Predictors of Sinonasal Improvement After Highly Effective Modulator Therapy in Adults with Cystic Fibrosis.

OBJECTIVES: The 22-question SinoNasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22) assesses chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) severity. We aimed to identify predictors of SNOT-22 score improvement following highly effective modulator therapy (HEMT) initiation and to corroborate the SNOT-22 minimal clinically important difference (MCID) in adults with cystic fibrosis (CF). METHODS: Prospective observational data was pooled from four studies across 10 US centers investigating people with CF (PwCF) and CRS. Three studies evaluated HEMT's impact on CRS. For participants enrolled prior to HEMT initiation, SNOT-22 scores were obtained at baseline and after 3-6 months of HEMT. Multivariate regression identified predictors of improvement. Cronbach's alpha and four distribution-based methods were used to assess internal consistency and calculate the MCID of the SNOT-22. RESULTS: A total of 184 PwCF participated with mean baseline SNOT-22 scores ranging from 18.1 to 56.7. Cronbach's alpha was ≥0.90 across sites. Participants at sites with pre- and post-HEMT data reported improvement in SNOT-22 scores after initiating HEMT (all p < 0.05). Worse baseline SNOT-22 score (odds ratio (OR): 1.05, p < 0.001, 95% CI: 1.02-1.08), F508del homozygosity (OR: 4.30, p = 0.040, 95% CI: 1.14-18.99), and absence of prior modulator therapy (OR: 4.99, p = 0.017, 95% CI: 1.39-20.11) were associated with greater SNOT-22 improvement. The mean MCID calculated via distribution-based methods was 8.5. CONCLUSION: Worse baseline sinonasal symptoms, F508del homozygosity, and absence of prior modulator therapy predicted greater improvement after HEMT initiation. The mean MCID for SNOT-22 in PwCF is 8.5 points, similar to non-CF individuals with CRS, and provides a threshold specifically for PwCF. The SNOT-22 has strong internal consistency in PwCF. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3 Laryngoscope, 2024.

Elexacaftor-tezacaftor-ivacaftor decreases pseudomonas abundance in the sinonasal microbiome in cystic fibrosis.

BACKGROUND: Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is common in individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) and is marked by chronic inflammation and episodes of infection that negatively impact quality of life. Several studies have shown that elexacaftor-tezacaftor-ivacaftor (ETI) improves symptoms and examination findings in CF-CRS. The current study determines the effect of ETI on the sinonasal microbiota in CF. METHODS: Sinonasal samples were collected under endoscopic visualization before and after starting ETI. Samples were subjected to 16S amplicon sequencing and sequences were processed with the QIIME2 pipeline with subsequent analysis using the vegan R-package. RESULTS: Twenty-nine individual baseline samples and 23 sample pairs pre-/post-ETI were available. At baseline, the cohort had samples dominated by Staphylococcus, and alpha diversity was lower than that of a published reference set of individuals without sinonasal disease. Individuals with prior sinus surgery had lower alpha diversity as measured by Shannon Index, Observed Richness, and Faith's phylogenetic diversity Index. Beta diversity differed between individuals with and without allergic rhinitis, with higher Staphylococcus abundance in those with allergic rhinitis. No change in alpha or beta diversity was seen after a median of 9 months on ETI. With ETI, the Pseudomonas genus and the genus containing Burkholderia decreased in samples containing these taxa at baseline. Pseudomonas abundance decreased with treatment as measured by qPCR. Core sinonasal microbiome members Staphylococcus, Corynebacterium, and Streptococcus were unchanged, while Moraxella increased with ETI. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with ETI leads to a reduction in Pseudomonas abundance within the sinonasal microbiome of individuals with Pseudomonas at baseline.

Association between unplanned pregnancies and maternal exacerbations in cystic fibrosis.

