Telemedicine and remote monitoring in cystic fibrosis.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Guidelines for cystic fibrosis (CF) care recommend multidisciplinary teams see patients at least quarterly with frequent measurement of spirometry and collection of respiratory cultures. This can be burdensome for people with CF, particularly if they live far from a specialized care center. This has led to an interest in telehealth coupled with remote monitoring. We review the recent literature on these topics for people with CF. RECENT FINDINGS: The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated a move toward remote delivery of CF care and multiple recent publications have reported on the feasibility of telehealth, remote spirometry, remote collection of respiratory cultures, adherence monitoring, cough assessment, symptom monitoring and activity tracking. Useful data can be obtained and both clinicians and patients have favorable opinions about remote delivery of healthcare, though the impact on clinical outcomes is not yet known. SUMMARY: Telehealth and remote monitoring for people with CF is feasible and has grown in use, though it is too early to know how prominently these approaches will fit into routine care for CF.

Outdoor air pollution and cystic fibrosis.

Outdoor air pollution is increasingly identified as a contributor to respiratory and cardiovascular disease. Pro-inflammatory particles and gases are inhaled deep into the lungs, and are associated with impaired lung growth and exacerbations of chronic respiratory diseases. The magnitude of these effects are of interest to patients and families, and have been assessed in studies specific to CF. Using systematic review methodology, we sought to collate these studies in order to summarise the known effects of air pollution in cystic fibrosis, and to present information on decreasing personal air pollution exposures.

Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio as a biomarker of acute pulmonary exacerbations in children with cystic fibrosis: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Neutrophils are key contributors to chronic airway inflammation in cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease, although airway and blood-based neutrophil markers are seldom used. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is an accessible biomarker, the clinical utility of which has not been adequately studied. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of the NLR in children with CF and its correlations with acute pulmonary exacerbations and spirometry. DESIGN: A previous study had collected clinical data from children with CF for a 3-year period between 2016 and 2021. Retrospectively, NLR values were categorised according to patients' clinical status during blood sample collection as 'stable', 'acute pulmonary exacerbation' or 'elective admission for chronic clinical concern'. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Demographic characteristics associated with the NLR; changes in NLR values in relation to clinical status; relationship between NLR and lung function. RESULTS: 141 children with CF were included. NLR values during clinical stability were higher in females and increased with age. For children admitted for intravenous antibiotics, NLR values significantly increased from clinical stability (median (IQR)=1.13 (0.75-1.51)) to acute pulmonary exacerbations (median (IQR)=1.50 (0.96-2.65), p=0.001), but similar changes were not observed in elective admissions. The NLR was not associated with lung function. CONCLUSIONS: The NLR demonstrated associations with clinical status in children with CF with significant elevations during acute pulmonary exacerbations. While its utility as a single-marker measure is limited, monitoring the NLR over time may help identify periods of increased inflammation.

Remote endpoints for clinical trials in cystic fibrosis: Report from the U.S. CF foundation remote endpoints task force.

The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a rapid shift in clinical research to perform virtual visits and remote endpoint assessments, providing a key opportunity to optimize the use of remote endpoints for clinical trials in cystic fibrosis. The use of remote endpoints could allow more diverse participation in clinical trials while minimizing participant burden but must be robustly evaluated to ensure adequate performance and feasibility. In response, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation convened the Remote Endpoint Task Force (Supplemental Table 1), a multidisciplinary group of CF researchers with remote endpoint expertise and community members tasked to better understand the current and future use of remote endpoints for clinical research. Here, we describe the current use of remote endpoints in CF clinical research, address key unanswered questions regarding their use and feasibility, and discuss the next steps to determine clinical trial readiness.

Unsupervised home spirometry is not equivalent to supervised clinic spirometry in children and young people with cystic fibrosis: Results from the CLIMB-CF study.

