Lung perfusion and emphysema distribution affect the outcome of endobronchial valve therapy.

The exclusion of collateral ventilation (CV) and other factors affect the clinical success of endoscopic lung volume reduction (ELVR). However, despite its benefits, the outcome of ELVR remains difficult to predict. We investigated whether clinical success could be predicted by emphysema distribution assessed by computed tomography scan and baseline perfusion assessed by perfusion scintigraphy. Data from 57 patients with no CV in the target lobe (TL) were retrospectively analyzed after ELVR with valves. Pulmonary function tests (PFT), St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), and 6-minute walk tests (6MWT) were performed on patients at baseline. The sample was grouped into high and low levels at the median of TL perfusion, ipsilateral nontarget lobe (INL) perfusion, and heterogeneity index (HI). These groups were analyzed for association with changes in outcome parameters from baseline to 3 months follow-up. Compared to baseline, patients showed significant improvements in PFT, SGRQ, and 6MWT (all P≤0.001). TL perfusion was not associated with changes in the outcome. High INL perfusion was significantly associated with increases in 6MWT (P=0.014), and high HI was associated with increases in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), (P=0.012). Likewise, there were significant correlations for INL perfusion and improvement of 6MWT (r=0.35, P=0.03) and for HI and improvement in FEV1 (r=0.45, P=0.001). This study reveals new attributes that associate with positive outcomes for patient selection prior to ELVR. Patients with high perfusions in INL demonstrated greater improvements in 6MWT, while patients with high HI were more likely to respond in FEV1.

Outcomes of Endobronchial Valve Treatment Based on the Precise Criteria of an Endobronchial Catheter for Detection of Collateral Ventilation under Spontaneous Breathing.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic lung volume reduction with valves is a valid therapeutic option for COPD patients with severe emphysema. The exclusion of interlobar collateral ventilation (CV) is an important predictor of clinical success. OBJECTIVES: Recently, a catheter-based endobronchial in vivo measurement system (Chartis, Pulmonx, USA) has become routine in the clinical evaluation of CV status in target lobes, but the criteria for phenotyping CV by Chartis evaluation have not yet been defined. We asked the questions, how many phenotypes can be identified using Chartis, what are the exact criteria to distinguish them, and how do the Chartis phenotypes respond to valve insertion? METHODS: In a retrospective study, 406 Chartis assessments of 166 patients with severe COPD were analyzed. Four Chartis phenotypes, CV positive (CV+), CV negative (CV-), low flow (LF) and low plateau were identified. Fifty-two patients without CV were treated with valves and followed for 3 months. RESULTS: The Chartis phenotypes were discriminated with respect to decline in expiratory peak flow, increase in resistance index and change in total exhaled volume after 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 min of measurement time (p < 0.0001, ANOVA), and the cutoff criteria were defined accordingly. To examine the application of these phenotyping criteria, students applied them to 100 Chartis assessments, and they demonstrated almost perfect inter- and intraobserver agreements (x03BA; > 0.9). Compared to baseline, CV- and LF patients with ipsilateral CV- lobe showed an improvement in FEV1 (p < 0.05), vital capacity (p < 0.05) and target lobe volume reduction (p < 0.005) after valve insertion. CONCLUSION: This study describes the most prevalent Chartis phenotypes.

Modifying Post-Operative Medical Care after EBV Implant May Reduce Pneumothorax Incidence.

