Analysis of Differentially Expressed MicroRNAs in Serum and Lung Tissues from Individuals with Severe Asthma Treated with Oral Glucocorticoids.

Nowadays, microRNAs (miRNAs) are increasingly used as biomarkers due to their potential contribution to the diagnosis and targeted treatment of a range of diseases. The aim of the study was to analyze the miRNA expression profiles in serum and lung tissue from patients with severe asthma treated with oral corticosteroids (OCS) and those without OCS treatment. For this purpose, serum and lung tissue miRNAs of OCS and non-OCS asthmatic individuals were evaluated by miRNAs-Seq, and subsequently miRNA validation was performed using RT-qPCR. Additionally, pathway enrichment analysis of deregulated miRNAs was conducted. We observed altered expression by the next-generation sequencing (NGS) of 11 miRNAs in serum, of which five (hsa-miR-148b-3p, hsa-miR-221-5p, hsa-miR-618, hsa-miR-941, and hsa-miR-769-5p) were validated by RT-qPCR, and three miRNAs in lung tissue (hsa-miR-144-3p, hsa-miR-144-5p, and hsa-miR-451a). The best multivariate logistic regression model to differentiate individuals with severe asthma, treated and untreated with OCS, was to combine the serum miRNAs hsa-miR-221-5p and hsa-miR-769-5p. Expression of hsa-miR-148b-3p and hsa-miR-221-5p correlated with FEV1/FVC (%) and these altered miRNAs act in key signaling pathways for asthma disease and the regulated expression of some genes (FOXO3, PTEN, and MAPK3) involved in these pathways. In conclusion, there are miRNA profiles differentially expressed in OCS-treated individuals with asthma and could be used as biomarkers of OCS treatment.

Multi-ancestry genome-wide association study of asthma exacerbations.

BACKGROUND: Asthma exacerbations are a serious public health concern due to high healthcare resource utilization, work/school productivity loss, impact on quality of life, and risk of mortality. The genetic basis of asthma exacerbations has been studied in several populations, but no prior study has performed a multi-ancestry meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (meta-GWAS) for this trait. We aimed to identify common genetic loci associated with asthma exacerbations across diverse populations and to assess their functional role in regulating DNA methylation and gene expression. METHODS: A meta-GWAS of asthma exacerbations in 4989 Europeans, 2181 Hispanics/Latinos, 1250 Singaporean Chinese, and 972 African Americans analyzed 9.6 million genetic variants. Suggestively associated variants (p ≤ 5 × 10-5 ) were assessed for replication in 36,477 European and 1078 non-European asthma patients. Functional effects on DNA methylation were assessed in 595 Hispanic/Latino and African American asthma patients and in publicly available databases. The effect on gene expression was evaluated in silico. RESULTS: One hundred and twenty-six independent variants were suggestively associated with asthma exacerbations in the discovery phase. Two variants independently replicated: rs12091010 located at vascular cell adhesion molecule-1/exostosin like glycosyltransferase-2 (VCAM1/EXTL2) (discovery: odds ratio (ORT allele ) = 0.82, p = 9.05 × 10-6 and replication: ORT allele  = 0.89, p = 5.35 × 10-3 ) and rs943126 from pantothenate kinase 1 (PANK1) (discovery: ORC allele  = 0.85, p = 3.10 × 10-5 and replication: ORC allele  = 0.89, p = 1.30 × 10-2 ). Both variants regulate gene expression of genes where they locate and DNA methylation levels of nearby genes in whole blood. CONCLUSIONS: This multi-ancestry study revealed novel suggestive regulatory loci for asthma exacerbations located in genomic regions participating in inflammation and host defense.

