DAB2IP associates with hereditary angioedema: Insights into the role of VEGF signaling in HAE pathophysiology.

BACKGROUND: In the recent years, there was an important improvement in the understanding of the pathogenesis of hereditary angioedema (HAE). Notwithstanding, in a large portion of patients with unknown mutation (HAE-UNK) the genetic cause remains to be identified. OBJECTIVES: To identify new genetic targets associated with HAE, a large Argentine family with HAE-UNK spanning 3 generations was studied. METHODS: Whole exome sequencing was performed on affected family members to identify potential genetic variants associated with HAE-UNK. In silico analyses and experimental studies were applied to assess the role of the identified gene variant. RESULTS: A missense variant (p.D239N) in DAB2IP was identified. The variant occurred in the C2-domain, the region interacting with vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2). It was found to be rare, and predicted to have a detrimental effect on the functionality of DAB2IP. Protein structure modeling predicted changes in the mutant p.D239N protein structure, impacting protein stability. The p.D239N variant affected the subcellular localization of VEGFR2. Cells transfected with the DAB2IP-239N transcript exhibited an intracellular distribution, and VEGFR2 remained associated with the cell membrane. The altered localization pattern indicated reduced colocalization of the mutant protein with VEGFR2, suggesting a diminished ability of VEGFR2 binding. CONCLUSIONS: The study identified a novel missense variant (p.D239N) in DAB2IP in a family with HAE-UNK and highlighted the role of dysregulated VEGF-mediated signaling in altered endothelial permeability. DAB2IP loss-of-function pathogenic variants lead to the impairment of the endothelial VEGF/VEGFR2 ligand system and represent a new pathophysiologic cause of HAE-UNK.

Oral Sebetralstat for On-Demand Treatment of Hereditary Angioedema Attacks.

BACKGROUND: Approved on-demand treatments for hereditary angioedema attacks need to be administered parenterally, a route of administration that is associated with delays in treatment or withholding of therapy. METHODS: In this phase 3, double-blind, three-way crossover trial, we randomly assigned participants at least 12 years of age with type 1 or type 2 hereditary angioedema to take up to two oral doses of sebetralstat (300 mg or 600 mg) or placebo for an angioedema attack. The primary end point, assessed in a time-to-event analysis, was the beginning of symptom relief, defined as a rating of "a little better" on the Patient Global Impression of Change scale (ratings range from "much worse" to "much better") at two or more consecutive time points within 12 hours after the first administration of the trial agent. Key secondary end points, assessed in a time-to-event analysis, were a reduction in attack severity (an improved rating on the Patient Global Impression of Severity [PGI-S] scale, with ratings ranging from "none" to "very severe") at two or more consecutive time points within 12 hours and complete attack resolution (a rating of "none" on the PGI-S scale) within 24 hours. RESULTS: A total of 136 participants were assigned to one of six trial sequences, with 110 treating 264 attacks. The time to the beginning of symptom relief with the 300-mg dose and the 600-mg dose was faster than with placebo (P<0.001 and P = 0.001 for the two comparisons, respectively), with median times of 1.61 hours (interquartile range, 0.78 to 7.04), 1.79 hours (1.02 to 3.79), and 6.72 hours (1.34 to >12), respectively. The time to reduction in the attack severity with the 300-mg dose and the 600-mg dose was faster than with placebo (P = 0.004 and P = 0.003), with median times of 9.27 hours (interquartile range, 1.53 to >12), 7.75 hours (2.19 to >12), and more than 12 hours (6.23 to >12). The time to complete resolution was faster with the 300-mg and 600-mg doses than with placebo (P = 0.002 and P<0.001). The percentage of attacks with complete resolution within 24 hours was 42.5% with the 300-mg dose, 49.5% with the 600-mg dose, and 27.4% with placebo. Sebetralstat and placebo had similar safety profiles; no serious adverse events related to the trial agents were reported. CONCLUSIONS: Oral sebetralstat provided faster times to the beginning of symptom relief, reduction in attack severity, and complete attack resolution than placebo. (Funded by KalVista Pharmaceuticals; KONFIDENT ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT05259917; EudraCT number, 2021-001226-21.).

Comorbidities in Angioedema Due to C1-Inhibitor Deficiency: An Italian Survey.

