Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid Cellular Analysis and Radiologic Patterns in Patients With Fibrotic Interstitial Lung Disease.

BACKGROUND: Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cellular analysis is often recommended during the initial diagnostic evaluation of fibrotic interstitial lung disease (ILD). Despite recommendation for its use, between-center heterogeneity exists and supportive data concerning the clinical utility and correlation of BAL findings with radiologic features or patterns remain sparse. RESEARCH QUESTION: In patients with fibrotic ILD, are BAL findings associated with radiologic features, patterns, and clinical diagnoses? STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Patients with fibrotic ILD who underwent BAL for diagnostic evaluation and who were enrolled in the prospective Canadian Registry for Pulmonary Fibrosis were re-reviewed in a standardized multidisciplinary discussion (MDD). BAL was categorized according to guideline-recommended thresholds, and using thresholds of lymphocytosis > 20% and neutrophils > 4.5%. High-resolution CT (HRCT) scans were scored (blinded to clinical data) for specific features and percentage lung involvement. Radiologists classified HRCT scans according to guideline-defined patterns for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and fibrotic hypersensitivity pneumonitis (fHP); then, MDD diagnoses were assigned, considering all available data. RESULTS: Bronchoscopy with cellular analysis was performed in 209 of 1,593 patients (13%). Lymphocyte % was weakly negatively correlated with total fibrosis % (r = -0.16, P = .023) but not statistically significantly correlated with ground glass opacity % (r = 0.01, P = .94). A mixed BAL pattern was the most frequent in all radiologic patterns (range, 45%-69%), with a minority classifiable according to BAL guidelines. BAL lymphocytosis appeared with similar frequency across HRCT patterns of fHP (21%) and usual interstitial pneumonia (18%). Only 5% of patients with MDD-based fHP had a guideline-defined isolated lymphocytosis > 15%. INTERPRETATION: BAL cellular analyses did not significantly correlate with radiologic features, guideline patterns, or MDD-based diagnoses. Ground glass opacities are often interpreted to represent pulmonary inflammation, but were not associated with BAL lymphocytosis in this cohort.

Treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: an update on emerging drugs in phase II & III clinical trials.

INTRODUCTION: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive, debilitating lung disease with poor prognosis. Although two antifibrotics have been approved in the past decade there are no curative therapies. AREAS COVERED: This review highlights the current landscape of IPF research in the development of novel compounds for the treatment of IPF while also evaluating repurposed medications and their role in the management of IPF. The literature search includes studies found on PubMed, conference abstracts, and press releases until March 2024. EXPERT OPINION: Disease progression in IPF is driven by a dysregulated cycle of microinjury, aberrant wound healing, and propagating fibrosis. Current drug development focuses on attenuating fibrotic responses via multiple pathways. Phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitors (PDE4i), lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) antagonists, dual-selective inhibitor of αvß6 and αvß1 integrins, and the prostacyclin agonist Treprostinil have had supportive phase II clinical trial results in slowing decline in forced vital capacity (FVC) in IPF. Barriers to drug development specific to IPF include the lack of a rodent model that mimics IPF pathology, the nascent understanding of the role of genetics affecting development of IPF and response to treatment, and the lack of a validated biomarker to monitor therapeutic response in patients with IPF. Successful treatment of IPF will likely include a multi-targeted approach anchored in precision medicine.

A shared neoantigen vaccine combined with immune checkpoint blockade for advanced metastatic solid tumors: phase 1 trial interim results.