Prevalence of chronic cough and patient characteristics in adults in Spain: A population-based cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND: Chronic cough (CC) represents a significant health burden. This study assessed the prevalence of CC (defined as per international guidelines as cough duration >8 weeks) in Spanish adults and compared characteristics between CC and non-CC cohorts. METHODS: CC cohorts were compiled using data from adult respondents to the 2020 Spanish cross-sectional online National Health and Wellness Survey (NHWS). Using propensity scores, respondents experiencing CC during their lifetime and the previous 12 months were matched 3:1 to respondents without CC and their health characteristics were compared. The number of Spanish adults affected with CC was estimated using weighted CC prevalence. RESULTS: CC during their lifetime or the previous 12 months was experienced by 579 (8.2%) and 389 (5.5%) of 7074 NHWS respondents, of whom 233 (38.5%) and 171 (44.0%), respectively, had physician-diagnosed CC. Based on weighted prevalence rates, lifetime and 12-month CC were estimated to affect ≈3.3 million and ≈2.2 million Spanish adults, respectively. Relative to the non-CC cohort, the 12-month CC cohort consistently demonstrated poorer health status, poorer mental health, greater healthcare utilization, and lower productivity at work and home. CONCLUSION: This study contributes novel data regarding the prevalence of CC in Spain, suggests that CC is underdiagnosed, and reflects that CC and related comorbidities inflict a significant health burden in the affected population.

Current expert opinion and attitudes to optimize telemedicine and achieve control in patients with asthma in post-pandemic era: The COMETA consensus.

OBJECTIVE: To collect perspectives and explore consensus for expert recommendations related to asthma control and the use of telemedicine among professionals who manage patients with asthma. DESIGN: A Delphi-like questionnaire was designed to analyse the level of agreement about several recommendations formulated by an expert scientific committee about asthma control and the use of telemedicine with this purpose. A dedicated scientific committee validated the questionnaire, which included questions about the participants' profile and the use of technological tools at a personal level or in clinical practice. The experts expressed their agreement with a Likert-scale of 9 values: 1-3 was considered no agreement, 4-6 neutral, and 7-9 agreement. A rate ≥70% with the same answer was considered consensus. SITE: The questionnaire was programmed and distributed as an internet-based survey. PARTICIPANTS: A pre-selected sample of 75 experts with experience in telemedicine (pulmonology, allergology, family medicine, nursing and community pharmacy) responded to a Delphi-like questionnaire composed by six questions and 52 items. INTERVENTIONS: Consultation was performed in two consecutive waves: the first wave was carried out from 12th of July to 8th of September of 2021; the second wave, from 25th of October to 12th of November of 2021. MAIN MEASUREMENTS: Three questions about asthma control (actions for achieving or maintaining control of asthma at every visit, current problems that affect asthma control, and potential solutions to offset such problems), and three questions about the impact of telemedicine in asthma control (potential benefits of telemedicine, and potential reticence about telemedicine among both patients and healthcare professionals) were included. RESULTS: From the 52 items inquired, 35 were agreed by consensus. The actions for achieving or maintaining control of asthma, the problems that affect asthma control, and their potential solutions were agreed by consensus. The potential benefits of telemedicine were validated by consensus. None of the potential reservations of patients about telemedicine were validated, while five out of 14 potential reservations of healthcare professionals were agreed by consensus. CONCLUSIONS: The COMETA consensus provides a current picture of the main problems for achieving asthma control, the benefits and the reservations about the use of telemedicine in the Spanish setting, and offers solutions. A wide interest in implementing telemedicine has been observed, although current limitations need to be overcome.

Multidisciplinary consensus on sputum induction biosafety during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sputum induction (SI) is the gold standard approach to the non-invasive study of airway inflammation. The differential count of inflammatory cells for SI allows patients with asthma to be classified according to inflammatory phenotypes and predicted therapeutic responses. Since SI involves the generation of aerosols, there is a need to establish a protocol to ensure biosafety in clinical practice during the current COVID-19 pandemic. The multidisciplinary consensus on SI described in this article was developed by 22 experts in SI from different Spanish hospitals who drew on available scientific evidence in achieving consensuated opinions, compiled by means of an electronic survey. We hope that these unified criteria and recommendations will guide health professionals in implementing SI sampling and processing procedures as safely as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Characteristics and treatment regimens across ERS SHARP severe asthma registries.

