker of eosinophilic inflammation in asthma.

BACKGROUND: The relative utility of eosinophil peroxidase (EPX) and blood and sputum eosinophil counts as disease biomarkers in asthma is uncertain. OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine the utility of EPX as a biomarker of systemic and airway eosinophilic inflammation in asthma. METHODS: EPX protein was measured by immunoassay in serum and sputum in 110 healthy controls to establish a normal reference range and in repeated samples of serum and sputum collected during 3 years of observation in 480 participants in the Severe Asthma Research Program 3. RESULTS: Over 3 years, EPX levels in patients with asthma were higher than normal in 27% to 31% of serum samples and 36% to 53% of sputum samples. Eosinophils and EPX correlated better in blood than in sputum (rs values of 0.74 and 0.43, respectively), and high sputum EPX levels occurred in 27% of participants with blood eosinophil counts less than 150 cells/µL and 42% of participants with blood eosinophil counts between 150 and 299 cells/µL. Patients with persistently high sputum EPX values for 3 years were characterized by severe airflow obstruction, frequent exacerbations, and high mucus plug scores. In 59 patients with asthma who started mepolizumab during observation, serum EPX levels normalized in 96% but sputum EPX normalized in only 49%. Lung function remained abnormal even when sputum EPX normalized. CONCLUSIONS: Serum EPX is a valid protein biomarker of systemic eosinophilic inflammation in asthma, and sputum EPX levels are a more sensitive biomarker of airway eosinophilic inflammation than sputum eosinophil counts. Eosinophil measures in blood frequently miss airway eosinophilic inflammation, and mepolizumab frequently fails to normalize airway eosinophilic inflammation even though it invariably normalizes systemic eosinophilic inflammation.

Phenotyping of Severe Asthma in the Era of Broad-Acting Anti-Asthma Biologics.

Severe asthma is associated with significant morbidity and mortality despite the maximal use of inhaled corticosteroids and additional controller medications, and has a high economic burden. Biologic therapies are recommended for the management of severe, uncontrolled asthma to help to prevent exacerbations and to improve symptoms and health-related quality of life. The effective management of severe asthma requires consideration of clinical heterogeneity that is driven by varying clinical and inflammatory phenotypes, which are reflective of distinct underlying disease mechanisms. Phenotyping patients using a combination of clinical characteristics such as the age of onset or comorbidities and biomarker profiles, including blood eosinophil counts and levels of fractional exhaled nitric oxide and serum total immunoglobulin E, is important for the differential diagnosis of asthma. In addition, phenotyping is beneficial for risk assessment, selection of treatment, and monitoring of the treatment response in patients with asthma. This review describes the clinical and inflammatory phenotypes of asthma, provides an overview of biomarkers routinely used in clinical practice and those that have recently been explored for phenotyping, and aims to assess the value of phenotyping in severe asthma management in the current era of biologics.

An 82-year-old man with new skin lesions after COVID-19 vaccination.

Background: During the height of the SARS CoV-2 (severe acutre respiratory syndrome coronavirus disease 2019 [COVID 19]) pandemic, there have been numerous case reports of cutaneous reactions shortly after COVID-19 vaccine administration. Most reported cases are local injection-site reactions, whereas persistent or delayed cutaneous reactions have not been as common. Methods: We present the case of an 82-year-old man with persistent rash after the second COVID-19 vaccination. Results: A specific diagnosis was confirmed after the third skin biopsy. Conclusion: Patients are frequently referred to an allergist for various cutaneous reactions that occurred after vaccination, concerned about a possible drug allergy. This case emphasizes the importance of keeping a broad differential diagnosis when encountering a persistent skin rash not resolved by oral antihistamines or steroids.

Histamine-releasing factor in severe asthma and rhinovirus-associated asthma exacerbation.