BACKGROUND: Handheld spirometry allows monitoring of lung function at home, of particular importance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pediatric studies are unclear on whether values are interchangeable with traditional, clinic-based spirometry. We aimed to assess differences between contemporaneous, home (unsupervised) and clinic (supervised) spirometry and the variability of the former. The accuracy of the commercially available spirometer used in the study was also tested. METHODS: Data from participants in the Clinical Monitoring and Biomarkers to stratify severity and predict outcomes in children with cystic fibrosisc (CLIMB-CF) Study aged ≥ 6 years who had paired (±1 day) clinic and home forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1 ) readings were analyzed. Variability during clinical stability over 6-months was assessed. Four devices from Vitalograph were tested using 1 and 3 L calibration syringes. RESULTS: Sixty-seven participants (median [interquartile range] age 10.7 [7.6-13.9] years) provided home and clinic FEV1 data pairs. The mean (SD) FEV1 % bias was 6.5% [±8.2%]) with wide limits of agreement (-9.6% to +22.7%); 76.2% of participants recorded lower results at home. Coefficient of variation of home FEV1 % during stable periods was 9.9%. Data from the testing of the handheld device used in CLIMB-CF showed a potential underread. CONCLUSION: In children and adolescents, home spirometry using hand-held equipment cannot be used interchangeably with clinic spirometry. Home spirometry is moderately variable during clinical stability. New handheld devices underread, particularly at lower volumes of potential clinical significance for smaller patients; this suggests that supervision does not account fully for the discrepancy. Opportunities should be taken to obtain dual device measurements in clinic, so that trend data from home can be utilized more accurately.

Treatment non-adherence in teenage and young adult patients with cancer.

Adhering to treatment can be a significant issue for many patients diagnosed with chronic health conditions and this has been reported to be greater during the adolescent years. However, little is known about treatment adherence in teenage and young adult (TYA) patients with cancer. To increase awareness of the adherence challenges faced by these patients, we have reviewed the published work. The available evidence suggests that a substantial proportion of TYA patients with cancer do have difficulties, with reports that up to 63% of patients do not adhere to their treatment regimens. However, with inconsistent findings across studies, the true extent of non-adherence for these young patients is still unclear. Furthermore, it is apparent that there are many components of the cancer treatment regimen that have yet to be assessed in relation to patient adherence. Factors that have been shown to affect treatment adherence in TYA patients include patient emotional functioning (depression and self-esteem), patient health beliefs (perceived illness severity and vulnerability), and family environment (parental support and parent-child concordance). Strategies that foster greater patient adherence are also identified. These strategies are multifactorial, targeting not only the patient, but the health professional, family, and treatment regimen. This review highlights the lack of interventional studies addressing treatment adherence in TYA patients with cancer, with only one such intervention being identified: a video game intervention focusing on behavioural issues related to cancer treatment and care. Methodological issues in measuring adherence are addressed and suggestions for improving the design of future adherence studies highlighted, of which there is a great need.

Going the Extra Mile: Why Clinical Research in Cystic Fibrosis Must Include Children.

This is an exciting time for research and novel drug development in cystic fibrosis. However, rarely has the adage, "Children are not just little adults" been more relevant. This article is divided into two main sections. In the first, we explore why it is important to involve children in research. We discuss the potential benefits of understanding a disease and its treatment in children, and we highlight that children have the same legal and ethical right to evidence-based therapy as adults. Additionally, we discuss why extrapolation from adults may be inappropriate, for example, medication pharmacokinetics may be different in children, and there may be unpredictable adverse effects. In the second part, we discuss how to involve children and their families in research. We outline the importance and the complexities of selecting appropriate outcome measures, and we discuss the role co-design may have in improving the involvement of children. We highlight the importance of appropriate staffing and resourcing, and we outline some of the common challenges and possible solutions, including practical tips on obtaining consent/assent in children and adolescents. We conclude that it is unethical to simply rely on extrapolation from adult studies because research in young children is challenging and that research should be seen as a normal part of the paediatric therapeutic journey.

Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator modulators for cystic fibrosis: a new dawn?

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common life-limiting inherited condition in Caucasians. It is a multisystem autosomal recessive disorder caused by variants in the gene for cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein, a cell-surface localised chloride channel that regulates absorption and secretion of salt and water across epithelia. Until recently, the treatment for CF was predicated on ameliorating and preventing the downstream symptoms of CFTR dysfunction, primarily recurrent respiratory infections and pancreatic exocrine failure. But a new class of therapy-the CFTR modulators, which treat the basic defect and decrease the complications of CF, leads to significantly improved pulmonary function, decreased respiratory infections and improved nutrition. The newest agent, a combination of elexacaftor, tezacaftor and ivacaftor, will be suitable for approximately 90% of all people with CF and is likely to decrease the morbidity and significantly increase the life expectancy for most people with CF. The major barrier to their widespread introduction has been their cost, with many countries unwilling or unable to fund them. Nevertheless, such is their therapeutic efficacy and their likely potent effect on life expectancy that their advent has wider societal implications for the care of children and adults with CF.

Treatment non-adherence in teenage and young adult cancer patients: a preliminary study of patient perceptions.