Little is known about the characteristics and treatments of patients with severe asthma across Europe, but both are likely to vary. This is the first study in the European Respiratory Society Severe Heterogeneous Asthma Research collaboration, Patient-centred (SHARP) Clinical Research Collaboration and it is designed to explore these variations. Therefore, we aimed to compare characteristics of patients in European severe asthma registries and treatments before starting biologicals.This was a cross-sectional retrospective analysis of aggregated data from 11 national severe asthma registries that joined SHARP with established patient databases.Analysis of data from 3236 patients showed many differences in characteristics and lifestyle factors. Current smokers ranged from 0% (Poland and Sweden) to 9.5% (Belgium), mean body mass index ranged from 26.2 (Italy) to 30.6 kg·m-2 (the UK) and the largest difference in mean pre-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 s % predicted was 20.9% (the Netherlands versus Hungary). Before starting biologicals patients were treated differently between countries: mean inhaled corticosteroid dose ranged from 700 to 1335 µg·day-1 between those from Slovenia versus Poland when starting anti-interleukin (IL)-5 antibody and from 772 to 1344 µg·day-1 in those starting anti-IgE (Slovenia versus Spain). Maintenance oral corticosteroid use ranged from 21.0% (Belgium) to 63.0% (Sweden) and from 9.1% (Denmark) to 56.1% (the UK) in patients starting anti-IL-5 and anti-IgE, respectively.The severe asthmatic population in Europe is heterogeneous and differs in both clinical characteristics and treatment, often appearing not to comply with the current European Respiratory Society/American Thoracic Society guidelines definition of severe asthma. Treatment regimens before starting biologicals were different from inclusion criteria in clinical trials and varied between countries.

DuoResp® Spiromax® adherence, satisfaction and ease of use: findings from a multi-country observational study in patients with asthma and COPD in Europe (SPRINT).

Objective: Adherence and inhaler technique are often suboptimal in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). New inhalers have been developed to improve these determinants of treatment effectiveness. We assessed treatment adherence, satisfaction, and ease of use of DuoResp® Spiromax® among SPRINT study participants.Methods: The Phase IV SPRINT study was conducted in 10 European countries. Asthma and COPD patients were receiving a fixed-dose combination of inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) and long-acting ß2-agonist (LABA), delivered via various inhalers including DuoResp Spiromax. DuoResp Spiromax users self-assessed adherence using the 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8®), and ease of use and satisfaction using 10-point scales, during a single physician's office visit.Results: Of 1661 (asthma: n = 1101; COPD: n = 560) SPRINT study participants, 342 (asthma: n = 235; COPD: n = 107) received DuoResp Spiromax prior to inclusion. Overall, 72.5% of DuoResp Spiromax users reported medium or high adherence (MMAS-8 score ≥6). Mean (standard deviation [SD]) satisfaction score for DuoResp Spiromax was 8.9 (1.6). Almost all (98.8%) DuoResp Spiromax users were at least satisfied with their inhaler; 85.4% were very satisfied. Mean (SD) ease of use score for DuoResp Spiromax was 9.1 (1.3).Conclusions: Asthma and COPD patients using DuoResp Spiromax reported moderate-to-high medication adherence, were very satisfied with their inhaler and found it easy to use.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients with Frequent Hospitalized Exacerbations: A Prospective Multicentre Study.

