The utility of ground-glass attenuation score for anticancer treatment-related acute exacerbation of interstitial lung disease among lung cancer patients with interstitial lung disease.

BACKGROUND: Acute exacerbation (AE) of interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a fatal adverse event in the treatment of lung cancer patients with ILD. The value of pre-treatment radiological findings obtained by high-resolution computed tomography for the detection of anticancer treatment-related AE of ILD has not been established. METHODS: Two medical record-based retrospective studies were performed. The chemotherapy cohort included 105 lung cancer patients with ILD who received chemotherapy at Tokyo Medical and Dental University between October 2008 and December 2017. The immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) cohort included 48 advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients with ILD treated with ICIs at nine institutions between January 2016 and September 2018. Variables were compared between AE-positive and -negative groups. Candidate variables were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression. A P value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Anticancer treatment-related AE of ILD occurred in 12 patients (11.4%) in the chemotherapy cohort and seven patients (14.5%) in the ICI cohort. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, ground-glass attenuation (GGA) score was the only factor significantly associated with the development of AE of ILD in both cohorts (P = 0.037 and 0.01 in the chemotherapy and ICI cohorts, respectively). CONCLUSION: Evaluation of GGA may help predict anticancer treatment-related AE of ILD.

[A CASE OF ACUTE EXACERBATION OF CHRONIC BIRDRELATED HYPERSENSITIVITY PNEUMONITIS WITH A REMARKABLE ELEVATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL AVIAN ANTIGEN LEVELS].

A man in his 60's with interstitial pneumonitis who was previously admitted to another hospital was transferred to our hospital for further investigations 6 years prior to an acute exacerbation. Given his history of avian contact, the presence of antibodies specific to avian antigen, and a positive result of the inhalation provocation test using pigeon dropping extracts, he was diagnosed with bird-related hypersensitivity pneumonitis (BRHP). As such, we instructed the patient to avoid exposure to avian antigen, and regularly measured the level of avian antigen in dust samples collected from his household environment. Despite avoiding the stimulus, corticosteroids and immunosuppressants were needed in view of progression of dyspnea after approximately five to six years. Four months after immunosuppressant therapy began, the patient suffered an acute exacerbation of BRHP and died. At this time, we found that the level of avian antigen was much higher than baseline. We suggest that exposure to high level of avian antigen is one cause of an acute exacerbation of BRHP.

[A case of Carboplatin and pemetrexed combination chemotherapy for synchronous double cancers of hepatocellular carcinoma and primary lung cancer].

A 78-year-old man presented to our hospital with lung abnormality on his chest radiograph. Computed tomography (CT) showed a mass and obstructive pneumonia in the right upper lobe of the lung. The mass was diagnosed as a pulmonary adenocarcinoma with a bronchoscopy (cT4N2M0, Stage IIIB). CT also revealed multiple hepatic tumors, which were diagnosed as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by dynamic CT and gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid enhanced magnetic resonance imaging(EOB-MRI). First, we treated the lung cancer with a combination of cisplatin and pemetrexed (PEM), but it caused renal dysfunction. Carboplatin (CBDCA) and PEM combination chemotherapy was administered, and not only the lung cancer but also the HCCs decreased in size. There are few reports of synchronous double cancers of HCC and primary lung cancer, and the treatment is not established. We report that platinum-containing anticancer drugs such as CBDCA may be effective against synchronous double cancers of HCC and lung cancer.

Environmental levels of avian antigen are relevant to the progression of chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis during antigen avoidance.

BACKGROUND: In chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis (chronic HP), antigen avoidance is critical for disease management; however, complete avoidance is difficult because of unrecognized exposure to antigens. Recently, we revealed that the amount of avian antigen (AAA) in household dust at the time of diagnosis predicted the progression of chronic bird-related HP. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relationship between the prognosis of chronic bird-related HP and the AAA that remained in the environment during antigen avoidance. METHODS: First, we measured the AAA in household dust of 28 consecutive patients (22 with chronic bird-related HP and 6 with acute bird-related HP) and 12 healthy volunteers. Second, we measured the AAA and collected questionnaires on the environmental conditions of the homes of 53 patients with various lung diseases, including bird-related HP, to investigate the environmental parameters related to a higher AAA. Finally, we prospectively recruited 14 consecutive patients with chronic bird-related HP, measured the AAA periodically, and collected clinical data. RESULTS: The AAA was higher in patients with chronic bird-related HP at the time of diagnosis compared to healthy volunteers and was highest in patients with acute bird-related HP. Logistic regression analysis showed that birds frequenting a residence was the only significant factor for a higher AAA (odds ratio, 5.686; 95%CI, 1.263-25.59; P = 0.024). There was a correlation between the mean AAA and decline of vital capacity for 1 year (r = -0.55; 95%CI -0.84 to -0.01; P = 0.043). CONCLUSION: Measurements of the AAA after diagnosis predict the progression of chronic bird-related HP. Avian antigen can exist in the indoor environment regardless of antigen avoidance. The presence of avian antigen in the indoor environment can be attributed to wild birds found outdoors.

Interstitial changes in asthma-COPD overlap syndrome.

INTRODUCTION: Asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS) is the widely recognized syndrome of asthma and COPD coexisting together. Cigarette smoking is a known risk factor for ACOS and is reported to be associated with interstitial lung diseases (ILDs). Subclinical ILDs have been frequently detected in smokers' lungs by radiological and pathological examinations. This finding raises the possibility that unrecognized mild interstitial changes take place in lungs with ACOS. OBJECTIVES: We sought to determine whether interstitial changes were present in the lungs of patients with ACOS and to characterize the clinical features of ACOS with interstitial changes. METHODS: Thirty patients with ACOS were enrolled in the study (26 men and 4 women, mean age 70.1 years). Interstitial changes in the lungs were estimated by high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT). Clinical findings and airway wall thickness on HRCT were assessed retrospectively and compared between ACOS patients with and without interstitial changes. RESULTS: Interstitial changes were found in seven patients (23.3%) with ACOS who had HRCT. The age and smoking amount were significantly higher in ACOS with interstitial changes than in ACOS without interstitial changes. ACOS with interstitial changes tended to have a higher rate of fungal sensitisation. Multivariate analysis showed pack-years were significantly related to the presence of interstitial changes. Airway walls assessed by HRCT were significantly thicker in ACOS with interstitial changes than in ACOS without interstitial changes. CONCLUSIONS: The ACOS patients with interstitial changes were heavier smokers and had thicker airway walls on HRCT compared to the ACOS patients without interstitial changes.