Therapeutic vaccines that elicit cytotoxic T cell responses targeting tumor-specific neoantigens hold promise for providing long-term clinical benefit to patients with cancer. Here we evaluated safety and tolerability of a therapeutic vaccine encoding 20 shared neoantigens derived from selected common oncogenic driver mutations as primary endpoints in an ongoing phase 1/2 study in patients with advanced/metastatic solid tumors. Secondary endpoints included immunogenicity, overall response rate, progression-free survival and overall survival. Eligible patients were selected if their tumors expressed one of the human leukocyte antigen-matched tumor mutations included in the vaccine, with the majority of patients (18/19) harboring a mutation in KRAS. The vaccine regimen, consisting of a chimp adenovirus (ChAd68) and self-amplifying mRNA (samRNA) in combination with the immune checkpoint inhibitors ipilimumab and nivolumab, was shown to be well tolerated, with observed treatment-related adverse events consistent with acute inflammation expected with viral vector-based vaccines and immune checkpoint blockade, the majority grade 1/2. Two patients experienced grade 3/4 serious treatment-related adverse events that were also dose-limiting toxicities. The overall response rate was 0%, and median progression-free survival and overall survival were 1.9 months and 7.9 months, respectively. T cell responses were biased toward human leukocyte antigen-matched TP53 neoantigens encoded in the vaccine relative to KRAS neoantigens expressed by the patients' tumors, indicating a previously unknown hierarchy of neoantigen immunodominance that may impact the therapeutic efficacy of multiepitope shared neoantigen vaccines. These data led to the development of an optimized vaccine exclusively targeting KRAS-derived neoantigens that is being evaluated in a subset of patients in phase 2 of the clinical study. ClinicalTrials.gov registration: NCT03953235 .

Lung imaging patterns in connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung disease impact prognosis and immunosuppression response.

OBJECTIVES: Interstitial lung disease (ILD) in CTDs has highly variable morphology. We aimed to identify imaging features and their impact on ILD progression, mortality, and immunosuppression response. METHODS: Patients with CTD-ILD had high-resolution chest CT (HRCT) reviewed by expert radiologists blinded to clinical data for overall imaging pattern [usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP); non-specific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP); organizing pneumonia (OP); fibrotic hypersensitivity pneumonitis (fHP); and other]. Transplant-free survival and change in percent-predicted forced vital capacity (FVC) were compared using Cox and linear mixed-effects models adjusted for age, sex, smoking, and baseline FVC. FVC decline after immunosuppression was compared with pre-treatment. RESULTS: Among 645 CTD-ILD patients, the most frequent CTDs were SSc (n = 215), RA (n = 127), and inflammatory myopathies (n = 100). NSIP was the most common pattern (54%), followed by UIP (20%), fHP (9%), and OP (5%). Compared with the case for patients with UIP, FVC decline was slower in patients with NSIP (by 1.1%/year, 95% CI 0.2, 1.9) or OP (by 3.5%/year, 95% CI 2.0, 4.9), and mortality was lower in patients with NSIP [hazard ratio (HR) 0.65, 95% CI 0.45, 0.93] or OP (HR 0.18, 95% CI 0.05, 0.57), but higher in fHP (HR 1.58, 95% CI 1.01, 2.40). The extent of fibrosis also predicted FVC decline and mortality. After immunosuppression, FVC decline was slower compared with pre-treatment in NSIP (by 2.1%/year, 95% CI 1.4, 2.8), with no change for UIP or fHP. CONCLUSION: Multiple radiologic patterns are possible in CTD-ILD, including a fHP pattern. NSIP and OP were associated with better outcomes and response to immunosuppression, while fHP had worse survival compared with UIP.

The Clinical Frailty Scale for Risk Stratification in Patients With Fibrotic Interstitial Lung Disease.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown the importance of frailty in patients with fibrotic interstitial lung disease (ILD). RESEARCH QUESTION: Is the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) a valid tool to improve risk stratification in patients with fibrotic ILD? STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Patients with fibrotic ILD were included from the prospective multicenter Canadian Registry for Pulmonary Fibrosis. The CFS was assessed using available information from initial ILD clinic visits. Patients were stratified into fit (CFS score 1-3), vulnerable (CFS score 4), and frail (CFS score 5-9) subgroups. Cox proportional hazards and logistic regression models with mixed effects were used to estimate time to death or lung transplantation. A derivation and validation cohort was used to establish prognostic performance. Trajectories of functional tests were compared using joint models. RESULTS: Of the 1,587 patients with fibrotic ILD, 858 (54%) were fit, 400 (25%) were vulnerable, and 329 (21%) were frail. Frailty was a risk factor for early mortality (hazard ratio, 5.58; 95% CI, 3.64-5.76, P < .001) in the entire cohort, in individual ILD diagnoses, and after adjustment for potential confounders. Adding frailty to established risk prediction parameters improved the prognostic performance in derivation and validation cohorts. Patients in the frail subgroup had larger annual declines in FVC % predicted than patients in the fit subgroup (-2.32; 95% CI, -3.39 to -1.17 vs -1.55; 95% CI, -2.04 to -1.15, respectively; P = .02). INTERPRETATION: The simple and practical CFS is associated with pulmonary and physical function decline in patients with fibrotic ILD and provides additional prognostic accuracy in clinical practice.