BACKGROUND: Hereditary angioedema (HAE) due to C1-inhibitor (C1-INH) deficiency is characterized by unpredictable recurrent episodes of swelling affecting the skin and the mucosa tissues, including gastrointestinal tract and/or oropharyngeal-laryngeal mucosae. Long-term prophylaxis (LTP) is used to prevent attacks. OBJECTIVE: Because C1-INH plays a pivotal role in several biological pathways, we investigated the possible association of comorbidities with C1-INH deficiency and the use of LTP with attenuated androgens (AA) or tranexamic acid (TXA). METHODS: This retrospective cohort study involved adult patients with HAE referred to Milan and Padua angioedema centers in the period 1979-2021. A qualitative comparison was performed to analyze comorbidities versus general population. The incidence of comorbidities was evaluated during LTP with AA or TXA versus patients without LTP. RESULTS: A total of 446 patients were studied. A greater prevalence among patients was found for heart diseases (9.6% vs 4.8%), acute myocardial infarction (5.6% vs 1.4%), hepatitis C virus infection (10.5% vs 2.5%), and appendectomy (15.9% vs 4.3%). In patients taking AA, a greater incidence was found for hypertension (22.8% vs 10.8%; odds ratio [OR]: 2.02), hypercholesterolemia (19.5% vs 5.3%; OR: 3.97), diabetes mellitus (5% vs 1.4%; OR: 3.21), hepatic angioma (4.4% vs 0.7%; OR: 8.35), and focal nodular hyperplasia (2.5% vs 0.4%; OR: 6.9). No association between TXA and comorbidities was found. CONCLUSION: In this large patient population with a rare disease followed for up to a 43-year period, we found a greater prevalence of comorbidities hitherto unreported in the literature and an association between comorbidities and LTP with AA.

Evaluation of patient-reported outcome measures for on-demand treatment of hereditary angioedema attacks and design of KONFIDENT, a phase 3 trial of sebetralstat.

BACKGROUND: Hereditary angioedema (HAE) with C1-inhibitor deficiency (HAE-C1-INH) is characterized by recurrent, debilitating episodes of swelling. Sebetralstat, an investigational oral plasma kallikrein inhibitor, demonstrated promising efficacy for on-demand treatment of HAE-C1-INH in a phase 2 trial. We describe the multipronged approach informing the design of KONFIDENT, a phase 3 randomized, placebo-controlled, three-way crossover trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of sebetralstat in patients aged ≥12 years with HAE-C1-INH. METHODS: To determine an optimal endpoint to measure the beginning of symptom relief in KONFIDENT, we engaged patients with HAE on clinical outcome measures and subsequently conducted analyses of phase 2 outcomes. Sample size was determined via a simulation-based approach using phase 2 data. RESULTS: Patient interviews revealed a strong preference (71%) for the Patient Global Impression of Change (PGI-C) over other measures and indicated a rating of "A Little Better" as a clinically meaningful milestone. In phase 2, a rating of "A Little Better" demonstrated agreement with attack severity improvement and resolution on the Patient Global Impression of Severity and had better sensitivity than "Better." Simulations indicated that 84 patients completing treatment would ensure at least 90% power for assessing the primary endpoint of time to beginning of symptom relief defined as a PGI-C rating of at least "A Little Better" for two time points in a row. CONCLUSIONS: Patient feedback and phase 2 data support PGI-C as the primary outcome measure in the phase 3 KONFIDENT trial evaluating sebetralstat, which has the potential to be the first oral on-demand treatment for HAE-C1-INH attacks.

Multicentric Observational Study on Safety and Tolerability of COVID-19 Vaccines in Patients with Angioedema with C1 Inhibitor Deficiency: Data from Italian Network on Hereditary and Acquired Angioedema (ITACA).