BACKGROUND: Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) is a common microorganism related to severe exacerbations in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). However, their role in COPD patients with frequent hospitalized exacerbations (FHE) is not well described. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to determine prevalence, risk factors, susceptibility patterns and impact on outcomes of PA in COPD patients with FHE. METHODS: Prospective observational multicentre study that included COPD patients with FHE. The cohort was stratified in 2 groups according to the presence or absence of PA isolation in sputum. Patients were followed up for 12 months. RESULTS: We enrolled 207 COPD patients with FHE. In 119 patients (57%), a valid sputum culture was collected. Of them, PA was isolated in 21 patients (18%). The risk factors associated with PA were prior use of systemic corticosteroids (OR 3.3, 95% CI 1.2-9.7, p = 0.01) and prior isolation of PA (OR 4.36, 95% CI 1.4-13.4, p < 0.01). Patients with PA had an increased risk of having ≥3 readmissions (OR 4.1, 95% CI 1.3-12.8, p = 0.01) and higher PA isolation rate (OR 7.7, 95% CI 2.4-24.6, p < 0.001) during the follow-up period. In 14 patients (67%), PA was resistant to at least one antibiotic tested. PA persisted in the sputum in 70% of patients. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of PA was related to 3 or more readmissions during the 1-year follow-up and PA persisted in the sputum despite an appropriate antibiotic treatment. This finding suggested an important role of PA in the course of the disease of COPD patients with FHE.

Impact of patient satisfaction with his or her inhaler on adherence and asthma control.

Background: Asthma guidelines recommend considering patient preferences for inhaler choice. However, few studies have assessed the impact of patient satisfaction with an inhaler on adherence and health outcomes. Objective: To assess the impact of patient satisfaction with an inhaler on adherence and health outcomes in asthma. Methods: In a cross-sectional, observational, multicenter study, 778 patients with moderate or severe asthma and who were treated with maintenance inhalers completed a number of scales and questionnaires: the Feeling of Satisfaction with Inhaler (FSI-10) questionnaire, the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication, the Test of Adherence to Inhalers (TAI), the Morisky-Green questionnaire, and the Asthma Control Test (ACT). Results: The study population was categorized according to a median FSI-10 score as high (49.4%) and low (50.6%) satisfaction with their inhaler. Logistic regression analysis showed that high specific satisfaction with an inhaler was associated with the younger age group (odds ratio [OR] 0.976 [95% confidence interval {CI} 0.965-0.987]); male gender (OR 1.725 [95% CI 1.187-2.507]); controlled asthma: ACT score ≥ 20 (OR 1.664 [95% CI 1.133-2.445]); high general satisfaction with treatment (OR 4.861 [95% CI 3.335-7.085]); high adherence to inhaler: TAI score ≥ 46 (OR 1.546 [95% CI 1.025-2.332]); nonsevere asthma (OR 1.056 [95% CI 0.648-1.721]); and no trouble with inhaler use (OR 0.401 [95% CI 0.174-0.922]). Conclusion: High patient satisfaction with an inhaler, irrespective of received medication, was related to adherence and asthma control. Our results pointed out the relevance of inhaler choice in inhaled therapy; these results could be useful for designing new strategies targeted to increase adherence in patients with asthma.

[Is the introduction of clinical management programs for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease useful? Comparison of the effectiveness of two interventions on the clinical progress and care received]. / ¿Es útil la implantación de programas de gestión clínica de los pacientes con enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica? Comparación de la efectividad de dos intervenciones sobre la evolución clínica y la atención recibida.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of two management programs on patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). DESIGN: A study with a quasi-experimental design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of two interventions (I1, I2) for the care of patients with COPD after a mean follow-up of 31.2months. SETTING: Primary Care Centres in two Barcelona Health Areas and their referral hospitals. PARTICIPANTS: Patients with COPD selected by simple random sampling using any disease code corresponding to COPD. INTERVENTIONS: I1: Integrated management program that was optimised and coordinated the resources. Training was given, as well as quality control of spirometry. I2: Isolated interventions like a call-centre. Care circuits and computerised clinical notes were shared. MAIN MEASUREMENTS: Variables were recorded as regards lung function, severity, use of inhalers, lifestyles, quality of life, and exacerbations. RESULTS: Of the 393 patients evaluated at the beginning, 120 and 104 (I1 and I2, respectively) received the final evaluation. With I1, there was a reduction in patients who smoked (P=.034). Lung function and quality of life did not change significantly in either group, but shortness of breath was slightly worse. There was an increase in the correct use of inhalers, although it only reached 48% and 61% with interventions I1 and I2, respectively. The percentage of patients with exacerbations decreased with I1 compared to that of I2 (P<.001), and there were less hospital admissions due to exacerbations with I2 compared to I1 (P<.003]). CONCLUSIONS: Both interventions achieved significant improvements, and no overall worsening of a chronic and progressive disease as is COPD.