Integration and Application of Radiologic Patterns From Clinical Practice Guidelines on Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis and Fibrotic Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis.

BACKGROUND: Clinical practice guidelines separately describe radiologic patterns of usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) and fibrotic hypersensitivity pneumonitis (fHP), without direction on whether or how to apply these approaches concurrently within a single patient. RESEARCH QUESTION: How can we integrate guideline-defined radiologic patterns to diagnose interstitial lung disease (ILD) and what are the pitfalls associated with described patterns that require reassessment in future guidelines? STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Patients from the Canadian Registry for Pulmonary Fibrosis underwent detailed reevaluation in standardized multidisciplinary discussion. CT scan features were quantified by chest radiologists masked to clinical data, and guideline-defined patterns were assigned. Clinical data then were provided to the radiologist and an ILD clinician, who jointly determined the leading diagnosis. RESULTS: Clinical-radiologic diagnosis in 1,593 patients was idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in 26%, fHP in 12%, connective tissue disease-associated ILD (CTD-ILD) in 34%, idiopathic pneumonia with autoimmune features in 12%, and unclassifiable ILD in 10%. Typical and probable UIP patterns corresponded to a diagnosis of IPF in 66% and 57% of patients, respectively. Typical fHP pattern corresponded to an fHP clinical diagnosis in 65% of patients, whereas compatible fHP was nonspecific and associated with CTD-ILD or IPAF in 48% of patients. No pattern ruled out CTD-ILD. Gas trapping affecting > 5% of lung parenchyma on expiratory imaging was an important feature broadly separating compatible and typical fHP from other patterns (sensitivity, 0.77; specificity, 0.91). INTERPRETATION: An integrated approach to guideline-defined UIP and fHP patterns is feasible and supports > 5% gas trapping as an important branch point. Typical or probable UIP and typical fHP patterns have moderate predictive values for a corresponding diagnosis of IPF and fHP, although occasionally confounded by CTD-ILD; compatible fHP is nonspecific.

GRT-R910: a self-amplifying mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccine boosts immunity for ≥6 months in previously-vaccinated older adults.

SARS-CoV-2 has resulted in high levels of morbidity and mortality world-wide, and severe complications can occur in older populations. Humoral immunity induced by authorized vaccines wanes within 6 months, and frequent boosts may only offer transient protection. GRT-R910 is an investigational self-amplifying mRNA (samRNA)-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccine delivering full-length Spike and selected conserved non-Spike T cell epitopes. This study reports interim analyses for a phase I open-label dose-escalation trial evaluating GRT-R910 in previously vaccinated healthy older adults (NCT05148962). Primary endpoints of safety and tolerability were assessed. Most solicited local and systemic adverse events (AEs) following GRT-R910 dosing were mild to moderate and transient, and no treatment-related serious AEs were observed. The secondary endpoint of immunogenicity was assessed via IgG binding assays, neutralization assays, interferon-gamma ELISpot, and intracellular cytokine staining. Neutralizing antibody titers against ancestral Spike and variants of concern were boosted or induced by GRT-R910 and, contrasting to authorized vaccines, persisted through at least 6 months after the booster dose. GRT-R910 increased and/or broadened functional Spike-specific T cell responses and primed functional T cell responses to conserved non-Spike epitopes. This study is limited due to small sample size, and additional data from ongoing studies will be required to corroborate these interim findings.

Vascular-Parenchymal Cross-Talk Promotes Lung Fibrosis through BMPR2 Signaling.