INTRODUCTION: Following availability of the highly effective cystic fibrosis (CF) transmembrane conductance regulator modulator, elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor, there was a near doubling of pregnancies reported in the United States (US) in people with CF. We sought to determine health impacts of planned (PP) versus unplanned pregnancies (UP). METHODS: We collected retrospective pregnancy data from January 2010-December 2020 from 11 US CF centers. After adjusting for potential confounding effects, we conducted multivariable, multilevel longitudinal regression analysis using mixed effect modeling to assess whether changes in percent predicted forced expiratory volume in one second (ppFEV1), body mass index (BMI), and pulmonary exacerbations (PEx) 1-year-pre- to 1-year-post-pregnancy were associated with pregnancy planning. RESULTS: Our analysis included 163 people with 226 pregnancies; the cohort had a mean age at conception of 29.6 years, mean pre-pregnancy ppFEV1 of 75.4 and BMI of 22.5 kg/m2. PpFEV1 declined in both PP (adjusted decline of -2.5 (95% CI: -3.8, -1.2)) and UP (adjusted decline of -3.0 (95% CI: -4.6, -1.4)) groups, they did not differ from each other (p = 0.625). We observed a difference in change in the annual number of PEx pre- to post-pregnancy (PP: 0.8 (0.7, 1.1); UP: 1.3 (1.0, 1.7); interaction effect p = 0.029). In a subset of people with available infant data, infants resulting from UP had more preterm births, lower APGAR scores, and more intensive care unit stays. CONCLUSIONS: Following UP, there is an increased trajectory for PEx and potentially for infant complications compared to PP. Clinicians should consider increased surveillance in the setting of UP.

Phase 3 Open-Label Clinical Trial of Elexacaftor/Tezacaftor/Ivacaftor in Children Aged 2-5 Years with Cystic Fibrosis and at Least One F508del Allele.

Rationale: Elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor (ELX/TEZ/IVA) has been shown to be safe and effective in people with cystic fibrosis (CF) aged ⩾6 years with at least one F508del-CFTR allele but has not been studied in younger children. Objectives: To evaluate the safety, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and efficacy of ELX/TEZ/IVA in children with CF aged 2-5 years. Methods: In this phase 3, open-label, two-part study (parts A and B), children weighing <14 kg (on Day 1) received ELX 80 mg once daily (qd), TEZ 40 mg qd, and IVA 60 mg each morning and 59.5 mg each evening; children weighing ⩾14 kg received ELX 100 mg qd, TEZ 50 mg qd, and IVA 75 mg every 12 hours. Measurements and Main Results: The primary endpoints for part A (15-d treatment period) were pharmacokinetics and safety and tolerability. For part B (24-wk treatment period), the primary endpoint was safety and tolerability; secondary endpoints included pharmacokinetics and absolute changes from baseline in sweat chloride concentration and lung clearance index2.5 (LCI2.5, defined as the number of lung turnovers required to reduce the end tidal N2 concentration to 2.5% of its starting value) through Week 24. Analysis of pharmacokinetic data from 18 children enrolled in part A confirmed the appropriateness of the part B dosing regimen. In part B, 75 children (F508del/minimal function genotypes, n = 52; F508del/F508del genotype, n = 23) were enrolled and dosed. Seventy-four children (98.7%) had adverse events, which were all mild (62.7%) or moderate (36.0%) in severity. The most common adverse events were cough, fever, and rhinorrhea. Decreases in sweat chloride concentration (-57.9 mmol/L; 95% confidence interval [CI], -61.3 to -54.6; n = 69) and LCI2.5 (-0.83 U; 95% CI, -1.01 to -0.66; n = 50) were observed from baseline through Week 24. Mean body mass index was within the normal range at baseline and remained stable at Week 24. Conclusions: In this open-label study in children 2-5 years of age, ELX/TEZ/IVA treatment was generally safe and well tolerated, with a safety profile consistent with that observed in older age groups, and led to clinically meaningful reductions in sweat chloride concentration and LCI2.5. Clinical trial registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04537793).

Feasibility of free-breathing 19 F MRI image acquisition to characterize ventilation defects in CF and healthy volunteers at wash-in.