Th-2 signature in chronic airway diseases: towards the extinction of asthma-COPD overlap syndrome?

We aimed to describe the differences and similarities between patients with chronic obstructive airway disease classified on the basis of classical diagnostic labels (asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or asthma-COPD overlap (ACOS)) or according to the underlying inflammatory pattern (Th-2 signature, either Th-2-high or Th-2-low).We performed a cross-sectional study of patients aged ≥40 years and with a post-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 s to forced vital capacity ratio ≤0.7 with a previous diagnosis of asthma (non-smoking asthmatics (NSA)), COPD or ACOS, the latter including both smoking asthmatics (SA) and patients with eosinophilic COPD (COPD-e). Clinical, functional and inflammatory parameters (blood eosinophil count, IgE and exhaled nitric oxide fraction (FeNO)) were compared between groups. Th-2 signature was defined by a blood eosinophil count ≥300 cells·µL-1 and/or a sputum eosinophil count ≥3%.Overall, 292 patients were included in the study: 89 with COPD, 94 NSA and 109 with ACOS (44 SA and 65 with COPD-e). No differences in symptoms or exacerbation rate were found between the three groups. With regards the underlying inflammatory pattern, 94 patients (32.2%) were characterised as Th-2-high and 198 (67.8%) as Th-2-low. The Th-2 signature was found in 49% of NSA, 3.3% of patients with COPD, 30% of SA and 49.3% of patients with COPD-e. This classification yielded significant differences in demographic, functional and inflammatory characteristics.We conclude that a classification based upon the inflammatory profile, irrespective of the taxonomy, provides a more clear distinction of patients with chronic obstructive airway disease.

Expression of toll-like receptors 2 and 4 in subjects with asthma by total serum IgE level.

BACKGROUND: Emerging data suggest that innate immunity may play a role in asthma, particularly the toll-like receptors (TLRs). Some studies pointed to an involvement of TLRs 2 and 4 in the pathogenesis of allergic asthma, and other studies related TLRs to IgE. However, there are not any studies that have comprehensively evaluated the expression of TLRs 2 and 4 in inflammatory cells, in peripheral blood and induced sputum specimens from asthmatic patients, according to their total serum IgE. METHODS: We studied 44 asthmatic patients (15 with high total serum IgE and 29 with normal total serum IgE). On a single visit, all patients underwent: induced sputum, pulmonary function tests, determination of exhaled nitric oxide fraction, venipuncture for blood analysis and skin prick allergy tests. The induced sputum cellularity was analyzed by flow cytometry, where expression of TLRs 2 and 4 was studied using fluorochrome-conjugated monoclonal antibodies. RESULTS: Asthmatic patients with high total serum IgE showed, a higher percentage of macrophages expressing TLR4 (42.99 % ± 22.49) versus asthmatic patients with normal total serum IgE (28.84 % ± 15.16) (P = 0.048). Furthermore, we observed a correlation (but weak) between the percentage of macrophages expressing TLR4 in induced sputum and the total serum IgE level (R = 0.314; P = 0.040). CONCLUSION: Asthmatic subjects with high total serum IgE show increased macrophage expression of TLR4 in induced sputum. This outcome may result from a link between innate immunity and IgE-mediated, adaptive immune responses in asthma, and point to TLR4 as a potential therapeutic target.

