Analysis of response of severe eosinophilic asthmatic patients to benralizumab

Introduction Clinical trials and real-life studies have been published showing effectiveness of benralizumab in severe eosinophilic asthmatic patients. The aim of the present study is to describe super-responders to benralizumab in a series of 79 patients who completed at least 1 year of treatment, and to compare super-responders with non super-responders. Methods This is a multicenter study of the Register of Severe Asthma of the Region of Murcia (RE-ASGRAMUR) Group performed in eight hospitals under the conditions of routine clinical practice. Patients with zero exacerbations and no oral corticosteroid therapy for asthma were considered super-responders. We analyzed clinical, functional, and inflammatory parameters of selected patients. Results In all, 50 of the 79 patients (63%) met the super-responder criteria. In addition, 36% of the patients (26/71) were considered as complete responders to treatment (super--responder + Asthma Control Test [ACT] ≥ 20 + forced expiratory volume in 1 s [FEV1] ≥ 80%). The super--responders were significantly older in age (P = 0.0029), had higher eosinophils count (P = 0.0423), higher proportion of nasal polyps (P = 0.036), and they had less severe disease at baseline. After 1 year of treatment, the super-responders had higher levels of ACT questionnaire (23 vs 19, P = 0.0007) and better percentage of FEV1 (83 vs 75, P = 0.0359). Conclusion Almost two of the three patients treated with benralizumab were super--responders after 1 year of treatment and 36% had a complete response. Super-responders were associated with older age, higher eosinophils count, had nasal polyposis as comorbidity, and had less severe disease at baseline. This data illustrated the good real-life response of patients with severe eosinophilic asthma to the treatment with benralizumab (AU)

Factores predictores de mortalidad en pacientes con enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica y exacerbaciones frecuentes / Precipitating factors of mortality in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients with frequent exacerbations

Objetivo. Identificar las características de pacientes con una agudización de la enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica (AEPOC) capaces de predecir en un plazo corto de tiempo la mortalidad por EPOC. Material y método. Estudio retrospectivo caso-control de pacientes ingresados por AEPOC para la identificación de factores predictores de mortalidad. El grupo control estaba formado por pacientes vivos a los 6 meses. Las variables recogidas incluían antecedentes, comorbilidad, estado de salud y nutricional, disnea basal, dependencia, agudizaciones, exploración física, función pulmonar, radiología, electrocardiograma, microbiología y tratamiento. Las diferencias entre grupos se compararon con los test de la χ2 y de la T-Student. La capacidad predictiva se analizó con regresión logística, estableciendo como variable dependiente la mortalidad. Resultados. Se incluyeron 125 pacientes (44 éxitus/81 vivos) (10 mujeres/115 varones) de 74±10 años. Ambos grupos eran similares en edad, sexo y gravedad de la enfermedad. De todas las variables, encontramos diferencias significativas en la disnea basal (p<0,01), los niveles de proteína C reactiva (p<0,007), la hemoglobina (p<0,037) y las plaquetas (p<0,041), en la actividad física (p<0,036), el uso de musculatura accesoria (p<0,007), el aislamiento microbiológico positivo (p<0,013) y el tratamiento con anticolinérgicos (p<0,029) y con digoxina (p<0,039). Ninguna de estas variables, sin embargo, era capaz de predecir la mortalidad en el análisis de regresión logística. Conclusiones. Con los datos que se manejan para el seguimiento habitual de los pacientes con EPOC no parece posible identificar predictores de mortalidad a corto plazo (6 meses) en un ingreso hospitalario, diferentes a la propia gravedad de la agudización. Únicamente algún parámetro que expresaría mayor inflamación crónica y la menor tolerancia al ejercicio parecen ser diferentes en el grupo de pacientes fallecidos en la AECOP(AU)

Objective. To identify the main characteristics in patients with COPD exacerbation, capables to predict the short-term COPD mortality. Matherials and methods. This is a case-control retrospective study of admitted patients with COPD to identify risk factors of mortality. The control group was constituted by alive patients after 6 months. The variables studied were clinical antecedents, comorbility, health and nutritional status, basal dyspnea, dependency, exacerbations, physical examination, pulmonary function, radiology, ECG, microbiology and treatment. Both groups were compared with the Chi-square and the T tests. The predictive capacity was analyzed with logistic regression for which the dependent variable was mortality. Results. 125 patients were enrolled (44 exitus and 81 alive) (10 females and 115 males) with mean age of 74+10 years. No significant differences were found between groups in age, sex and disease severity. On the other hand, we found statistically significant differences in basal dyspnea (p<0,01), RCP levels (p<0,007), Hb (p<0,037) and platelets (p<0,041), physic activity (p<0,036), accessory muscles use (p<0,007), positive microbiological culture (p<0,013) and treatment with anticholinergic agents (p<0,029) and digoxin (p<0,039). However, none of these variables was able to predict mortality in the logistic regression analysis. Conclusions. The usual data managed in the follow-up of COPD patients are not useful to identify short-term mortality predictors (6 months) during a hospital admittance. Only some variables that would represent a higher chronic inflammation and a lower exercise tolerance showed a statistical tendence in the dead patients group in a exacerbation of COPD(AU)