Angioedema due to C1 inhibitor deficiency (AE-C1-INH) is a rare disease characterized by recurrent and unpredictable attacks of angioedema. Multiple trigger factors, including trauma, emotional stress, infectious diseases, and drugs, could elicit angioedema attacks. The aim of this study was to collect data on the safety and tolerability of COVID-19 vaccines in a population of patients affected by AE-C1-INH. Adult patients with AE-C1-INH, followed by Reference Centers belonging to the Italian Network for Hereditary and Acquired Angioedema (ITACA), were enrolled in this study. Patients received nucleoside-modified mRNA vaccines and vaccines with adenovirus vectors. Data on acute attacks developed in the 72 h following COVID-19 vaccinations were collected. The frequency of attacks in the 6 months after the COVID-19 vaccination was compared with the rate of attacks registered in the 6 months before the first vaccination. Between December 2020 and June 2022, 208 patients (118 females) with AE-C1-INH received COVID-19 vaccines. A total of 529 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were administered, and the majority of patients received mRNA vaccines. Forty-eight attacks of angioedema (9%) occurred within 72 h following COVID-19 vaccinations. About half of the attacks were abdominal. Attacks were successfully treated with on-demand therapy. No hospitalizations were registered. There was no increase in the monthly attack rate following the vaccination. The most common adverse reactions were pain at the site of injection and fever. Our results show that adult patients with angioedema due to C1 inhibitor deficiency can be safely vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 in a controlled medical setting and should always have available on-demand therapies.

An investigational oral plasma kallikrein inhibitor for on-demand treatment of hereditary angioedema: a two-part, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover phase 2 trial.

BACKGROUND: Guidelines recommend effective on-demand therapy for all individuals with hereditary angioedema. We aimed to assess the novel oral plasma kallikrein inhibitor, sebetralstat, which is in development, for on-demand treatment of hereditary angioedema attacks. METHODS: In this two-part phase 2 trial, individuals with type 1 or 2 hereditary angioedema aged 18 years or older were recruited from 25 sites, consisting of specialty outpatient centres, across nine countries in Europe and the USA. Individuals were eligible if they had experienced at least three hereditary angioedema attacks in the past 93 days, were not on prophylactic therapy, and had access to and the ability to self-administer conventional attack treatment. In part 1 of the trial, participants were given a single 600 mg open-label oral dose of sebetralstat to assess safety, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of the dose. Part 2 was a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, two-sequence, two-period (2 × 2) crossover trial; participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to either sequence 1, in which they were given a single dose of 600 mg of sebetralstat to treat the first eligible attack and a second dose of placebo to treat the second eligible attack, or sequence 2, in which they were given placebo to treat the first eligible attack and then 600 mg of sebetralstat to treat the second eligible attack. Participants and investigators were masked to treatment assignment. The primary endpoint was time to use of conventional attack treatment within 12 h of study drug administration, which was assessed in all participants who were randomly assigned to treatment and who received study drug for two attacks during part 2 of the study. Safety was assessed in all participants who received at least one dose of study drug, starting in part 1. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04208412, and is completed. FINDINGS: Between July 2, 2019, and Dec 8, 2020, 84 individuals were screened and 68 were enrolled in part 1 and received sebetralstat (mean age 38·3 years [SD 13·2], 37 [54%] were female, 31 [46%] were male, 68 [100%] were White). 42 (62%) of 68 participants completed pharmacokinetic assessments. Sebetralstat was rapidly absorbed, with a geometric mean plasma concentration of 501 ng/mL at 15 min. In a subset of participants (n=6), plasma samples obtained from 15 min to 4 h after study drug administration had near-complete protection from ex vivo stimulated generation of plasma kallikrein and cleavage of high-molecular-weight kininogen. In part 2, all 68 participants were randomly assigned to sequence 1 (n=34) or sequence 2 (n=34). 53 (78%) of 68 participants treated two attacks (25 [74%] in the sequence 1 group and 28 [82%] in the sequence 2 group). Time to use of conventional treatment within 12 h of study drug administration was significantly longer with sebetralstat versus placebo (at quartile 1: >12 h [95% CI 9·6 to >12] vs 8·0 h [3·8 to >12]; p=0·0010). There were no serious adverse events or adverse event-related discontinuations. INTERPRETATION: Oral administration of sebetralstat was well tolerated and led to rapid suppression of plasma kallikrein activity, resulting in increased time to use of conventional attack treatment and faster symptom relief versus placebo. Based on these results, a phase 3 trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of two dose levels of sebetralstat in adolescent and adult participants with hereditary angioedema has been initiated (NCT05259917). FUNDING: KalVista Pharmaceuticals.