Rationale: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a fatal lung disease characterized by progressive lung scarring. IPF-related pulmonary vascular remodeling and pulmonary hypertension (PH) result in a particularly poor prognosis. Objectives: To study the pathogenesis of vascular remodeling in fibrotic lungs and its contribution to progression of fibrosis. Methods: We used an experimental model of lung fibrosis associated with PH by transient overexpression of active TGF-ß1 (transforming growth factor-ß1). Samples from patients with fibrotic lung diseases were analyzed in depth using immunostaining, gene expression, and gene mutations. Measurements and Main Results: We found a reduction in endothelial cells (ECs) and activation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) in fibrotic lungs. Coculturing fibroblasts with VSMCs or ECs from fibrotic lungs induced fibrotic phenotypes in fibroblasts. IPF fibroblasts induced EC death and activation of VSMCs in coculture systems. Decreased concentrations of BMPR2 (bone morphogenic protein receptor 2) and its signaling were observed in ECs and VSMCs from fibrotic lungs in both rats and humans. On fibroblasts treated with media from VSMCs, BMPR2 suppression in VSMCs led to fibrogenic effects. Tacrolimus activated BMPR2 signaling and attenuated fibrosis and PH in rodent lungs. Whole-exome sequencing revealed rare mutations in PH-related genes, including BMPR2, in patients with IPF undergoing transplantation. A unique missense BMPR2 mutation (p.Q721R) was discovered to have dysfunctional effects on BMPR2 signaling. Conclusions: Endothelial dysfunction and vascular remodeling in PH secondary to pulmonary fibrosis enhance fibrogenesis through impaired BMPR2 signaling. Tacrolimus may have value as a treatment of advanced IPF and concomitant PH. Genetic abnormalities may determine the development of PH in advanced IPF.

MIT CAACB Risk Assessment Case Study: Assessing Virus Cross-Contamination Risk between Two Simultaneous Processes in an Open Biomanufacturing Facility.

Some members of MIT's Consortium on Adventitious Agent Contamination in Biomanufacturing (CAACB) previously published content on the "Quality Risk Management in the Context of Viral Contamination", which described tools, procedures, and methodologies for assessing and managing the risk of a potential virus contamination in cell culture processes. To address the growing industry interest in moving manufacturing toward open ballrooms with functionally closed systems and to demonstrate how the ideas of risk management can be leveraged to perform a risk assessment, CAACB conducted a case study exercise of these new manufacturing modalities. In the case study exercise, a cross-functional team composed of personnel from many of CAACB's industry membership collaboratively assessed the risks of viral cross-contamination between a human and non-human host cell system in an open manufacturing facility. This open manufacturing facility had no walls to provide architectural separation of two processes occurring simultaneously, specifically a recombinant protein perfusion cell culture process using the human cell line, HEK-293 (Process 1) and a downstream postviral filtration unit operation (Process 2) of a recombinant protein produced in CHO cells. This viral risk assessment focused on cross-contamination of the Process 2 filtration unit operation after the Process 1 perfusion bioreactor was contaminated with a virus that went undetected. The workflow for quality risk management that is recommended by the International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) was followed, which included identifying and mapping the manufacturing process, defining the risk question, risk evaluation, and risk control. The case study includes a completed Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) to provide descriptions of the specific risks and corresponding recommended risk reduction actions.

Individualized, heterologous chimpanzee adenovirus and self-amplifying mRNA neoantigen vaccine for advanced metastatic solid tumors: phase 1 trial interim results.

Checkpoint inhibitor (CPI) therapies provide limited benefit to patients with tumors of low immune reactivity. T cell-inducing vaccines hold promise to exert long-lasting disease control in combination with CPI therapy. Safety, tolerability and recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) of an individualized, heterologous chimpanzee adenovirus (ChAd68) and self-amplifying mRNA (samRNA)-based neoantigen vaccine in combination with nivolumab and ipilimumab were assessed as primary endpoints in an ongoing phase 1/2 study in patients with advanced metastatic solid tumors (NCT03639714). The individualized vaccine regimen was safe and well tolerated, with no dose-limiting toxicities. Treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) >10% included pyrexia, fatigue, musculoskeletal and injection site pain and diarrhea. Serious TRAEs included one count each of pyrexia, duodenitis, increased transaminases and hyperthyroidism. The RP2D was 1012 viral particles (VP) ChAd68 and 30 µg samRNA. Secondary endpoints included immunogenicity, feasibility of manufacturing and overall survival (OS). Vaccine manufacturing was feasible, with vaccination inducing long-lasting neoantigen-specific CD8 T cell responses. Several patients with microsatellite-stable colorectal cancer (MSS-CRC) had improved OS. Exploratory biomarker analyses showed decreased circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in patients with prolonged OS. Although small study size limits statistical and translational analyses, the increased OS observed in MSS-CRC warrants further exploration in larger randomized studies.

