The impact of cardiovascular events in bronchiectasis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Bronchiectasis is a chronic respiratory condition characterised by airway and systemic inflammation with prevalence increasing with age. Given the median age of the patients, it is common to observe the presence of comorbidities, particularly cardiovascular diseases, which have been linked to adverse clinical outcomes. To investigate the pooled estimates of the association between bronchiectasis and coronary heart disease or stroke within this population, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the available scientific evidence. Methods: Three investigators independently performed the search on PubMed and other sources and included studies published up to October 2023 according to predefined criteria. Relative measures of association between bronchiectasis and cardiovascular events were pooled and meta-analysed using a fixed-effects model. Studies were evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for assessing the quality of non-randomised studies in meta-analyses. Results: A final pool of nine studies was included in the systematic review, with a total of 22 239 patients. Meta-analysis of three high-quality cohort studies showed a pooled hazard ratio of 1.42 (95% CI 1.30-1.57) for coronary heart disease and 1.71 (95% CI 1.55-1.89) for cerebrovascular stroke. Conclusions: The increased cardiovascular risk among people with bronchiectasis underscores the critical need to raise awareness of this association and to develop preventive strategies accordingly. Further translational studies are imperative to gain a deeper understanding of the complex interplay between inflammation, the immune system and endothelial dysfunction in this patient group.

Epidemiology of bronchiectasis.

Bronchiectasis is a chronic respiratory disease characterised by permanent enlargement of the airways associated with cough, sputum production and a history of pulmonary exacerbations. In the past few years, incidence and prevalence of bronchiectasis have increased worldwide, possibly due to advances in imaging techniques and disease awareness, leading to increased socioeconomic burden and healthcare costs. Consistently, a mortality increase in bronchiectasis patient cohorts has been demonstrated in certain areas of the globe, with mortality rates of 16-24.8% over 4-5 years of follow-up. However, heterogeneity in epidemiological data is consistent, as reported prevalence in the general population ranges from 52.3 to more than 1000 per 100 000. Methodological flaws in the designs of available studies are likely to underestimate the proportion of people suffering from this condition worldwide and comparisons between different areas of the globe might be unreliable due to different assessment methods or local implementation of the same method in different contexts. Differences in disease severity associated with diverse geographical distribution of aetiologies, comorbidities and microbiology might explain an additional quota of heterogeneity. Finally, limited access to care in certain geographical areas is associated with both underestimation of the disease and increased severity and mortality. The aim of this review is to provide a snapshot of available real-world epidemiological data describing incidence and prevalence of bronchiectasis in the general population. Furthermore, data on mortality, healthcare burden and high-risk populations are provided. Finally, an analysis of the geographical distribution of determinants contributing to differences in bronchiectasis epidemiology is offered.

Diagnostic delay in bronchiectasis: an Italian perspective.

It takes ∼3.5 years to reach a diagnosis of bronchiectasis from onset of symptoms: the long patient's journey in Italy https://bit.ly/46XMWAz.

Lung Involvement in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: Shared Pathways and Unwanted Connections.

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) are chronic, relapsing inflammatory disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, frequently associated with extraintestinal manifestations (EIMs) that can severely affect IBD patients' quality of life, sometimes even becoming life-threatening. Respiratory diseases have always been considered a rare and subsequently neglected extraintestinal manifestations of IBD. However, increasing evidence has demonstrated that respiratory involvement is frequent in IBD patients, even in the absence of respiratory symptoms. Airway inflammation is the most common milieu of IBD-related involvement, with bronchiectasis being the most common manifestation. Furthermore, significant differences in prevalence and types of involvement are present between Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. The same embryological origin of respiratory and gastrointestinal tissue, in addition to exposure to common antigens and cytokine networks, may all play a potential role in the respiratory involvement. Furthermore, other causes such as drug-related toxicity and infections must always be considered. This article aims at reviewing the current evidence on the association between IBD and respiratory diseases. The purpose is to raise awareness of respiratory manifestation among IBD specialists and emphasize the need for identifying respiratory diseases in early stages to promptly treat these conditions, avoid worsening morbidity, and prevent lung damage.

Hepatic and pulmonary involvement in a patient with PR3-ANCA vasculitis following SARS-CoV-2 vaccination: A case report.