Real-Life Experience With Subcutaneous Plasma-Derived C1-Inhibitor for Long-Term Prophylaxis in Patients With Hereditary Angioedema: A Case Series.

Hereditary angioedema due to C1-inhibitor deficiency (C1-INH-HAE) is characterized by swelling attacks that may be even life-threatening. To reduce the frequency of attacks, some patients need a long-term prophylaxis (LTP). In addition to the intravenous administration, plasma-derived C1-inhibitor (pdC1-INH) has been proved effective also if administered subcutaneously at the dose of 120 IU/kg/week. In this case series, we collected from clinical records data about 5 patients with poorly controlled C1-INH-HAE with the registered LTPs or with difficult venous access, referred to the angioedema center in Milano (Italy), who received it at lower doses, i.e., 42.86-65.22 IU/kg/week. All the patients experienced a reduction in the attack rate, ranging from 29.67% to 96.53% compared with a control period with a different LTP or with no LTP. For one patient, the comparison was made with a period when he received s.c. pdC1-INH 2 (with poor outcomes) instead of 3 times a week, which made the patient experience a decrease in the attack rate from 5.26 to 1.12 attacks/month. Observation periods varied between 2.6 and 47.97 months. Two patients reported adverse events, which were localized at the infusion site and mild in severity. In conclusion, subcutaneous pdC1-INH represents an alternative therapeutic choice according to the physician's judgment for selected patients with HAE poorly controlled with registered LTPs. In patients with difficult venous access, in countries where pdC1-INH is not approved for subcutaneous administration, about half the recommended dose may be beneficial, although suboptimal results may be obtained.

Emerging drugs for the treatment of hereditary angioedema due to C1-inhibitor deficiency.

INTRODUCTION: Hereditary angioedema due to C1-inhibitor (C1-INH-HAE) is a rare disease characterized by unpredictable swelling attacks that may be life-threatening when affecting the upper airways. Understanding the pathophysiology of HAE and the mechanism of bradykinin-mediated angioedema allowed the development of new therapies for the treatment of HAE: clinical trials are ongoing to expand the number of drugs available for on-demand treatment and prophylaxis. AREAS COVERED: Authors discuss the products that have been used to treat this disease for many years and present the most recently marketed products and those which are under development. EXPERT OPINION: Significant therapeutic progress has been made in HAE. In particular, drugs targeting specific molecules involved in the angioedema formation were developed and studies with new drugs are ongoing. In the coming years, more effective therapies with easier administration route options for on-demand treatment and long-term prophylaxis will be available to treat this disease and the variety of patients. Gene therapy strategies may offer a definitive treatment. High costs of current and new drugs may be a limiting factor for their availability, especially in developing countries.

Attenuated androgen discontinuation in patients with hereditary angioedema: a commented case series.

BACKGROUND: Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is characterized by potentially severe and life-threatening attacks of localized swelling. Prophylactic therapies are available, including attenuated androgens. Efficacy of attenuated androgens has not been assessed in large, randomized, placebo-controlled trials and can be associated with frequent, and sometimes severe, side effects. As better tolerated targeted therapies become available, attenuated androgen withdrawal is increasingly considered by physicians and their patients with HAE. Attenuated androgens withdrawal has not been systematically studied in HAE, although examination of other disorders indicates that attenuated androgen withdrawal may result in mood disturbances and flu-like symptoms. Standardized protocols for attenuated androgen discontinuation that continue to provide control of attacks while limiting potential attenuated androgen withdrawal symptoms are not established as the outcomes of different withdrawal strategies have not been compared. We aim to describe the challenges of attenuated androgen discontinuation in patients with HAE and how these may continue into the post-androgen period. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a retrospective case series of 10 patients with confirmed type I HAE who have discontinued prophylactic treatment with attenuated androgens. The most common reason for attenuated androgen discontinuation was side effects. Attenuated androgens were either immediately withdrawn, tapered and/or overlapped with another treatment. The major challenge of discontinuation was the management of an increased frequency and severity of HAE attacks in some patients. CONCLUSIONS: Healthcare teams need to undertake careful planning and monitoring after attenuated androgens discontinuation, and modify treatment strategies if HAE control is destabilized with an increased number of attacks. Discontinuation of attenuated androgens is definitively an option in an evolving HAE treatment landscape, and outcomes can be favourable with additional patient support and education.