Low-dose self-amplifying mRNA COVID-19 vaccine drives strong protective immunity in non-human primates against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to spread globally, highlighting the urgent need for safe and effective vaccines that could be rapidly mobilized to immunize large populations. We report the preclinical development of a self-amplifying mRNA (SAM) vaccine encoding a prefusion stabilized severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike glycoprotein and demonstrate strong cellular and humoral immune responses at low doses in mice and rhesus macaques. The homologous prime-boost vaccination regimen of SAM at 3, 10 and 30 µg induced potent neutralizing antibody (nAb) titers in rhesus macaques following two SAM vaccinations at all dose levels, with the 10 µg dose generating geometric mean titers (GMT) 48-fold greater than the GMT of a panel of SARS-CoV-2 convalescent human sera. Spike-specific T cell responses were observed with all tested vaccine regimens. SAM vaccination provided protective efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 challenge as both a homologous prime-boost and as a single boost following ChAd prime, demonstrating reduction of viral replication in both the upper and lower airways. The SAM vaccine is currently being evaluated in clinical trials as both a homologous prime-boost regimen at low doses and as a boost following heterologous prime.

Sildenafil for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis have a poor overall prognosis and there are few evidence-based drug therapies that reduce mortality. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess whether sildenafil reduces mortality, disease progression and adverse side effects. METHODS: We reviewed randomized controlled studies (RCTs) from MEDLINE, Cochrane registry of clinical trials, and EMBASE. Our outcomes of interest included mortality, change in FVC, acute exacerbations and hospitalizations and adverse drug effects leading to discontinuation. We used an inverse variance fixed effects meta-analysis method to calculate pooled relative risk (RR) and mean difference (MD). RESULTS: A total of 4 studies were included in the systematic review. Sildenafil probably reduces mortality when compared to placebo or to standard care, [RR 0.73 (95% CI 0.51 to 1.04); moderate certainty]. Pooled estimates showed sildenafil may not alter the rate of change of FVC [MD 0.61% (95% CI -0.29 to 1.52)], or DLCO [MD 0.97% (95% CI 0.04 to 1.90)] (both low certainty). Pooled estimated showed sildenafil may not reduce the number of hospitalizations or acute exacerbations, [RR 1.10 (95% CI 0.61 to 1.98); low certainty]. There is probably no difference in drug discontinuation due to adverse effects when comparing sildenafil to the control group, [RR 0.79 (95% CI 0.56, 1.10); moderate certainty]. CONCLUSION: Sildenafil probably reduces all-cause mortality in IPF patients. More studies need to be done to confirm the magnitude and reliability of the point estimate.

Prevalence and characteristics of progressive fibrosing interstitial lung disease in a prospective registry.

BACKGROUND: Progressive fibrosing interstitial lung disease (PF-ILD) is characterised by progressive physiological, symptomatic and/or radiographic worsening. The real-world prevalence and characteristics of PF-ILD remain uncertain. METHODS: Patients were enrolled from the Canadian Registry for Pulmonary Fibrosis between 2015 and 2020. PF-ILD was defined as a relative forced vital capacity (FVC) decline ≥10%, death, lung transplantation or any two of: relative FVC decline ≥5% and <10%, worsening respiratory symptoms or worsening fibrosis on computed tomography of the chest, all within 24 months of diagnosis. Time-to-event analysis compared progression between key diagnostic subgroups. Characteristics associated with progression were determined by multivariable regression. RESULTS: Of 2746 patients with fibrotic ILD (mean±sd age 65±12 years; 51% female), 1376 (50%) met PF-ILD criteria in the first 24 months of follow-up. PF-ILD occurred in 427 (59%) patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), 125 (58%) with fibrotic hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP), 281 (51%) with unclassifiable ILD (U-ILD) and 402 (45%) with connective tissue disease-associated ILD (CTD-ILD). Compared with IPF, time to progression was similar in patients with HP (hazard ratio (HR) 0.96, 95% CI 0.79-1.17), but was delayed in patients with U-ILD (HR 0.82, 95% CI 0.71-0.96) and CTD-ILD (HR 0.65, 95% CI 0.56-0.74). Background treatment varied across diagnostic subtypes, with 66% of IPF patients receiving antifibrotic therapy, while immunomodulatory therapy was utilised in 49%, 61% and 37% of patients with CHP, CTD-ILD and U-ILD, respectively. Increasing age, male sex, gastro-oesophageal reflux disease and lower baseline pulmonary function were independently associated with progression. CONCLUSIONS: Progression is common in patients with fibrotic ILD, and is similarly prevalent in HP and IPF. Routinely collected variables help identify patients at risk for progression and may guide therapeutic strategies.