Once-daily fluticasone furoate and vilanterol for adolescents and adults with symptomatic asthma: A systematic review with meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Fluticasone furoate and vilanterol is a new inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) and long-acting ß2-agonist (LABA) combination developed for once-daily administration via a dry powder inhaler. OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy and safety of fluticasone furoate-vilanterol in adolescents and adults with symptomatic asthma compared with ICS monotherapy or twice-daily ICS-LABA formulations. METHODS: Randomized, placebo-controlled trials with longer than 8 weeks of treatment duration were included. Primary outcome was pulmonary function (forced expiratory volume in 1 second [FEV1] or peak expiratory flow rate [PEF]). RESULTS: Seven published randomized clinical trials were included (5,668 patients). Fluticasone furoate-vilanterol was associated with significant increases in trough FEV1 and morning and evening PEF compared with fluticasone furoate, 100 µg, monotherapy (90 mL, 20.1 L/min, and 18.9 L/min respectively). Fluticasone furoate-vilanterol reduced significantly the rate of severe asthma exacerbations (number need to treat for benefit = 24). Fluticasone furoate-vilanterol also produced significant increases in weighted FEV1 and morning and evening PEF (140 mL, 32.6 L/min, and 25.7 L/min, respectively) compared with fluticasone propionate, 500 µg twice daily. Fluticasone furoate-vilanterol presented a nonsignificant increase in the frequency of cardiac events (6.4% vs 1.8%) compared with fluticasone propionate. No differences were found between both available doses of fluticasone furoate-vilanterol (200/25 µg and 100/25 µg) in terms of efficacy. However, patients receiving fluticasone furoate-vilanterol, 200/25 µg, had a trend toward an increased risk of cardiac events. CONCLUSION: Fluticasone furoate-vilanterol combination was associated with an increase in trough FEV1 compared with fluticasone furoate-fluticasone propionate; however, observed differences may not be clinically significant. Studies comparing fluticasone furoate-vilanterol with fixed twice-daily ICS-LABA combinations are required.

Clinical and inflammatory features of asthma with dissociation between fractional exhaled nitric oxide and eosinophils in induced sputum.

BACKGROUND: Measurement of the fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) and eosinophils in induced sputum are noninvasive markers for assessing airway inflammation in asthma. The clinical usefulness of the correlation between raised FeNO and sputum eosinophilia is controversial. We aimed to examine dissociation between FeNO and sputum eosinophils in a clinical series of asthma patients and to determine whether dissociation between these noninvasive markers was associated with clinical and inflammatory differences in these patients. METHODS AND FINDINGS: A total of 110 patients with asthma were included in a cross-sectional study. All of them were on maintenance treatment for asthma. All patients underwent the following on the same day: FeNO, induced sputum, spirometry, serum total IgE levels and skin prick test. The level of asthma control was determined by the Asthma control Test Questionnaire. In 46 (41.8%) patients, a discrepancy between FeNO and sputum eosinophil count was observed, of those, 34 (73.9%) had a FeNO <50 ppb and high eosinophil count, and were characterized by having a predominance of nonallergic asthma with bronchial eosinophilic inflammatory phenotype. Also, 12 (26.1%) patients had FeNO ≥50 ppb and sputum eosinophilia within the normal reference values, and were characterized by having a predominance of atopy with a paucigranulocytic inflammatory phenotype. CONCLUSIONS: A high percentage of patients with dissociation between results of FeNO and sputum eosinophils was observed. These patients showed differential clinical and inflammatory features.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa resistance patterns and clinical outcomes in hospitalized exacerbations of COPD.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) are associated with worse outcomes. PA antibiotic resistance is important to determine treatment and may influence clinical outcomes. The aim was to study clinical characteristics and outcomes in patients with AECOPD associated with PA based on their antibiotic resistance. METHODS: This was a prospective observational study including all patients with AECOPD and positive PA sputum culture admitted in a respiratory ward in a tertiary hospital in Barcelona during 2013-2014. PA was defined as resistant (PA-R) when the antibiogram showed ≥1 resistance. RESULTS: Four hundred one patients with AECOPD were evaluated. Of them, 54 (13%) had a positive PA sputum culture. Eighty-two per cent were men, median age was 77 (SD 7) years old and FEV1 was less than 36% (SD 17) of predicted value. PA-R was isolated in 35 patients (66%), and PA-sensitive (PA-S) was isolated in 18 (34%) patients. No differences were found in demographics, lung function and comorbidities among groups. PA-R patients were more likely exposed to prior oral corticosteroids (77% vs 44%, P = 0.03) and antibiotics (77% vs 31%, P = 0.01), respectively. AECOPD patients associated with PA-S were more likely to die at 30 days (odds ratio 13.53, 95% confidence interval: 1.14-69.56, P = 0.03) and 90 days (odds ratio 7.09, 95% confidence interval: 1.33-37.89, P = 0.02), respectively. CONCLUSION: Pseudomonas aeruginosa-resistant affects patients with severe AECOPD and previous use of corticosteroids and antibiotics. The presence of PA-S is associated with higher mortality. These results may suggest increased virulence in PA-S strains causing acute infections.