Long-term prevention of hereditary angioedema attacks with lanadelumab: The HELP OLE Study.

BACKGROUND: The aim was to evaluate long-term effectiveness and safety of lanadelumab in patients ≥12 y old with hereditary angioedema (HAE) 1/2 (NCT02741596). METHODS: Rollover patients completing the HELP Study and continuing into HELP OLE received one lanadelumab 300 mg dose until first attack (dose-and-wait period), then 300 mg q2wks (regular dosing stage). Nonrollovers (newly enrolled) received lanadelumab 300 mg q2wks from day 0. Baseline attack rate for rollovers: ≥1 attack/4 weeks (based on run-in period attack rate during HELP Study); for nonrollovers: historical attack rate ≥1 attack/12 weeks. The planned treatment period was 33 months. RESULTS: 212 patients participated (109 rollovers, 103 nonrollovers); 81.6% completed ≥30 months on study (mean [SD], 29.6 [8.2] months). Lanadelumab markedly reduced mean HAE attack rate (reduction vs baseline: 87.4% overall). Patients were attack free for a mean of 97.7% of days during treatment; 81.8% and 68.9% of patients were attack free for ≥6 and ≥12 months, respectively. Angioedema Quality-of-Life total and domain scores improved from day 0 to end of study. Treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) (excluding HAE attacks) were reported by 97.2% of patients; most commonly injection site pain (47.2%) and viral upper respiratory tract infection (42.0%). Treatment-related TEAEs were reported by 54.7% of patients. Most injection site reactions resolved within 1 hour (70.2%) or 1 day (92.6%). Six (2.8%) patients discontinued due to TEAEs. No treatment-related serious TEAEs or deaths were reported. Eleven treatment-related TEAEs of special interest were reported by seven (3.3%) patients. CONCLUSION: Lanadelumab demonstrated sustained efficacy and acceptable tolerability with long-term use in HAE patients.

A Novel Implementation of the LDEM in the Ansys LS-DYNA Finite Element Code.

In this paper, a novel implementation of the Lattice Discrete Element Method (LDEM) is proposed: in particular, the LDEM is implemented in the Ansys LS-DYNA finite element code. Such an implementation is employed to evaluate the fracture behaviour of sandwich panels under bending. First, the novel hybrid model proposed is validated by simulating some three-point bending experimental tests carried out at the University of Parma, and then it is used to model the fracture behaviour of sandwich panels under four-point bending. Failure mechanisms, damage locations, and load-deflection curves are numerically determined by employing such a novel model, and the results show a good agreement with the available experimental findings.

Recombinant human C1 esterase inhibitor for hereditary angioedema attacks: A European registry.

BACKGROUND: Hereditary angioedema (HAE) due to C1 esterase inhibitor deficiency (C1-INH-HAE) is characterized by recurrent swelling attacks. A European treatment registry was established to review the adverse event profile and efficacy of recombinant human C1 esterase inhibitor (rhC1-INH) for HAE attacks. METHODS: Individuals with C1-INH-HAE were enrolled following a decision to treat with rhC1-INH and provision of written informed consent. Medical history and baseline HAE information were collected at screening. Healthcare providers entered data on HAE attacks, response to treatment, and adverse events using a web-based questionnaire. RESULTS: From July 1, 2011, through December 1, 2019, 71 patients with C1-INH-HAE (30 male/41 female; mean age, 47.3 years; age range, 19-78 years) in 9 countries reported 2356 attacks and were treated with rhC1-INH. Before registry entry, patients, including 20 (28.2%) who were on maintenance therapy/prophylaxis at registry enrollment, experienced a mean of 25 HAE attacks per year (median, 16 [range, 0-185]). Most treated HAE attacks were abdominal (46.1%), followed by peripheral (38.3%), oro-facial-pharyngeal (14.8%), urogenital (3.2%), and laryngeal (2.6%). The mean rhC1-INH dose was 3307 U (43.3 U/kg). Patients reported symptom improvement within 4 h for 97.8% of attacks (2305/2356) with rhC1-INH; most attacks (99.8%; 2351/2356) required only 1 dose. Five attacks were treated with a second dose (total rhC1-INH dose administered for attack, 4200 U). No hypersensitivity, thrombotic/thromboembolic events, or drug-related serious adverse events were reported. CONCLUSION: The rhC1-INH treatment registry provided real-world data on the treatment of 2356 HAE attacks that were consistent with clinical trial data of rhC1-INH in patients with C1-INH-HAE.