Medical treatments for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a respiratory disorder with a poor prognosis. Our objective is to assess the comparative effectiveness of 22 approved or studied IPF drug treatments. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and clinicaltrials.gov from inception to 2 April 2021. We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) for adult patients with IPF receiving one or more of 22 drug treatments. Pairs of reviewers independently identified randomised trials that compared one or more of the target medical treatments in patients with IPF. We assessed the certainty of evidence using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach for network meta-analysis. We calculated pooled relative risk (RR) ratios and presented direct or network estimates with 95% credibility intervals (95% CI), within the GRADE framework. RESULTS: We identified 48 (10 326 patients) eligible studies for analysis. Nintedanib [RR 0.69 (0.44 to 1.1), pirfenidone [RR 0.63 (0.37 to 1.09); direct estimate), and sildenafil [RR (0.44 (0.16 to 1.09)] probably reduce mortality (all moderate certainty). Nintedanib (2.92% (1.51 to 4.14)), nintedanib+sildenafil (157 mL (-88.35 to 411.12)), pirfenidone (2.47% (-0.1 to 5)), pamrevlumab (4.3% (0.5 to 8.1)) and pentraxin (2.74% (1 to 4.83)) probably reduce decline of overall forced vital capacity (all moderate certainty). Only sildenafil probably reduces acute exacerbation and hospitalisations (moderate certainty). Corticosteroids+azathioprine+N-acetylcysteine increased risk of serious adverse events versus placebo (high certainty). CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE: Future guidelines should consider sildenafil for IPF and further research needs to be done on promising IPF treatments such as pamrevlumab and pentraxin as phase 3 trials are completed.

Connective-Tissue Growth Factor Contributes to TGF-ß1-induced Lung Fibrosis.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a fatal lung disease characterized by progressive and excessive accumulation of myofibroblasts and in the lung. Connective-tissue growth factor (CTGF) exacerbates pulmonary fibrosis in radiation-induced lung fibrosis, and in this study, we demonstrate upregulation of CTGF in a rat lung fibrosis model induced by an adenovirus vector encoding active TGF-ß1 (AdTGF-ß1). We show that CTGF is also upregulated in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Expression of CTGF was upregulated in vascular smooth muscle cells cultured from fibrotic lungs on Days 7 and 14 as well as endothelial cells sorted from fibrotic lungs on Days 14 and 28. These findings suggest contributions of different cells in maintaining the fibrotic phenotype during fibrogenesis. Treatment of fibroblasts with recombinant CTGF along with TGF-ß increases profibrotic markers in fibroblasts, confirming the synergistic effect of recombinant CTGF with TGF-ß in inducing pulmonary fibrosis. Also, the fibrotic extracellular matrix upregulated CTGF expression, compared with the normal extracellular matrix, suggesting that not only profibrotic mediators but also a profibrotic environment contributes to fibrogenesis. We also showed that pamrevlumab, a CTGF inhibitory antibody, partially attenuates fibrosis in the model. These results suggest that pamrevlumab could be an option for treatment of pulmonary fibrosis.

R-scale for pulmonary fibrosis: a simple, visual tool for the assessment of health-related quality of life.