PURPOSE: To explore the feasibility of measuring ventilation defect percentage (VDP) using 19 F MRI during free-breathing wash-in of fluorinated gas mixture with postacquisition denoising and to compare these results with those obtained through traditional Cartesian breath-hold acquisitions. METHODS: Eight adults with cystic fibrosis and 5 healthy volunteers completed a single MR session on a Siemens 3T Prisma. 1 H Ultrashort-TE MRI sequences were used for registration and masking, and ventilation images with 19 F MRI were obtained while the subjects breathed a normoxic mixture of 79% perfluoropropane and 21% oxygen (O2 ). 19 F MRI was performed during breath holds and while free breathing with one overlapping spiral scan at breath hold for VDP value comparison. The 19 F spiral data were denoised using a low-rank matrix recovery approach. RESULTS: VDP measured using 19 F VIBE and 19 F spiral images were highly correlated (r = 0.84) at 10 wash-in breaths. Second-breath VDPs were also highly correlated (r = 0.88). Denoising greatly increased SNR (pre-denoising spiral SNR, 2.46 ± 0.21; post-denoising spiral SNR, 33.91 ± 6.12; and breath-hold SNR, 17.52 ± 2.08). CONCLUSION: Free-breathing 19 F lung MRI VDP analysis was feasible and highly correlated with breath-hold measurements. Free-breathing methods are expected to increase patient comfort and extend ventilation MRI use to patients who are unable to perform breath holds, including younger subjects and those with more severe lung disease.

Non-respiratory health-related quality of life in people with cystic fibrosis receiving elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor.

Elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor (ELX/TEZ/IVA) was shown to be safe and efficacious in people with cystic fibrosis (CF) heterozygous for F508del and a minimal function mutation (F/MF) or homozygous for F508del (F/F) in two pivotal Phase 3 trials, significantly improving percentage predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 second, Cystic Fibrosis Questionnaire-Revised, Respiratory Domain (CFQ-R RD) scores, and sweat chloride concentration. Here, we analyzed the 11 non-respiratory domains (non-RDs) of the CFQ-R, which assess general health-related quality of life (i.e., Physical Functioning, Role Functioning, Vitality, Health Perceptions, Emotional Functioning, and Social Functioning) and quality of life impacted by CF (i.e., Body Image, Eating Problems, Treatment Burden, Weight, and Digestive Symptoms), for participants in these two Phase 3 trials. ELX/TEZ/IVA treatment led to higher scores in all CFQ-R non-RDs, with improvements in most domains compared with control treatments. These findings demonstrate that ELX/TEZ/IVA improves a range of CF-specific symptoms and general functioning and well-being.

Dynamic Perfluorinated Gas MRI Shows Improved Lung Ventilation in People with Cystic Fibrosis after Elexacaftor/Tezacaftor/Ivacaftor: An Observational Study.

The availability of highly effective CFTR modulators is revolutionizing the treatment of cystic fibrosis (CF) and drastically improving outcomes. MRI-based imaging modalities are now emerging as highly sensitive endpoints, particularly in the setting of mild lung disease. Adult CF patients were recruited from a single center prior to starting treatment with E/T/I. The following studies were obtained before and after one month on treatment: spirometry, multiple breath nitrogen washout (MBW), 1H UTE MRI (structural images) and 19F MRI (ventilation images). Changes between visits were calculated, as were correlations between FEV1, lung clearance index (LCI), MRI structural scores, and MRI-based ventilation descriptors. Eight subjects had complete datasets for evaluation. Consistent with prior clinical trials, FEV1 and LCI improved after 28 days of E/T/I use. 1H UTE MRI detected improvements in bronchiectasis/airway wall thickening score and mucus plugging score after 28 days of therapy. 19F MRI demonstrated improvements in fractional lung volume with slow gas washout time (FLV↑tau2) and ventilation defect percentage (VDP). Improvements in FLV↑tau2 and VDP correlated with improvement in FEV1 (r = 0.81 and 0.86, respectively, p < 0.05). This observational study establishes the ability of 19F MRI and 1H UTE MRI to detect improvements in lung structure and function after E/T/I treatment. This study supports further development of 19F MRI and 1H UTE MRI as outcome measures for cystic fibrosis research and drug development.

