Phase I Studies of Acebilustat: Biomarker Response and Safety in Patients with Cystic Fibrosis.

There is a significant unmet need for safe and effective anti-inflammatory treatment for cystic fibrosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety of acebilustat, a leukotriene A4 hydrolase inhibitor, and its effect on inflammation biomarkers in patients with cystic fibrosis. Seventeen patients with mild to moderate cystic fibrosis were enrolled and randomized into groups receiving placebo or doses of 50 mg or 100 mg acebilustat administered orally, once daily for 15 days. Sputum neutrophil counts were reduced by 65% over baseline values in patients treated with 100 mg acebilustat. A modestly significant 58% reduction vs. placebo in sputum elastase was observed with acebilustat treatment. Favorable trends were observed for reduction of serum C-reactive protein and sputum neutrophil DNA in acebilustat-treated patients. No changes in pulmonary function were observed. Acebilustat was safe and well tolerated. The results of this study support further clinical development of acebilustat for treatment of cystic fibrosis.

Phase I Studies of Acebilustat: Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics, Food Effect, and CYP3A Induction.

Acebilustat is a new once-daily oral antiinflammatory drug in development for treatment of cystic fibrosis (CF) and other diseases. It is an inhibitor of leukotriene A4 hydrolase; therefore, production of leukotriene B4 (LTB4) in biological fluids provides a direct measure of the pharmacodynamic (PD) response to acebilustat treatment. Here we compare the pharmacokinetics (PK) and PD between CF patients and healthy volunteers, and investigate the food effect and CYP3A4 induction in healthy volunteers. No significant differences between study populations were observed for peak plasma level (Cmax ) or exposure (AUC). In healthy volunteers, a shift in time to Cmax (Tmax ) was observed after a high-fat meal, but there was no change in AUC. LTB4 production was reduced in the blood of both populations and in sputum from CF patients. Acebilustat did not induce CYP3A4. These results support continued clinical study of once-daily oral acebilustat in CF at doses of 50 and 100 mg.

Contemporary outcome trends in the elderly undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions: results in 7,472 octogenarians. National Cardiovascular Network Collaboration.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to define the risks facing octogenarians undergoing contemporary percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs). BACKGROUND: The procedural risks of PCI for octogenarians have not been well established. METHODS: We compared the clinical characteristics and in-hospital outcomes of 7,472 octogenarians (mean age 83 years) with those of 102,236 younger patients (mean age 62 years) who underwent PCI at 22 National Cardiovascular Network (NCN) hospitals from 1994 through 1997. RESULTS: Octogenarians had more comorbidities, more extensive coronary disease and a two- to fourfold increased risk of complications, including death (3.8% vs. 1.1%), Qwave myocardial infarction (1.9% vs. 1.3%), stroke (0.58% vs. 0.23%), renal failure (3.2% vs. 1.0%) and vascular complications (6.7% vs. 3.3%) (p < 0.001 for all comparisons). Independent predictors of procedural mortality in octogenarians included shock (odds ratio [OR] 5.4, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.3 to 8.8), acute myocardial infarction (OR 3.2, 95% CI 2.3 to 4.4), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) <35% (OR 2.9, 95% CI 2.1 to 3.9), renal insufficiency (OR 2.8, 95% CI 2.0 to 3.8), first PCI (OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.7 to 3.3), age >85 years (OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.5 to 2.7) and diabetes mellitus (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.1 to 2.0). For elective procedures, octogenarian mortality varied nearly 10-fold, and was strongly influenced by comorbidities (0.79% mortality with no risk factors vs. 7.2% with renal insufficiency or LVEF <35%). Despite similar case-mix, PCI outcomes in octogenarians improved significantly over the four years of observation (OR of 0.61 for death/myocardial infarction/stroke in 1997 vs. 1994; 95% CI 0.45 to 0.85). CONCLUSIONS: Risks to octogenarians undergoing PCI are two- to fourfold higher than those of younger patients, strongly influenced by comorbidities, and have decreased in the stent era.