We here report the first case of anti-proteinase 3-positive anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA)-associated vasculitis following the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine presenting with prominent liver involvement and alveolar haemorrhage. Two weeks after vaccination, a 49-year-old man developed inflammatory arthralgias and hypertransaminasaemia. Two months later, fever and haemoptysis appeared; the patient tested positive for anti-proteinase 3 autoantibodies. High-dose steroids and rituximab were started, and complete remission was achieved. Systemic autoimmune diseases, including ANCA-associated vasculitis, should always be considered in the differential diagnosis of hypertransaminasaemia, especially when the clinical context is suspicious.

Comparison of different sets of immunological tests to identify treatable immunodeficiencies in adult bronchiectasis patients.

Background: The reported prevalence of immunodeficiencies in bronchiectasis patients is variable depending on the frequency and extent of immunological tests performed. European Respiratory Society guidelines recommend a minimum bundle of tests. Broadening the spectrum of immunological tests could increase the number of patients diagnosed with an immunodeficiency and those who could receive specific therapy. The primary objective of the present study was to assess the performance of different sets of immunological tests in diagnosing any, primary, secondary or treatable immunodeficiencies in adults with bronchiectasis. Methods: An observational, cross-sectional study was conducted at the Bronchiectasis Program of the Policlinico University Hospital in Milan, Italy, from September 2016 to June 2019. Adult outpatients with a clinical and radiological diagnosis of bronchiectasis underwent the same immunological screening during the first visit when clinically stable consisting of: complete blood count; immunoglobulin (Ig) subclass tests for IgA, IgG, IgM and IgG; total IgE; lymphocyte subsets; and HIV antibodies. The primary endpoint was the prevalence of patients with any immunodeficiencies using five different sets of immunological tests. Results: A total of 401 bronchiectasis patients underwent the immunological screening. A significantly different prevalence of bronchiectasis patients diagnosed with any, primary or secondary immunodeficiencies was found across different bundles. 44.6% of bronchiectasis patients had a diagnosis of immunodeficiency when IgG subclasses and lymphocyte subsets were added to the minimum bundle suggested by the guidelines. Conclusion: A four-fold increase in the diagnosis of immunodeficiencies can be found in adults with bronchiectasis when IgG subclasses and lymphocyte subsets are added to the bundle of tests recommended by guidelines.

Lung Microbiome in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis and Other Interstitial Lung Diseases.

Interstitial lung diseases represent a heterogeneous and wide group of diseases in which factors leading to disease initiation and progression are not fully understood. Recent evidence suggests that the lung microbiome might influence the pathogenesis and progression of interstitial lung diseases. In recent years, the utilization of culture-independent methodologies has allowed the identification of complex and dynamic communities of microbes, in patients with interstitial lung diseases. However, the potential mechanisms by which these changes may drive disease pathogenesis and progression are largely unknown. The aim of this review is to discuss the role of the altered lung microbiome in several interstitial lung diseases. Untangling the host-microbiome interaction in the lung and airway of interstitial lung disease patients is a research priority. Thus, lung dysbiosis is a potentially treatable trait across several interstitial lung diseases, and its proper characterization and treatment might be crucial to change the natural history of these diseases and improve outcomes.

COVID-19 in Immunocompromised Patients: A Systematic Review.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) was first identified as a novel coronavirus in Wuhan, Hubei province, central China, in December 2019, and is responsible for the 2019-to-present pandemic. According to the most recent data released by the World Health Organization, more than 200 million people have been infected by SARS-CoV-2 so far, and more than 4 million people died worldwide. Although our knowledge on SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 is constantly growing, data on COVID-19 in immunocompromised patients are still limited. The aim of the present systematic review is to describe clinical picture, disease severity, proposed treatment regimen, and response to vaccination in patients with different types and severity of immunosuppression.

T2-High Endotype and Response to Biological Treatments in Patients with Bronchiectasis.

Although bronchiectasis pathophysiology has been historically understood around the presence of airway neutrophilic inflammation, recent experiences are consistent with the identification of a type 2 inflammation (T2) high endotype in bronchiectasis. In order to evaluate prevalence and clinical characteristics of bronchiectasis patients with a T2-high endotype and explore their response to biologicals, two studies were carried out. In a cross-sectional study, bronchiectasis adults without asthma underwent clinical, radiological, and microbiological assessment, along with blood eosinophils and oral fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) evaluation, during stable state. Prevalence and characteristics of patients with a T2- high endotype (defined by the presence of either eosinophils blood count ≥300 cells·µL-1 or oral FeNO ≥ 25 dpp) were reported. A case series of severe asthmatic patients with concomitant bronchiectasis treated with either mepolizumab or benralizumab was evaluated, and patients' clinical data pre- and post-treatment were analyzed up to 2 years of follow up. Among bronchiectasis patients without asthma enrolled in the cross-sectional study, a T2-high endotype was present in 31% of them. These patients exhibited a more severe disease, high dyspnea severity, low respiratory function, and high impact on quality of life. Among the five patients with severe eosinophilic asthma and concomitant bronchiectasis included in the series, treatment with either mepolizumab or benralizumab significantly reduced the exacerbation rate with an effect that persists for up to 2 years of follow up. If validated across different settings, our data suggest the need to design randomized controlled trials on biological treatments targeting the T2-high endotype in bronchiectasis patients.