OBJECTIVES: Non-adherence (NA) by adolescents receiving cancer treatment is believed to be a major problem. However, adequate measures of NA have not been developed. The purpose of this study was to (1) assess the internal reliability of a new scale reflecting low-risk NA behaviours, (2) examine whether the scores on this scale were associated with high-risk NA behaviours and (3) assess the relationship between NA behaviours and patient attitudes towards stopping treatment. METHODS: Thirty-three patients (16-24 years) with solid tumours reported on their previous adherence with treatment. Low-risk NA behaviours were assessed on a 0-40 scale derived from the sum of 10 items. High-risk NA behaviours and attitudes towards stopping treatment were assessed by questions with yes/no response options. RESULTS: Internal reliability of the low-risk NA scale was alpha=0.73. Patients not seeking help for pyrexia had higher total low-risk NA scores than those who sought help (mean 7.4, SD 5.3 vs mean 3.5, SD 3.6, t=2.1, p=0.03). There was also a trend for individuals who ignored pyrexia to be more likely to have contemplated stopping treatment than those who sought medical assistance (Fisher's Exact=0.09). CONCLUSIONS: A scale reflecting low-risk NA behaviour had good internal reliability and was associated with not seeking help when pyrexic. Ignoring a temperature was also associated with contemplating stopping treatment. We are now conducting a prospective study using the measure to assess validity against a range of information regarding NA.

Cystic fibrosis newborn screening: outcome of infants with normal sweat tests.

Newborn babies positively screened for cystic fibrosis (CF) (high serum immunoreactive trypsin (IRT) with DNA analysis) are referred for a diagnostic sweat test, which may be normal (sweat chloride <30 mmol/L). Unless two gene mutations are identified during Newborn screening (NBS), the babies are discharged from follow-up. We wished to check that none had subsequently developed symptoms suggestive of CF. We retrospectively reviewed patient notes and contacted general practitioners of all babies with a negative sweat test, conducted in one of the four paediatric specialist CF centres in London, over the first 6 years of screening in South East England.Of 511 babies referred, 95 (19%) had a normal sweat test. Five (5%) had CF diagnosed genetically, two of them on extended genome sequencing after clinical suspicion. Eleven (12%) were designated as CF screen positive inconclusive diagnosis (CFSPID); one of the five CF children was originally designated as CFSPID. Seventy-nine (83%) were assumed to be false-positive cases and discharged; follow-up data were available for 51/79 (65%); 32/51 (63%) had no health issues, 19/51 (37%) had other significant non-CF pathology.These results are reassuring in that within the limitations of those lost to follow-up, CF symptoms have not emerged in the discharged children. The high non-CF morbidity in these children may relate to known causes of high IRT at birth. Clinicians need to be aware that a child can have CF despite a normal sweat test following NBS, and if symptoms suggest the diagnosis, further testing, including extended genome sequencing, is required.

Current and future therapies for Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in patients with cystic fibrosis.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa opportunistically infects the airways of patients with cystic fibrosis and causes significant morbidity and mortality. Initial infection can often be eradicated though requires prompt detection and adequate treatment. Intermittent and then chronic infection occurs in the majority of patients. Better detection of P. aeruginosa infection using biomarkers may enable more successful eradication before chronic infection is established. In chronic infection P. aeruginosa adapts to avoid immune clearance and resist antibiotics via efflux pumps, ß-lactamase expression, reduced porins and switching to a biofilm lifestyle. The optimal treatment strategies for P. aeruginosa infection are still being established, and new antibiotic formulations such as liposomal amikacin, fosfomycin in combination with tobramycin and inhaled levofloxacin are being explored. Novel agents such as the alginate oligosaccharide OligoG, cysteamine, bacteriophage, nitric oxide, garlic oil and gallium may be useful as anti-pseudomonal strategies, and immunotherapy to prevent infection may have a role in the future. New treatments that target the primary defect in cystic fibrosis, recently licensed for use, have been associated with a fall in P. aeruginosa infection prevalence. Understanding the mechanisms for this could add further strategies for treating P. aeruginosa in future.

Current and future treatment options for cystic fibrosis lung disease: latest evidence and clinical implications.

Treatment for cystic fibrosis (CF) has conventionally targeted downstream consequences of the defect such as mucus plugging and infection. More recently, significant advances have been made in treating the root cause of the disease, namely a defective CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. This review summarizes current pulmonary treatment options and highlights advances in research and development of new therapies.