OBJECTIVE: Endoscopic lung volume reduction (ELVR) with valves has been shown to improve COPD patients with severe emphysema. However, a major complication is pneumothoraces, occurring typically soon after valve implantation, with severe consequences if not managed promptly. Based on the knowledge that strain activity is related to a higher risk of pneumothoraces, we asked whether modifying post-operative medical care with the inclusion of strict short-term limitation of strain activity is associated with a lower incidence of pneumothorax. METHODS: Seventy-two (72) emphysematous patients without collateral ventilation were treated with bronchial valves and included in the study. Thirty-two (32) patients received standard post-implantation medical management (Standard Medical Care (SMC)), and 40 patients received a modified medical care that included an additional bed rest for 48 hours and cough suppression, as needed (Modified Medical Care (MMC)). RESULTS: The baseline characteristics were similar for the two groups, except there were more males in the SMC cohort. Overall, ten pneumothoraces occurred up to four days after ELVR, eight pneumothoraces in the SMC, and only two in the MMC cohorts (p=0.02). Complicated pneumothoraces and pneumothoraces after upper lobe treatment were significantly lower in MMC (p=0.02). Major clinical outcomes showed no significant differences between the two cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, modifying post-operative medical care to include bed rest for 48 hours after ELVR and cough suppression, if needed, might reduce the incidence of pneumothoraces. Prospective randomized studies with larger numbers of well-matched patients are needed to confirm the data.

The small GTPase RhoA is required to maintain spinal cord neuroepithelium organization and the neural stem cell pool.

The regulation of adherens junctions (AJs) is critical for multiple events during CNS development, including the formation and maintenance of the neuroepithelium. We have addressed the role of the small GTPase RhoA in the developing mouse nervous system using tissue-specific conditional gene ablation. We show that, in the spinal cord neuroepithelium, RhoA is essential to localize N-cadherin and ß-catenin to AJs and maintain apical-basal polarity of neural progenitor cells. Ablation of RhoA caused the loss of AJs and severe abnormalities in the organization of cells within the neuroepithelium, including decreased neuroepithelial cell proliferation and premature cell-cycle exit, reduction of the neural stem cell pool size, and the infiltration of neuroepithelial cells into the lumen of the ventricle. We also show that, in the absence of RhoA, its effector, mammalian diaphanous-related formin1 (mDia1), does not localize to apical AJs in which it likely stabilizes intracellular adhesion by promoting local actin polymerization and microtubule organization. Furthermore, expressing a dominant-negative form of mDia1 in neural stem/progenitor cells results in a similar phenotype compared with that of the RhoA conditional knock-out, namely the loss of AJs and apical polarity. Together, our data show that RhoA signaling is necessary for AJ regulation and for the maintenance of mammalian neuroepithelium organization preventing precocious cell-cycle exit and differentiation.

Stage-specific control of neural crest stem cell proliferation by the small rho GTPases Cdc42 and Rac1.

The neural crest (NC) generates a variety of neural and non-neural tissues during vertebrate development. Both migratory NC cells and their target structures contain cells with stem cell features. Here we show that these populations of neural crest-derived stem cells (NCSCs) are differentially regulated by small Rho GTPases. Deletion of either Cdc42 or Rac1 in the NC results in size reduction of multiple NC target structures because of increased cell-cycle exit, while NC cells emigrating from the neural tube are not affected. Consistently, Cdc42 or Rac1 inactivation reduces self-renewal and proliferation of later stage, but not early migratory NCSCs. This stage-specific requirement for small Rho GTPases is due to changes in NCSCs that, during development, acquire responsiveness to mitogenic EGF acting upstream of both Cdc42 and Rac1. Thus, our data reveal distinct mechanisms for growth control of NCSCs from different developmental stages.

Essential and distinct roles for cdc42 and rac1 in the regulation of Schwann cell biology during peripheral nervous system development.

During peripheral nervous system (PNS) myelination, Schwann cells must interpret extracellular cues to sense their environment and regulate their intrinsic developmental program accordingly. The pathways and mechanisms involved in this process are only partially understood. We use tissue-specific conditional gene targeting to show that members of the Rho GTPases, cdc42 and rac1, have different and essential roles in axon sorting by Schwann cells. Our results indicate that although cdc42 is required for normal Schwann cell proliferation, rac1 regulates Schwann cell process extension and stabilization, allowing efficient radial sorting of axon bundles.