BACKGROUND: Histamine-releasing factor (HRF) is implicated in allergic diseases. We previously showed its pathogenic role in murine models of asthma. OBJECTIVE: We aim to present data analysis from 3 separate human samples (sera samples from asthmatic patients, nasal washings from rhinovirus [RV]-infected individuals, and sera samples from patients with RV-induced asthma exacerbation) and 1 mouse sample to investigate correlates of HRF function in asthma and virus-induced asthma exacerbations. METHODS: Total IgE and HRF-reactive IgE/IgG as well as HRF in sera from patients with mild/moderate asthma or severe asthma (SA) and healthy controls (HCs) were quantified by ELISA. HRF secretion in culture media from RV-infected adenovirus-12 SV40 hybrid virus transformed human bronchial epithelial cells and in nasal washings from experimentally RV-infected subjects was analyzed by Western blotting. HRF-reactive IgE/IgG levels in longitudinal serum samples from patients with asthma exacerbations were also quantified. RESULTS: HRF-reactive IgE and total IgE levels were higher in patients with SA than in HCs, whereas HRF-reactive IgG (and IgG1) level was lower in asthmatic patients versus HCs. In comparison with HRF-reactive IgElow asthmatic patients, HRF-reactive IgEhigh asthmatic patients had a tendency to release more tryptase and prostaglandin D2 on anti-IgE stimulation of bronchoalveolar lavage cells. RV infection induced HRF secretion from adenovirus-12 SV40 hybrid virus transformed bronchial epithelial cells, and intranasal RV infection of human subjects induced increased HRF secretion in nasal washes. Asthmatic patients had higher levels of HRF-reactive IgE at the time of asthma exacerbations associated with RV infection, compared with those after the resolution. This phenomenon was not seen in asthma exacerbations without viral infections. CONCLUSIONS: HRF-reactive IgE is higher in patients with SA. RV infection induces HRF secretion from respiratory epithelial cells both in vitro and in vivo. These results suggest the role of HRF in asthma severity and RV-induced asthma exacerbation.

Peanut allergy in an adult following cardiac transplant from a non-atopic donor.

We present a 62-year-old woman with severe heart failure and who required cardiac transplantation. On postoperative day 22, she experienced anaphylaxis to peanut, with an elevated peanut-specific immunoglobulin E level. This case highlights the differential diagnosis of posttransplantation anaphylaxis as well as the appropriate evaluation.

Treating asthma in the time of COVID.

The Precision Interventions for Severe and/or Exacerbation-Prone Asthma clinical trials network is actively assessing novel treatments for severe asthma during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and has needed to adapt to various clinical dilemmas posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Pharmacologic interactions between established asthma therapies and novel drug interventions for COVID-19 infection, including antivirals, biologics, and vaccines, have emerged as a critical and unanticipated issue in the clinical care of asthma. In particular, impaired metabolism of some long-acting beta-2 agonists by the cytochrome P4503A4 enzyme in the setting of antiviral treatment using ritonavir-boosted nirmatrelvir (NVM/r, brand name Paxlovid) may increase risk for adverse cardiovascular events. Although available data have documented the potential for such interactions, these issues are largely unappreciated by clinicians who treat asthma, or those dispensing COVID-19 interventions in patients who happen to have asthma. Because these drug-drug interactions have not previously been relevant to patient care, clinicians have had no guidance on management strategies to reduce potentially serious interactions between treatments for asthma and COVID-19. The Precision Interventions for Severe and/or Exacerbation-Prone Asthma network considered the available literature and product information, and herein share our considerations and plans for treating asthma within the context of these novel COVID-19-related therapies.

A Safe and Novel Outpatient Subcutaneous Vitamin B12 Desensitization Protocol in A Patient with Crohn's Disease and Vitamin B12 Allergy: A Case Report.

INTRODUCTION: Although rare, some patients may have a vitamin B12 allergy. Crohn's disease commonly leads to significant vitamin B12 deficiency, especially in those patients that have undergone ileal resection. In these difficult cases, vitamin B12 desensitization may be required. CASE PRESENTATION: Here, we report a successful case of a serial outpatient subcutaneous vitamin B12 desensitization protocol in a 35-year-old female with a past medical history of Crohn's disease status post ileal resection, subsequent vitamin B12 deficiency, and allergy to subcutaneous vitamin B12. CONCLUSION: This is the first subcutaneous vitamin B12 desensitization protocol reported to have been safely performed in the outpatient setting.

The Impact of Insulin Resistance on Loss of Lung Function and Response to Treatment in Asthma.