Personalized respiratory medicine: exploring the horizon, addressing the issues. Summary of a BRN-AJRCCM workshop held in Barcelona on June 12, 2014.

This Pulmonary Perspective summarizes the content and main conclusions of an international workshop on personalized respiratory medicine coorganized by the Barcelona Respiratory Network ( www.brn.cat ) and the AJRCCM in June 2014. It discusses (1) its definition and historical, social, legal, and ethical aspects; (2) the view from different disciplines, including basic science, epidemiology, bioinformatics, and network/systems medicine; (3) the bottlenecks and opportunities identified by some currently ongoing projects; and (4) the implications for the individual, the healthcare system and the pharmaceutical industry. The authors hope that, although it is not a systematic review on the subject, this document can be a useful reference for researchers, clinicians, healthcare managers, policy-makers, and industry parties interested in personalized respiratory medicine.

Differences in Adherence and Non-Adherence Behaviour Patterns to Inhaler Devices Between COPD and Asthma Patients.

Differences between COPD and asthma may also differentially affect adherence to inhaled drugs in each disease. We aimed to determine differences in behaviour patterns of adherence and non-adherence to inhaled therapy between patients with COPD and patients with asthma using the Test of Adherence to Inhalers (TAI) questionnaire. A total of 910 patients (55% with asthma, 45% with COPD) participated in a cross-sectional multicentre study. Data recorded included sociodemographics, education level, asthma or COPD history, TAI score, the Asthma Control Test (ACT), the COPD Assessment Test (CAT) and spirometry. Asthma patients were statistically significant less adherents, 140 (28%) vs. 201 (49%), and the pattern of non-adherence was more frequently erratic (66.8% vs. 47.8%) and deliberate (47.2% vs. 34.1%) than COPD patients; however unwitting non-adherence was more frequently observed in COPD group (31.2% vs. 22.8%). Moreover, taking together all sample studied, only being younger than 50 years of age (OR 1.88 [95% CI: 1.26-2.81]) and active working status (OR 1.45 [95% CI: 1.00-2.09]) were risk factors for non-adherence in the multivariate analysis, while having asthma remained in the limits of the significance (OR 1.44 [95%CI: 0.97-2.14]). Even though non-adherence to inhalers is more frequently observed in asthma than in COPD patients and exhibited a different non-adherence patterns, these differences are more likely to be related to sociodemographic characteristics. However, differences in non-adherence patterns should be considered when designing specific education programmes tailored to each disease.

A repeated short educational intervention improves asthma control and quality of life.