Elexacaftor-Tezacaftor- Ivacaftor improves sinonasal outcomes in cystic fibrosis.

BACKGROUND: Many individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) have chronic rhinosinusitis resulting in nasal obstruction, sinus infections, and repeated surgeries. Elexacaftor-tezacaftor-ivacaftor is a highly effective modulator therapy approved for individuals aged 6 years or older with CF who have at least one F508del allele or other responsive mutation. The current study tests the hypothesis that ELX/TEZ/IVA improves sinonasal disease in CF. METHODS: The study was a pre/post, observational cohort study conducted at two sites. Participants underwent a study visit prior to starting ELX/TEZ/IVA and a second visit at a median of 9 months on therapy. Each visit included sinus CT scan, rigid nasal endoscopy, and sweat chloride measurement. Symptoms were measured with the 22 item Sinonasal Outcome Test at scheduled intervals during the study. Regression models were used to test for improvement in symptoms, endoscopy, and CT scales. RESULTS: The study enrolled 34 individuals, with a median age of 27 years (range 12-60). Symptoms improved within 7 days of therapy and plateaued by day 28. Endoscopic crusting resolved and nasal polyposis improved, with a decrease in size or resolution of polyps. Sinus opacification and mucosal thickening improved on CT radiographs with treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Sinonasal symptoms improved rapidly and durably for at least 180 days on ELX/TEZ/IVA therapy. Objective measures of disease including endoscopic and CT findings improved with ELX/TEZ/IVA.

CFTR bearing variant p.Phe312del exhibits function inconsistent with phenotype and negligible response to ivacaftor.

The chloride channel dysfunction caused by deleterious cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) variants generally correlates with severity of cystic fibrosis (CF). However, 3 adults bearing the common severe variant p.Phe508del (legacy: F508del) and a deletion variant in an ivacaftor binding region of CFTR (p.Phe312del; legacy: F312del) manifested only elevated sweat chloride concentration (sw[Cl-]; 87-105 mEq/L). A database review of 25 individuals with F312del and a CF-causing variant revealed elevated sw[Cl-] (75-123 mEq/L) and variable CF features. F312del occurs at a higher-than-expected frequency in the general population, confirming that individuals with F312del and a CF-causing variant do not consistently develop overt CF features. In primary nasal cells, CFTR bearing F312del and F508del generated substantial chloride transport (66.0% ± 4.5% of WT-CFTR) but did not respond to ivacaftor. Single-channel analysis demonstrated that F312del did not affect current flow through CFTR, minimally altered gating, and ablated the ivacaftor response. When expressed stably in CF bronchial epithelial (CFBE41o-) cells, F312del-CFTR demonstrated residual function (50.9% ± 3.3% WT-CFTR) and a subtle decrease in forskolin response compared with WT-CFTR. F312del provides an exception to the established correlation between CFTR chloride transport and CF phenotype and informs our molecular understanding of ivacaftor response.

Acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction in two young women with cystic fibrosis and cystic fibrosis-related diabetes.

Ischemic heart disease is rarely reported in people with cystic fibrosis (PwCF) despite multiple potential risk factors. Here we report two cases of ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), both in young women with cystic fibrosis (CF) and cystic fibrosis related diabetes (CFRD). These cases illustrate the importance of considering myocardial injury/infarction in the differential diagnosis of patients with CF and chest pain or shortness of breath, and addressing the growing risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Development of an Advance Care Planning Protocol in a Cystic Fibrosis Outpatient Clinic.