Rationale: The role of obesity-associated insulin resistance (IR) in airflow limitation in asthma is uncertain. Objectives: Using data in the Severe Asthma Research Program 3 (SARP-3), we evaluated relationships between homeostatic measure of IR (HOMA-IR), lung function (cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses), and treatment responses to bronchodilators and corticosteroids. Methods: HOMA-IR values were categorized as without (<3.0), moderate (3.0-5.0), or severe (>5.0). Lung function included FEV1 and FVC measured before and after treatment with inhaled albuterol and intramuscular triamcinolone acetonide and yearly for 5 years. Measurements and Main Results: Among 307 participants in SARP-3, 170 (55%) were obese and 140 (46%) had IR. Compared with patients without IR, those with IR had significantly lower values for FEV1 and FVC, and these lower values were not attributable to obesity effects. Compared with patients without IR, those with IR had lower FEV1 responses to ß-adrenergic agonists and systemic corticosteroids. The annualized decline in FEV1 was significantly greater in patients with moderate IR (-41 ml/year) and severe IR (-32 ml/year,) than in patients without IR (-13 ml/year, P < 0.001 for both comparisons). Conclusions: IR is common in asthma and is associated with lower lung function, accelerated loss of lung function, and suboptimal lung function responses to bronchodilator and corticosteroid treatments. Clinical trials in patients with asthma and IR are needed to determine if improving IR might also improve lung function.

Socioeconomic impact of COVID-19 and willingness to be vaccinated in African American/Black and Hispanic/Latinx adults.

PURPOSE: To describe the socioeconomic and healthcare-related effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and willingness to receive a free COVID-19 vaccine, among African American/Black (AA/B) and Hispanic/Latinx (H/L) adults with asthma currently enrolled in a large trial. METHODS: The present analysis is a sub-study of the PeRson EmPowered Asthma RElief (PREPARE) study, a pragmatic study of 1201 AA/B and H/L adults with asthma. A monthly questionnaire was completed by a subset of PREPARE participants (n = 325) during May-August, 2020. The 5-item questionnaire assessed self-reported impact of COVID-19 on respondents' ability to obtain asthma medications, medical care quality, employment, income and ability to pay bills; and willingness to get a free COVID-19 vaccine. Bivariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression were performed to investigate factors associated with vaccine hesitancy. RESULTS: Of 325 survey respondents (25% AA/B, 75% H/L), the majority reported no impact of COVID-19 on medical care or ability to get asthma medications. Approximately half of employed respondents experienced a lower level of employment or job loss, and approximately half reported having difficulty paying bills during the pandemic. Thirty-five percent of respondents reported unwillingness and 31% reported being somewhat likely to receive a free COVID-19 vaccine. AA/B race/ethnicity and poorer reported physical health were associated with a higher likelihood of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. CONCLUSION: AA/B and H/L adults with asthma may experience changes in the quality of their asthma care and increased socioeconomic stressors as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and may be hesitant or unwilling to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

The Precision Interventions for Severe and/or Exacerbation-Prone (PrecISE) Asthma Network: An overview of Network organization, procedures, and interventions.

Asthma is a heterogeneous disease, with multiple underlying inflammatory pathways and structural airway abnormalities that impact disease persistence and severity. Recent progress has been made in developing targeted asthma therapeutics, especially for subjects with eosinophilic asthma. However, there is an unmet need for new approaches to treat patients with severe and exacerbation-prone asthma, who contribute disproportionately to disease burden. Extensive deep phenotyping has revealed the heterogeneous nature of severe asthma and identified distinct disease subtypes. A current challenge in the field is to translate new and emerging knowledge about different pathobiologic mechanisms in asthma into patient-specific therapies, with the ultimate goal of modifying the natural history of disease. Here, we describe the Precision Interventions for Severe and/or Exacerbation-Prone Asthma (PrecISE) Network, a groundbreaking collaborative effort of asthma researchers and biostatisticians from around the United States. The PrecISE Network was designed to conduct phase II/proof-of-concept clinical trials of precision interventions in the population with severe asthma, and is supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health. Using an innovative adaptive platform trial design, the PrecISE Network will evaluate up to 6 interventions simultaneously in biomarker-defined subgroups of subjects. We review the development and organizational structure of the PrecISE Network, and choice of interventions being studied. We hope that the PrecISE Network will enhance our understanding of asthma subtypes and accelerate the development of therapeutics for severe asthma.