The Global Registry for Hereditary Angioedema due to C1-Inhibitor Deficiency.

Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a rare condition, mostly due to genetic deficiency of complement C1 inhibitor (C1-INH). The rarity of HAE impedes extensive data collection and assessment of the impact of certain factors known to affect the course of this disabling and life-threatening disease. Establishing a global registry could assist to overcome such issues and provides valuable patient data from different countries. The HAE Global Registry is a disease-specific registry, with web-based electronic support, where data are provided by physicians and patients through a dedicated application. We collected data between January 1, 2018, and August 31, 2020. Data on 1297 patients from 29 centers in 5 European countries were collected. At least one attack was recorded for 497 patients during the study period. Overall, 1182 patients were diagnosed with HAE type 1 and 115 with type 2. At the time of database lock, 389 patients were taking long-term prophylactic medication, 217 of which were on danazol. Most recorded attacks affected the abdomen, were generally moderate in severity, and occurred in patients who were not on prophylactic treatment (70.6%, 6244/8848). The median duration of attacks was 780 min (IQR 290-1740) in patients on prophylactic medication and 780 min (IQR 300-1920) in patients not on continuous prophylactic medication. In conclusion, the establishment of a registry for C1-INH-HAE allowed collection of a large amount of data that may help to better understand the clinical characteristics of this disease. This information may enhance patient care and guide future therapeutic decisions.

Hereditary angioedema due to C1 inhibitor deficiency in Belarus: epidemiology, access to diagnosis and seven novel mutations in SERPING1 gene.

BACKGROUND: Hereditary angioedema due to C1 inhibitor deficiency (C1-INH-HAE) is a rare disease. Few states in developing countries have an adequate management of HAE, but none of them belongs to the former USSR area. This study analyses data from C1-INH-HAE patients from Belarus. METHODS: Data about clinical characteristics, genetics, access to diagnosis and treatment were collected from 2010 by the Belarusian Research Center for Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Immunology in Minsk. A questionnaire about attacks, prophylactic (LTP) and on-demand therapy (ODT) was administered to patients. RESULTS: We identified 64 C1-INH-HAE patients belonging to 26 families, 27 (42.2%) of which were diagnosed in the last 3 years. The estimated minimal prevalence was 1:148,000. Median age at diagnosis was 29 years, with diagnostic delay of 19 years. Thirty-eight patients answered a questionnaire about therapy. Eleven patients did not use any treatment to resolve HAE attacks. Twenty-seven patients underwent ODT: 9 with appropriate treatments, and 18 with inappropriate treatments. Nine patients used LTP with attenuated androgens and 1 with tranexamic acid. Thirty-two patients answered a questionnaire about attacks and triggers: 368 angioedema attacks were reported, with an average of 10 attacks per year. We found 24 different SERPING1 variants: 9 missenses, 6 in splice sites, 6 small deletions, 2 nonsense, 1 large deletion; 7 have not been previously described. De novo variants were found in 11 patients. CONCLUSIONS: C1-INH-HAE diagnosis and management in Belarus is improved as seen from the high number of new diagnosis in the last 3 years. Next steps will be to reduce the diagnostic delay and to promote the LTP and ODT.

Psychological processes in the experience of hereditary angioedema in adult patients: an observational study.