Background: Advance care planning (ACP) is recommended for all patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), yet clear implementation guidelines do not exist. Methods: The University of North Carolina Adult CF Care Team developed a process to implement semistructured multidisciplinary outpatient ACP meetings as routine care for patients with CF. Premeeting and post-meeting surveys were used to elicit patients' attitudes toward ACP. Results: Twenty-seven adults with CF completed a face-to-face ACP meeting, and 13 completed both surveys. Following the multidisciplinary ACP meeting, overall scores for understanding of ACP topics improved by 4.5 points (p = 0.003). Conclusion: We successfully implemented sustainable ACP meetings for adults with CF and found increased comfort with ACP and documentation of wishes after ACP meetings. It is important for CF care providers to meet the needs of this patient population by ensuring that ACP is in place before crisis situations.

Comparison of single breath hyperpolarized 129 Xe MRI with dynamic 19 F MRI in cystic fibrosis lung disease.

PURPOSE: To quantitatively compare dynamic 19 F and single breath hyperpolarized 129 Xe MRI for the detection of ventilation abnormalities in subjects with mild cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease. METHODS: Ten participants with stable CF and a baseline FEV1 > 70% completed a single imaging session where dynamic 19 F and single breath 129 Xe lung ventilation images were acquired on a 3T MRI scanner. Ventilation defect percentages (VDP) values between 19 F early-breath, 19 F maximum-ventilation, 129 Xe low-resolution, and 129 Xe high-resolution images were compared. Dynamic 19 F images were used to determine gas wash-in/out rates in regions of ventilation congruency and mismatch between 129 Xe and 19 F. RESULTS: VDP values from high-resolution 129 Xe images were greater than from low-resolution images (P = .001), although these values were significantly correlated (r = 0.68, P = .03). Early-breath 19 F VDP and max-vent 19 F VDP also showed significant correlation (r = 0.75, P = .012), with early-breath 19 F VDP values being significantly greater (P < .001). No correlation in VDP values were detected between either 19 F method or high-res 129 Xe images. In addition, the location and volume of ventilation defects were often different when comparing 129 Xe and 19 F images from the same subject. Areas of ventilation congruence displayed the expected ventilation kinetics, while areas of ventilation mismatch displayed abnormally slow gas wash-in and wash-out. CONCLUSION: In CF subjects, ventilation abnormalities are identified by both 19 F and HP 129 Xe imaging. However, these ventilation abnormalities are not entirely congruent. 19 F and HP 129 Xe imaging provide complementary information that enable differentiation of normally ventilated, slowly ventilated, and non-ventilated regions in the lungs.

Novel imaging techniques for cystic fibrosis lung disease.

With an increasing number of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) receiving highly effective CFTR (cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator protein) modulator therapy, particularly at a young age, there is an increasing need to identify imaging tools that can detect and regionally visualize mild CF lung disease and subtle changes in disease state. In this review, we discuss the latest developments in imaging modalities for both structural and functional imaging of the lung available to CF clinicians and researchers, from the widely available, clinically utilized imaging methods for assessing CF lung disease-chest radiography and computed tomography-to newer techniques poised to become the next phase of clinical tools-structural/functional proton and hyperpolarized gas magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Finally, we provide a brief discussion of several newer lung imaging techniques that are currently available only in selected research settings, including chest tomosynthesis, and fluorinated gas MRI. We provide an update on the clinical and/or research status of each technique, with a focus on sensitivity, early disease detection, and possibilities for monitoring treatment efficacy.

Dynamic perfluorinated gas MRI reveals abnormal ventilation despite normal FEV1 in cystic fibrosis.

We hypothesized that dynamic perfluorinated gas MRI would sensitively detect mild cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease. This cross-sectional study enrolled 20 healthy volunteers and 24 stable subjects with CF, including a subgroup of subjects with normal forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1; >80% predicted, n = 9). Dynamic fluorine-19-enhanced MRI (19F MRI) were acquired during sequential breath holds while breathing perfluoropropane (PFP) and during gas wash-out. Outcomes included the fraction of lung without significant ventilation (ventilation defect percent, VDP) and time constants that described PFP wash-in and wash-out kinetics. VDP values (mean ± SD) of healthy controls (3.87% ± 2.7%) were statistically different from moderate CF subjects (19.5% ± 15.5%, P = 0.001) but not from mild CF subjects (10.4% ± 9.9%, P = 0.24). In contrast, the fractional lung volume with slow gas wash-out was elevated both in subjects with mild (9.61% ± 4.87%; P = 0.0066) and moderate CF (16.01% ± 5.01%; P = 0.0002) when compared with healthy controls (3.84% ± 2.16%) and distinguished mild from moderate CF (P = 0.006). 19F MRI detected significant ventilation abnormalities in subjects with CF. The ability of gas wash-out kinetics to distinguish between healthy and mild CF lung disease subjects makes 19F MRI a potentially valuable method for the characterization of early lung disease in CF. This study has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03489590).