Nitroalkene fatty acids modulate bile acid metabolism and lung function in obese asthma.

Bile acid profiles are altered in obese individuals with asthma. Thus, we sought to better understand how obesity-related systemic changes contribute to lung pathophysiology. We also test the therapeutic potential of nitro-oleic acid (NO2-OA), a regulator of metabolic and inflammatory signaling pathways, to mitigate allergen and obesity-induced lung function decline in a murine model of asthma. Bile acids were measured in the plasma of healthy subjects and individuals with asthma and serum and lung tissue of mice with and without allergic airway disease (AAD). Lung function, indices of inflammation and hepatic bile acid enzyme expression were measured in obese mice with house dust mite-induced AAD treated with vehicle or NO2-OA. Serum levels of glycocholic acid and glycoursodeoxycholic acid clinically correlate with body mass index and airway hyperreactivity whereas murine levels of ß-muricholic acid and tauro-ß-muricholic acid were significantly increased and positively correlated with impaired lung function in obese mice with AAD. NO2-OA reduced murine bile acid levels by modulating hepatic expression of bile acid synthesis enzymes, with a concomitant reduction in small airway resistance and tissue elastance. Bile acids correlate to body mass index and lung function decline and the signaling actions of nitroalkenes can limit AAD by modulating bile acid metabolism, revealing a potential pharmacologic approach to improving the current standard of care.

A case series of hypersensitivity reactions to ventriculoperitoneal shunt material.

Hypersensitivity reactions to ventriculoperitoneal (VP) or lumboperitoneal (LP) shunts are rare. Symptoms often resolve following shunt replacement with a silicone-free hypoallergenic shunt. We describe novel cases of allergies to both standard and hypoallergenic shunts and highlight the utility of patch testing. Patient 1, a 24-year-old female with Chiari I malformation, developed diarrhea, abdominal pain, and rash along the LP shunt tract. Patch testing was positive. The shunt was replaced with a hypoallergenic VP shunt with symptom improvement. Five weeks later, she developed a new rash. Subsequent patch testing to the hypoallergenic shunt was positive. Patient 2, a 37-year-old female with Chiari I malformation, developed pruritus along the VP shunt tract. Patch testing to the standard shunt was positive. The shunt was replaced with a hypoallergenic shunt, with symptomatic improvement. One month later, she developed neck pain, headache, and pruritis. Patch testing to the hypoallergenic shunt was positive. The development of a pruritic rash along the shunt tract with or without gastrointestinal symptoms should prompt shunt allergy evaluation and consideration of patch testing to the shunt material.

A 33-year-old man with a history of recurrent pneumonia presenting with hypoxemic respiratory failure.

The patient was a 33-year-old man with a history of recurrent pneumonia, autism, bipolar disorder, hypothyroidism, intermittent asthma, and nonischemic cardiomyopathy attributed to cocaine use who was admitted with hypoxemic respiratory distress with bilateral infiltrates seen on a chest radiograph. He was treated for community-acquired pneumonia but progressed to respiratory failure that required intubation and broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy. His medical history was notable for short stature, abnormal facial features, and, since childhood, at least two pneumonias per year that required antibiotics. The initial evaluation for an underlying primary immunodeficiency found that the patient had normal quantitative immunoglobulin levels, with absent CD19+ B cells. This case highlighted the evaluation of the humoral immune system for hospitalized adult patients with recurrent infections as well as the use of genetic testing to diagnose rare immunodeficiency syndromes.

PrecISE: Precision Medicine in Severe Asthma: An adaptive platform trial with biomarker ascertainment.