Diagnosis and Initial Investigation of Bronchiectasis.

Bronchiectasis refers to both the name of a disease and a single radiological appearance that may, or may not, be associated with disease. As chronic respiratory disease, bronchiectasis is characterized by a variable range of signs and symptoms that may overlap with other chronic respiratory conditions. The proper identification of bronchiectasis as a disease in both primary and secondary care is of paramount importance. However, a standardized definition of radiologically and clinically significant bronchiectasis is still missing. Disease heterogeneity is a hallmark of bronchiectasis and applies not only to radiological features and clinical manifestations but also to other aspects of the disease, including the etiological and microbiological diagnosis as well as the evaluation of pulmonary function. Although the guidelines suggest a "minimum bundle" of tests, the diagnostic approach to bronchiectasis is challenging and may be driven by the "treatable traits" approach based on endotypes and biological characteristics. A broad spectrum of diagnostic tests could be used to investigate the etiology of bronchiectasis as well as other pulmonary, extrapulmonary, and environmental traits. Individualizing bronchiectasis workup according to the site of care (e.g., primary, secondary, and tertiary care) could help optimize patients' management and reduce healthcare costs.

Hospital staff practical skills and theoretical knowledge in inhaled aerosol therapy: a single centre cross-sectional observational study.

Inhaled therapy is widely used for treatment of many respiratory disorders. Drug delivery in lungs is dependent on the correct use of aerosol devices and patients' training is vital for a correct therapy administration. Therefore, is very important to assess the skills of professionals involved in training patients to the correct use of inhaler devices. The aim of this study was to check the practical skills and the theoretical knowledge of health care personnel in our University Hospital in using aerosol therapy and to determine differences among professional figures in the management of inhaler devices. Three hundred and fifteen (315) volunteers including physicians, residents, nurses and respiratory physiotherapists were enrolled; an independent professional, not working in our University Hospital, assessed their theoretical knowledge related to aerosol throughout a questionnaire. Practical skills were assessed through placebo simulation with the devices that participants declared to use frequently with patients. None of the respondents correctly answered all questions evaluating theoretical knowledge on the proper use of aerosol therapy. Respiratory physiotherapists obtained significantly better results with 17.2 (1.3) average points compared to 10.3 (3.7) obtained by doctors, 9.0 (3.0) by nurses and 9.1 (4.5) by residents. Analysing in detail physicians' results, pneumologists showed better theoretical knowledge than other specialists. Concerning the practical skills, about 80% of those stating they knew how to use metered dose inhalers, made mistakes in the basic steps for proper inhalation technique and over 50% of respondents were unable to properly simulate placebo administration of dry powder inhalers. Also here, respiratory physiotherapists and pneumologists had significant better performances, when compared to other health professionals. Our data are in line with those published in the literature in other international clinical settings, noting inadequate practical and theoretical knowledge of the available devices for aerosol therapy.

COVID-19 multidisciplinary high dependency unit: the Milan model.

COVID-19 is a complex and heterogeneous disease. The pathogenesis and the complications of the disease are not fully elucidated, and increasing evidence shows that SARS-CoV-2 causes a systemic inflammatory disease rather than a pulmonary disease. The management of hospitalized patients in COVID-19 dedicated units is advisable for segregation purpose as well as for infection control. In this article we present the standard operating procedures of our COVID-19 high dependency unit of the Policlinico Hospital, in Milan. Our high dependency unit is based on a multidisciplinary approach. We think that the multidisciplinary involvement of several figures can better identify treatable traits of COVID-19 disease, early identify patients who can quickly deteriorate, particularly patients with multiple comorbidities, and better manage complications related to off-label treatments. Although no generalizable to other hospitals and different healthcare settings, we think that our experience and our point of view can be helpful for countries and hospitals that are now starting to face the COVID-19 outbreak.