Outcomes of cardiac surgery in patients > or = 80 years: results from the National Cardiovascular Network.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate characteristics and outcomes of patients age > or =80 undergoing cardiac surgery. BACKGROUND: Prior single-institution series have found high mortality rates in octogenarians after cardiac surgery. However, the major preoperative risk factors in this age group have not been identified. In addition, the additive risks in the elderly of valve replacement surgery at the time of bypass are unknown. METHODS: We report in-hospital morbidity and mortality in 67,764 patients (4,743 octogenarians) undergoing cardiac surgery at 22 centers in the National Cardiovascular Network. We examine the predictors of in-hospital mortality in octogenarians compared with those predictors in younger patients. RESULTS: Octogenarians undergoing cardiac surgery had fewer comorbid illnesses but higher disease severity and surgical urgency than younger patients. Octogenarians had significantly higher in-hospital mortality after cardiac surgery than younger patients: coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) only (8.1% vs. 3.0%), CABG/aortic valve (10.1% vs. 7.9%), CABG/mitral valve (19.6% vs. 12.2%). In addition, they had twice the incidence of postoperative stroke and renal failure. The preoperative clinical factors predicting CABG mortality in the very elderly were quite similar to those for younger patients with age, emergency surgery and prior CABG being the powerful predictors of outcome in both age categories. Of note, elderly patients without significant comorbidity had in-hospital mortality rates of 4.2% after CABG, 7% after CABG with aortic valve replacement (CABG/AVR), and 18.2% after CABG with mitral valve replacement (CABG/MVR). CONCLUSIONS: Risks for octogenarians undergoing cardiac surgery are less than previously reported, especially for CABG only or CABG/AVR. In selected octogenarians without significant comorbidity, mortality approaches that seen in younger patients.

In-hospital and long-term outcome after reoperative coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

BACKGROUND: Increasingly over the past several years, patients have returned after coronary surgery for reoperative procedures, and the experience has become substantial. In this report, we describe immediate- and long-term outcomes after reoperative coronary artery bypass graft surgery. METHODS AND RESULTS: The source of data was the clinical database at Emory University. The surgical procedure and statistical methods were standard. Data were collected prospectively and entered into a computerized database. Follow-up was by letter, telephone, or hospital records documenting additional events resulting in readmission. In-hospital correlates of survival were determined by logistic regression, and long-term correlates were determined by Cox model analysis. There were 2030 patients with a mean age of 61 and a mean of 7.8 +/- 4.1 years since the first surgery. The mean ejection fraction was close to 50%, and the majority had three-vessel or left main disease. Urgent or emergency surgery was required in 16.6%. The internal mammary was used in 60.1%. Q-wave myocardial infarctions occurred in just over 5%. Neurological events increased from 1.2% at less than age 50 to 4.1% at more than age 70. The hospital mortality increased from 5.7% at less than age 50 to 10% at more than age 70, with an overall rate of 7.0%. Mortality was 5.7% for elective, 10.9% for urgent, and 16.4% for emergency cases. Angina was noted at follow-up in 41.3%. Urgent or emergency surgery, reduced ejection fraction, hypertension, older age, and female sex were univariate and multivariate correlates of in-hospital death. Diabetes was a univariate correlate only. Five- and 10-year survival rates were 76% and 55%, respectively. Five- and 10-year myocardial infarction-free survival rates were 63% and 40%, respectively. By 12 years, few patients were free of cardiac events. The univariate and multivariate correlates of long-term mortality were older age, reduced ejection fraction, hypertension, diseased vessels, presence of diabetes, congestive failure, and emergency surgery, with a strong trend for female sex. The use of the internal mammary artery was not a correlate for long-term mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Patients undergoing reoperative procedures have higher mortality initially and at long term than patients undergoing a first procedure. Expected mortality based on covariates may help in the decision of whether to perform reoperative coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

Influence of diabetes mellitus on early and late outcome after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.

BACKGROUND: Although patients with diabetes mellitus constitute an important segment of the population undergoing coronary angioplasty, the outcome of these patients has not been well characterized. METHODS AND RESULTS: Data for 1133 diabetic and 9300 nondiabetic patients undergoing elective angioplasty from 1980 to 1990 were analyzed. Diabetics were older and had more cardiovascular comorbidity. Insulin-requiring (IR) diabetics had diabetes for a longer duration and worse renal and ventricular functions compared with non-IR subjects. Angiographic and clinical successes after angioplasty were high and similar in diabetics and nondiabetics. In-hospital major complications were infrequent (3%), with a trend toward higher death or myocardial infarction in IR diabetics. Five-year survival (89% versus 93%) and freedom from infarction (81% versus 89%) were lower, and bypass surgery and additional angioplasty were required more often in diabetics. In diabetics, only 36% survived free of infarction or additional revascularization compared with 53% of nondiabetics, with a marked attrition in the first year after angioplasty, when restenosis is most common. Multivariate correlates of decreased 5-year survival were older age, reduced ejection fraction, history of heart failure, multivessel disease, and diabetes. IR diabetics had worse long-term survival and infarction-free survival than non-IR diabetics. CONCLUSIONS: Coronary angioplasty in diabetics is associated with high success and low complication rates. Although long-term survival is acceptable, diabetics have a higher rate of infarction and a greater need for additional revascularization procedures, probably because of early restenosis and late progression of coronary disease. The most appropriate treatment for these patients remains to be determined.