BACKGROUND: Hereditary angioedema associated to C1 inhibitor deficiency (C1-INH-HAE) is a pathological condition characterized by episodes of subcutaneous swelling and it is frequently associated with discomfort and social impairment of the patients, due to the anxiety experienced for an unpreventable manifestation of an attack during daily life. In children increased level of stress and alexithymia have been associated to C1-INH-HAE, and the latter correlated also with the severity of the disease. We hypothesized that the involvement of psychological issues may impact on the severity of C1-INH-HAE in adult patients as well, interfering with their ability to engage with the management of the disease. METHODS: 28 adult patients with C1-INH-HAE were evaluated for clinical (C1-INH-HAE Severity Score) and psychological factors (alexithymia, emotion regulation, stress, patient health engagement, general severity index) by means of validated questionnaires. RESULTS: Mean age (standard deviation [SD]) was 45 (11) years and time from diagnosis was 20 (12) years. The mean C1-INH-HAE severity score was 6.4. Alexithymia was absent in 22 (78%) patients. Moderate and high stress levels were present in 17 (61%) and 4 (14%) patients, respectively. Moderate-high discomfort was experienced by 9 (36%) patients and a discomfort beyond the clinical attention threshold was shown by 3 (12%) patients. Stress correlated with patient health engagement and with psychological discomfort. CONCLUSIONS: In C1-INH-HAE, patients health engagement and moderate-high psychological discomfort are linked with stress but not with the severity of the disease or alexithymia. A better patient health engagement may be a target for psychological intervention in clinics to ameliorate the stress perceived by C1-INH-HAE patients.

The experience of living with a chronic disease in pediatrics from the mothers' narratives: The Clinical Interview on Parental Sense of Grip on the Disease.

The Clinical Interview on the Sense of Grip on Chronic Disease has been administered to 68 mothers of children affected by Hereditary Angioedema (C1-Inh HAE), Type 1 Diabetes (T1D), Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA). The objectives are to detect general features of the experience of parenting children with chronic illness as well as the specificities of this experience related to the different conditions. Four Profiles of Sense of Grip were identified: Adempitive, Controlling, Reactive, Dynamic. The Sense of Grip Interview is an effective clinical tool for understanding the characteristics of the disease in daily life, which can help clinicians to encourage family adjustment to disease.

Improving the Lives of Patients with Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency.

Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (AATD) is a rare genetic condition that predisposes patients to lung and liver disease and is often underdiagnosed due to incomplete diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. Improvements in physician awareness have been made, but better strategies for both diagnosis and management are still required. The only current disease-modifying therapy for AATD is the infusion of the missing Alpha-1 Antitrypsin (AAT) protein, which can slow progression of emphysema. However, AAT treatment can impact patient freedom and quality of life due to the need for weekly intravenous infusions. A symposium was held to discuss patient-centric aspects of care that have impact on the lives of patients with AATD, including exacerbations of their lung disease, self-administration of intravenous AAT therapy and pulmonary rehabilitation. Intravenous self-infusion of drugs is an established treatment strategy for patients with a variety of conditions and can improve patient quality of life, freedom and mental well-being. Experience from these areas show that patients typically manage their treatment well and without complications. When applied to AATD, training patients to self-infuse therapy can be successful, but formal guidelines would be beneficial. In addition to pharmacological intervention, individualized pulmonary rehabilitation, exercise and educational programs can encourage health-enhancing patient behavior and further improve patient quality of life. However, differences in skeletal muscle adaptations to pulmonary rehabilitation exercise regimens have been observed between patients with AATD and non-AATD COPD, highlighting the need to develop training programs specifically designed for patients with AATD.

Quantitative multiplex profiling of the complement system to diagnose complement-mediated diseases.

OBJECTIVES: Complement deficiencies are difficult to diagnose because of the variability of symptoms and the complexity of the diagnostic process. Here, we applied a novel 'complementomics' approach to study the impact of various complement deficiencies on circulating complement levels. METHODS: Using a quantitative multiplex mass spectrometry assay, we analysed 44 peptides to profile 34 complement proteins simultaneously in 40 healthy controls and 83 individuals with a diagnosed deficiency or a potential pathogenic variant in 14 different complement proteins. RESULTS: Apart from confirming near or total absence of the respective protein in plasma of complement-deficient patients, this mass spectrometry-based profiling method led to the identification of additional deficiencies. In many cases, partial depletion of the pathway up- and/or downstream of the absent protein was measured. This was especially found in patients deficient for complement inhibitors, such as angioedema patients with a C1-inhibitor deficiency. The added value of complementomics was shown in three patients with poorly defined complement deficiencies. CONCLUSION: Our study shows the potential clinical utility of profiling circulating complement proteins as a comprehensive read-out of various complement deficiencies. Particularly, our approach provides insight into the intricate interplay between complement proteins due to functional coupling, which contributes to the better understanding of the various disease phenotypes and improvement of care for patients with complement-mediated diseases.