The biology of pulmonary exacerbations in bronchiectasis.

Bronchiectasis is a heterogeneous chronic disease. Heterogeneity characterises bronchiectasis not only in the stable state but also during exacerbations, despite evidence on clinical and biological aspects of bronchiectasis, exacerbations still remain poorly understood.Although the scientific community recognises that bacterial infection is a cornerstone in the development of bronchiectasis, there is a lack of data regarding other trigger factors for exacerbations. In addition, a huge amount of data suggest a primary role of neutrophils in the stable state and exacerbation of bronchiectasis, but the inflammatory reaction involves many other additional pathways. Cole's vicious cycle hypothesis illustrates how airway dysfunction, airway inflammation, infection and structural damage are linked. The introduction of the concept of a "vicious vortex" stresses the complexity of the relationships between the components of the cycle. In this model of disease, exacerbations work as a catalyst, accelerating the progression of disease. The roles of microbiology and inflammation need to be considered as closely linked and will need to be investigated in different ways to collect samples. Clinical and translational research is of paramount importance to achieve a better comprehension of the pathophysiology of bronchiectasis, microbiology and inflammation both in the stable state and during exacerbations.

A comprehensive approach to lung function in bronchiectasis.

BACKGROUND: International guidelines recommend simple spirometry for bronchiectasis patients. However, pulmonary pathophysiology of bronchiectasis is very complex and still poorly understood. Our objective was to characterize lung function in bronchiectasis and identify specific functional sub-groups. METHODS: This was a multicenter, prospective, observational study enrolling consecutive adults with bronchiectasis during stable sate. Patients underwent body-plethysmography before and after acute bronchodilation testing, diffusing lung capacity (DLCO) with a 3-year follow up. Air trapping and hyperinflation were a residual volume (RV) > 120%predicted and a total lung capacity>120%predicted. Acute reversibility was: ΔFEV1 ≥12% and 200 mL from baseline (FEV1rev) and ΔRV ≥10% reduction from baseline (RVrev). Sensitivity analyses included different reversibility cutoffs and excluded patients with concomitant asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. RESULTS: 187 patients were enrolled (median age: 68 years; 29.4% males). Pathophysiological abnormalities often overlapped and were distributed as follows: air trapping (70.2%), impaired DLCO (55.7%), airflow obstruction (41.1%), hyperinflation (15.7%) and restriction (8.0%). 9.7% of patients had normal lung function. RVrev (17.6%) was more frequent than FEV1rev (4.3%). Similar proportions were found after multiple sensitivity analyses. Compared with non-reversible patients, patients with RVrev had more severe obstruction (mean(SD) FEV1%pred: 83.0% (24.4) vs 68.9% (26.2); P = 0.02) and air trapping (RV%pred, 151.9% (26.6) vs 166.2% (39.9); P = 0.028). CONCLUSIONS: Spirometry alone does not encompass the variety of pathophysiological characteristics in bronchiectasis. Air trapping and diffusion impairment, not airflow obstruction, represent the most common functional abnormalities. RVrev is related to worse lung function and might be considered in bronchiectasis' workup and for patients' functional stratification.

Characterizing Non-Tuberculous Mycobacteria Infection in Bronchiectasis.

Chronic airway infection is a key aspect of the pathogenesis of bronchiectasis. A growing interest has been raised on non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infection. We aimed at describing the clinical characteristics, diagnostic process, therapeutic options and outcomes of bronchiectasis patients with pulmonary NTM (pNTM) disease. This was a prospective, observational study enrolling 261 adult bronchiectasis patients during the stable state at the San Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Italy, from 2012 to 2015. Three groups were identified: pNTM disease; chronic P. aeruginosa infection; chronic infection due to bacteria other than P. aeruginosa. NTM were isolated in 32 (12%) patients, and among them, a diagnosis of pNTM disease was reached in 23 cases. When compared to chronic P. aeruginosa infection, patients with pNTM were more likely to have cylindrical bronchiectasis and a "tree-in-bud" pattern, a history of weight loss, a lower disease severity and a lower number of pulmonary exacerbations. Among pNTM patients who started treatment, 68% showed a radiological improvement, and 37% achieved culture conversion without recurrence, while 21% showed NTM isolation recurrence. NTM isolation seems to be a frequent event in bronchiectasis patients, and few parameters might help to suspect NTM infection. Treatment indications and monitoring still remain an important area for future research.