RATIONALE: Patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) experience impaired health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Several tools have been developed to objectively assess HRQoL in this patient population, but none are in use in routine clinical practice. OBJECTIVES: To develop a rapid, specific tool that can be used for patients with IPF during routine clinic visits. METHODS: A novel and simple five-item numerical rating scale was developed and compared with two other previously validated tools. 100 consecutive patients with IPF managed at a centre for interstitial lung disease were recruited to complete the Raghu scale for pulmonary fibrosis (R-Scale-PF), King's Brief Interstitial Lung Disease questionnaire (K-BILD), and the EuroQol Five-Dimensional Five-Level questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L) in addition to pulmonary function and 6-min walk tests. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: All 100 patients successfully completed the three HRQoL tools with 53 completing them again at follow-up visits. Internal consistency was high (Cronbach's α 0.825) with minimal floor/ceiling effect. Concurrent validity of the R-Scale-PF was moderate to high compared with the K-BILD (r=-0.713) and the EQ-5D-5L (r=-0.665). Concurrent validity was moderate with physiologic measures (forced vital capacity, r=-0.307, 6-min walking distance, r=-0.383). The R-Scale-PF demonstrated good known-groups validity when comparing scores across stages of disease severity. CONCLUSIONS: The R-Scale-PF correlates well with the K-BILD and EQ-5D-5L. It is hoped that this novel simple numerical rating scale tool, subject to validation in patients from other centres, will provide an opportunity to objectively measure HRQoL in routine clinical practice for patients with IPF.

Emerging therapeutic targets for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: preclinical progress and therapeutic implications.

INTRODUCTION: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic progressive lung disease with high associated morbidity and mortality. The therapeutic landscape has significantly changed in the last 20 years with two drugs currently approved that have demonstrated the ability to slow disease progression. Despite these developments, survival in IPF is limited, so there is a major interest in therapeutic targets which could serve to open up new therapeutic avenues. AREAS COVERED: We review the most recent information regarding drug targets and therapies currently being investigated in preclinical and early-stage clinical trials. EXPERT OPINION: The complex pathogenesis of IPF and variability in disease course and response to therapy highlights the importance of a precision approach to therapy. Novel technologies including transcriptomics and the use of serum biomarkers, will become essential tools to guide future drug development and therapeutic decision making particularly as it pertains to combination therapy.

Sputum quantitative cytometry in patients with interstitial lung disease and chronic cough.

BACKGROUND: Chronic cough frequently occurs in patients with diffuse interstitial lung diseases (ILDs), and can have negative effects on quality-of-life. While there are multiple possible contributors to cough in this setting, the contribution and consequences of airway inflammation have not been previously measured. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of airway cellular inflammation in patients with chronic cough and ILD, and examine the interaction between airway inflammation and changes in lung function. METHODS: We examined all patients with physician-diagnosed ILD and chronic cough who had sputum quantitative cytometry ordered between 2004 and 2018. The prevalence of airway inflammation was estimated by applying previously established criteria for bronchitis. FEV1 and FVC were compared between individuals based on the presence of airway inflammation. The changes in FEV1 and FVC were compared between individuals who had their treatment tailored to their sputum result, and those who did not. RESULTS: Airway inflammation was present in 50% of patients (n = 173), and was associated with lower FEV1 (1.87 vs 2.05 L, p = 0.043) and FVC (2.39 vs 2.71, p = 0.024). Sputum-guided management of airway eosinophilia was associated with improvements in FEV1 (+120 vs -205mL, p < 0.0001) and stability of FVC (+13 vs -284mL, p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Airway inflammation is common in patients with chronic cough and ILD, and its presence may negatively affect lung function. Further research is required to understand if there is a role for quantitative sputum cytometry in this population, particularly if sputum-guided management of airway inflammation could lead to improvements in cough and other ILD outcomes.

Systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: In this review, the authors discuss systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD) with a focus on recent developments in diagnosis, surveillance, and management. RECENT FINDINGS: With advances in the management of SSc, the importance of ILD has been increasingly recognized and is the leading cause of mortality. Early detection is essential, and a combination of lung function testing and chest imaging are key tools in diagnosis and surveillance. The foundation of treatment is immunomodulation with recent studies identifying several potential new agents. The use of therapies targeting pro-fibrotic pathways have demonstrated significant effects on lung function decline and represent the latest advance in therapy for SSc-ILD. SUMMARY: Recent studies support the use of newer therapies in SSc-ILD including antifibrotic agents. The identification and management of comorbidities is important, and lung transplantation is a viable option for patients with advanced disease.