Severe asthma accounts for almost half the cost associated with asthma. Severe asthma is driven by heterogeneous molecular mechanisms. Conventional clinical trial design often lacks the power and efficiency to target subgroups with specific pathobiological mechanisms. Furthermore, the validation and approval of new asthma therapies is a lengthy process. A large proportion of that time is taken by clinical trials to validate asthma interventions. The National Institutes of Health Precision Medicine in Severe and/or Exacerbation Prone Asthma (PrecISE) program was established with the goal of designing and executing a trial that uses adaptive design techniques to rapidly evaluate novel interventions in biomarker-defined subgroups of severe asthma, while seeking to refine these biomarker subgroups, and to identify early markers of response to therapy. The novel trial design is an adaptive platform trial conducted under a single master protocol that incorporates precision medicine components. Furthermore, it includes innovative applications of futility analysis, cross-over design with use of shared placebo groups, and early futility analysis to permit more rapid identification of effective interventions. The development and rationale behind the study design are described. The interventions chosen for the initial investigation and the criteria used to identify these interventions are enumerated. The biomarker-based adaptive design and analytic scheme are detailed as well as special considerations involved in the final trial design.

Factors Associated with Self-Reported Drug Allergies in a Large Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria Cohort.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) is characterized by recurrent hives without a known trigger. While certain drugs are associated with urticaria exacerbations, the overall drug allergy incidence in CSU is unknown. We hypothesized that the incidence of drug allergy in CSU would be greater than the general population and that there would be distinguishing clinical features of drug-allergic CSU patients. METHODS: 362 adult CSU patients seen over a 10-year period at a University Allergy/Asthma clinic were identified. Patients reported no drug allergies or any drug allergy. Multiple drug allergies were defined as allergies to ≥ 2 chemically unrelated drugs. Using Chi-square or Wilcoxon analysis, we compared demographic features of CSU with and without drug allergy and with multiple vs. single drug allergy. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Overall, 202 CSU patients (56%) reported drug allergy. Drug allergic CSU patients were older, with a greater proportion of whites and higher BMI vs. CSU without drug allergy (p=0.002, p=0.047, p=0.004, respectively). Penicillin was the most common drug allergy, with urticaria the most frequently reported reaction. Female sex, white race, older age at the visit, and co-existing asthma were more common in multiple drug allergy (n=115) vs. single drug allergy (p=0.002, p=0.02, p=0.03, p=0.0002, respectively). CONCLUSION: In CSU, the prevalence of self-reported drug allergies was higher than the general population. Drug allergy is associated with older age, white race and higher BMI, while multiple drug allergy was also associated with asthma. These CSU sub-populations should be studied to avoid the potential for morbidity associated with less efficacious and more costly drugs.

Responsiveness to Parenteral Corticosteroids and Lung Function Trajectory in Adults with Moderate-to-Severe Asthma.

Rationale: It is unclear why select patients with moderate-to-severe asthma continue to lose lung function despite therapy. We hypothesized that participants with the smallest responses to parenteral corticosteroids have the greatest risk of undergoing a severe decline in lung function.Objectives: To evaluate corticosteroid-response phenotypes as longitudinal predictors of lung decline.Methods: Adults within the NHLBI SARP III (Severe Asthma Research Program III) who had undergone a course of intramuscular triamcinolone at baseline and at ≥2 annual follow-up visits were evaluated. Longitudinal slopes were calculated for each participant's post-bronchodilator FEV1% predicted. Categories of participant FEV1 slope were defined: severe decline, >2% loss/yr; mild decline, >0.5-2.0% loss/yr; no change, 0.5% loss/yr to <1% gain/yr; and improvement, ≥1% gain/yr. Regression models were used to develop predictors of severe decline.Measurements and Main Results: Of 396 participants, 78 had severe decline, 91 had mild decline, 114 had no change, and 113 showed improvement. The triamcinolone-induced difference in the post-bronchodilator FEV1% predicted (derived by baseline subtraction) was related to the 4-year change in lung function or slope category in univariable models (P < 0.001). For each 5% decrement in the triamcinolone-induced difference the FEV1% predicted, there was a 50% increase in the odds of being in the severe decline group (odds ratio, 1.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-1.8), when adjusted for baseline FEV1, exacerbation history, blood eosinophils and body mass index.Conclusions: Failure to improve the post-bronchodilator FEV1 after a challenge with parenteral corticosteroids is an evoked biomarker for patients at risk for a severe decline in lung function.