Time for a gut check: Pancreatic sufficiency resulting from CFTR modulator use.

Pancreatic exocrine insufficiency in cystic fibrosis is genetically determined and generally felt to be irreversible. However, recent studies in young children started on cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) modulators have suggested improvement of pancreatic functioning over time. Here, we present the case of a 10-year-old child with pancreatic exocrine insufficiency since birth who regained pancreatic functioning after 4 years on the CFTR corrector drug, ivacaftor.

Initial clinical evaluation of stationary digital chest tomosynthesis in adult patients with cystic fibrosis.

OBJECTIVE: The imaging evaluation of cystic fibrosis currently relies on chest radiography or computed tomography. Recently, digital chest tomosynthesis has been proposed as an alternative. We have developed a stationary digital chest tomosynthesis (s-DCT) system based on a carbon nanotube (CNT) linear x-ray source array. This system enables tomographic imaging without movement of the x-ray tube and allows for physiological gating. The goal of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of clinical CF imaging with the s-DCT system. MATERIALS AND METHODS: CF patients undergoing clinically indicated chest radiography were recruited for the study and imaged on the s-DCT system. Three board-certified radiologists reviewed both the CXR and s-DCT images for image quality relevant to CF. CF disease severity was assessed by Brasfield score on CXR and chest tomosynthesis score on s-DCT. Disease severity measures were also evaluated against subject pulmonary function tests. RESULTS: Fourteen patients underwent s-DCT imaging within 72 h of their chest radiograph imaging. Readers scored the visualization of proximal bronchi, small airways and vascular pattern higher on s-DCT than CXR. Correlation between the averaged Brasfield score and averaged tomosynthesis disease severity score for CF was -0.73, p = 0.0033. The CF disease severity score system for tomosynthesis had high correlation with FEV1 (r = -0.685) and FEF 25-75% (r = -0.719) as well as good correlation with FVC (r = -0.582). CONCLUSION: We demonstrate the potential of CNT x-ray-based s-DCT for use in the evaluation of cystic fibrosis disease status in the first clinical study of s-DCT. KEY POINTS: • Carbon nanotube-based linear array x-ray tomosynthesis systems have the potential to provide diagnostically relevant information for patients with cystic fibrosis without the need for a moving gantry. • Despite the short angular span in this prototype system, lung features such as the proximal bronchi, small airways and pulmonary vasculature have improved visualization on s-DCT compared with CXR. Further improvements are anticipated with longer linear x-ray array tubes. • Evaluation of disease severity in CF patients is possible with s-DCT, yielding improved visualization of important lung features and high correlation with pulmonary function tests at a relatively low dose.

Use of telavancin in adolescent patients with cystic fibrosis and prior intolerance to vancomycin: A case series.

The most common pathogen in pediatric cystic fibrosis (CF) patients is Staphylococcus aureus, and drug-resistant species are associated with negative outcomes. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is notoriously hard to treat because many antibiotics are not FDA approved for children and drug allergies or intolerances can prohibit the use of others. Telavancin is currently indicated for hospital-acquired pneumonia and ventilator-associated pneumonia caused by MRSA, but it has not been studied in patients with CF or in pediatrics. As a semi-synthetic derivative of vancomycin, it is unknown if cross-reactivity with telavancin occurs in patients with vancomycin hypersensitivity or intolerance. In this case series, we describe three adolescent patients with CF and previous intolerance to vancomycin who received telavancin for bronchopulmonary exacerbations.