We assessed the effectiveness of an asthma educational programme based on a repeated short intervention (AEP-RSI) to improve asthma control (symptom control and future risk) and quality of life. A total of 230 adults with mild-to-moderate persistent uncontrolled asthma participated in a 1-year cluster randomised controlled multicentre study. The AEP-RSI was given in four face-to-face sessions at 3-month intervals, and included administration of a written personalised action plan and training on inhaler technique. Centres were randomised to the AEP-RSI (intervention) group or usual clinical practice group. Specialised centres using a standard educational programme were the gold standard group. A significant improvement in the Asthma Control Test score was observed in all three groups (p<0.001), but improvements were higher in the intervention and gold standard groups than in the usual clinical practice group (p=0.042), which also showed fewer exacerbations (mean±sd; 1.20±2.02 and 0.56±1.5 versus 2.04±2.72, respectively) and greater increases in the Mini Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire scores (0.95±1.04 and 0.89±0.84 versus 0.52±0.97, respectively). The AEP-RSI was effective in improving asthma symptom control, future risk and quality of life.

Assessment of the internal structure of GOLD 2011 system.

BACKGROUND: Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) 2011 introduced a new multidimensional system (symptom/risk) for assessment chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aim of this study was to explore the construct validity of the GOLD 2011 classification strategy; specifically, we evaluated its internal structure in terms of reliability and exploratory factor analysis (EFA). METHODS: Reliability (Cronbach alpha coefficient), correlations between variables and two successive EFA were performed to assess the internal structure of GOLD 2011. Symptoms (mMRC dyspnea score) and risk (number of previous year exacerbations and forced expiratory volume in the first second % of predicted) were selected as variables. RESULTS: The analysis included 679 COPD patients from two Spanish cohorts (71.4 ± 11.7 years). Alpha coefficient of the 3 items was 0.52 for the whole sample. Variables presented statistically significant correlations, but of low to moderate magnitude. A first EFA extracted only one factor accounting 52% of the total variance. A second EFA including four items (the three GOLD 2011 variables plus comorbidities as Charlson index score), extracted two-factors accounting for 65% of the total variance. The first factor included the three items of GOLD 2011, and the second contained only one variable (comorbidities). This solution was stable in patients with different levels of COPD severity. CONCLUSIONS: The available evidence suggests that GOLD 2011 strategy presented a low reliability, and its theorized multidimensionality was not confirm by EFA. Comorbidities appears as a separate and independent domain.

Usefulness of the Exhaled Breath Temperature Plateau in Asthma Patients.

BACKGROUND: Exhaled breath temperature (EBT) has recently been proposed as a noninvasive marker of bronchial inflammation in patients with asthma. However, the usefulness of EBT in everyday clinical practice is not well established. Results to date are contradictory and are mainly derived from small, pediatric populations. A comparison of results is further complicated by the use of different equipment and measurements. OBJECTIVE: We performed a comprehensive study to determine whether EBT is related to asthma control, disease severity, bronchial obstruction, or bronchial inflammation. METHODS: Sixty-nine patients on maintenance treatment for asthma were included in a cross-sectional study. At the same visit, we measured the EBT plateau (EBTp) using an X-halo Breath Thermometer (Delmedica, Singapore), the fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), spirometry, and inflammatory cell count in induced sputum, and we administered the Asthma Control Test questionnaire. RESULTS: No significant differences were found between EBTp measurements and the level of asthma control, disease severity, bronchial obstruction, FeNO levels, or inflammatory asthma phenotypes. We found a significant difference between EBTp and gender. The EBTp was 34.07°C (SD 0.74) in women and 34.38°C (0.46) in men (p = 0.038). We also found a significant correlation between EBTp measurements and the induced sputum eosinophil count (R = -0.348, p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study do not support the usefulness of the EBTp in asthma management in routine clinical practice. Further research using standardized methods is needed to determine the potential use of the EBTp measurement in asthma management.