Project description:BackgroundThe clinical significance of circulating autoantibodies in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is unclear. The objective of this study was to determine the frequency and clinical significance of circulating autoantibodies in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.MethodsWe measured an extensive panel of autoantibodies (including rheumatoid factor, anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide, and anti-nuclear antibodies by immunofluorescence) associated with connective tissue disease or vasculitis in a cohort of well-characterized patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (n = 67). The prevalence of circulating autoantibodies was compared between idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients and healthy controls (n = 52). We compared the clinical characteristics of patients with and without circulating autoantibodies, and analyzed the relationship between autoantibody positivity and transplant-free survival time.ResultsPositive autoantibodies were found in 22% of patients with IPF and 21% of healthy controls. There were no differences in the types of autoantibodies found between patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and healthy controls. Among patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, there were no significant differences in clinical characteristics between those with and without circulating autoantibodies. The presence of circulating autoantibodies was associated with longer transplant-free survival time on adjusted analysis, however the significance varied depending on which statistical model was used (HR 0.22-0.47, p value 0.02-0.17).ConclusionsThe frequency of circulating autoantibodies in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is no different compared to healthy controls, but may be associated with longer survival.
Project description:Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a fatal lung disease with an unpredictable course. An observational study was set up using the French hospital discharge database to describe the reasons, outcomes and costs of hospitalisations related to this disease. Patients newly hospitalised for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (ICD-10 code: J84.1) in 2008 were identified and followed for 5 years. As J84.1 includes other fibrotic pulmonary diseases, an algorithm excluding age<50 years and presence of a differential diagnosis in the following year was defined. Overall, 6,476 patients were identified; of whom 30% were admitted through the emergency unit and 12% died during their first hospitalisation. Most of patients were hospitalised at least once for one or several acute events (n = 5,635; 87.0% of patients), of whom 36.5% of patients with an acute respiratory worsening (in-hospital mortality of 17.0% and median cost of €3,224; interquartile range (IQR €889-6,092)), 43.7% of patients with a respiratory infection (in-hospital mortality of 29.5% and median cost of €5,432 (IQR, €3,620-9,115)) and 51.7% of patients with a cardiac event (in-hospital mortality of 35.7% and median cost of €4,584 (IQR, €2,803-6,399)); 30.2% of these events occurred during the first hospitalisation. Finally, the 3-year in-hospital mortality crude rate was 36.8%. This study is the first providing extensive data on hospitalisations in patients with pulmonary fibrosis, mostly idiopathic, in France, demonstrating high burden and hospital cost.
Project description:Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic degenerative disease with a median survival of 2-5 years after diagnosis. Therefore, IPF patient identification represents an important and challenging clinical issue. Current research is still searching for novel reliable non-invasive biomarkers. Therefore, we explored the potential use of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and mRNAs as biomarkers for IPF. We first performed a whole transcriptome analysis using microarray (n = 14: 7 Control, 7 IPF), followed by the validation of selected transcripts through qPCRs in an independent cohort of 95 subjects (n = 95: 45 Control, 50 IPF). Diagnostic performance and transcript correlation with functional/clinical data were also analyzed. 1059 differentially expressed transcripts were identified. We confirmed the downregulation of FOXF1 adjacent non-coding developmental regulatory RNA (FENDRR) lncRNA, hsa_circ_0001924 circularRNA, utrophin (UTRN) and Y-box binding protein 3 (YBX3) mRNAs. The two analyzed non-coding RNAs correlated with Forced Vital Capacity (FVC)% and Diffusing Capacity of the Lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO)% functional data, while coding RNAs correlated with smock exposure. All analyzed transcripts showed excellent performance in IPF identification with Area Under the Curve values above 0.87; the most outstanding one was YBX3: AUROC 0.944, CI 95% = 0.895-0.992, sensitivity = 90%, specificity = 88.9%, p-value = 1.02 × 10-13. This study has identified specific transcript signatures in IPF suggesting that validated transcripts and microarray data could be useful for the potential future identification of RNA molecules as non-invasive biomarkers for IPF.
Project description:Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive, fatal lung disorder of unknown origin with a highly variable and unpredictable clinical course. Polymorphisms and environmentally induced epigenetic variations seem to determine individual susceptibility to the development of lung fibrosis.We have studied circulating epitopes on cell-free nucleosomes (cfnucleosomes) in 50 IPF patients. We have compared untreated IPF (n = 23) with IPF receiving antifibrotic therapy (n = 27) and healthy subjects (HS) (n = 27). We analyzed serum levels of five cfnucleosomes including bound HMGB1 (nucleosomes adducted to high-mobility growth protein B1), mH2A1.1 (nucleosomes containing the histone variant mH2A1.1), 5mC (nucleosomes associated with methylated DNA), and H3K9Ac and H3K27Ac (nucleosomes associated with histone H3 acetylated at lysine 9 or 27 residue).Our findings showed that serum levels of bound HMGB1, mH2A1.1, 5mC, H3K9Ac, and H3K27Ac were significantly lower in IPF patients than in HS (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p < 0.01, p < 0.001, and p < 0.0001, respectively). Moreover, we found differences in epigenetic profiles between untreated IPF patients and those receiving anti-fibrotic therapy with mH2A1.1 and 5mC being significantly lower in untreated than in treated patients (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05, respectively). Combination of four cfnucleosomes (HMGB1, 5mC, H3K9Ac, and H3K27Ac) allow to discriminate IPF vs HS with a good coefficient of determination (R2 = 0.681). The AUC for the ROC curve computed by this logistic regression was 0.93 (p < 0.001) with 91% sensitivity at 80% specificity.Our observations showed that cfnucleosomes (bound HMGB1, mH2A1.1, 5mC, H3K9Ac, and H3K27Ac) might have potential as biomarkers for diagnosis and treatment response. These results deserve further validation in longitudinal cohorts.
Project description:INTRODUCTION:Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis(IPF) is chronic fibrosing interstitial pneumonia of unknown aetiology. IPF is diagnosed based on the exclusion of known causes such as connective tissue diseases(CTDs). However, some patients fail to meet defined CTD criteria regardless of an implication of immunological involvement and these cases were described in a variety of terms. The classification criteria of this clinical entity consist of a combination of clinical, serological and morphological findings and it is reported to be distinct from IPF. However, the significance of the sole presence of autoantibodies complicated with IPF is still unknown. Therefore, this systematic review aims to clarify the significance of autoantibodies complicated with IPF. METHODS AND ANALYSIS:IPF with any autoantibody associated with CTDs is eligible for the review. Primary outcomes are all-cause mortality and pulmonary-cause mortality, while secondary outcomes include a progression of the disease, a deterioration of health-related quality of life and the development of a defined CTD. Primary studies of any type except a case report are included. Two reviewers search four electronic databases such as Medline, EMBASE, Science Citation Index Expanded and Google Scholar from each inception through 1 February 2018 and extract data independently. A risk of bias in individual studies is assessed by the Quality in Prognostic Studies tool. Meta-analysis is sought to be conducted if three or more studies report an outcome for a specific autoantibody with the same statistics. If it is inappropriate to combine data due to substantial heterogeneity, the result is reported qualitatively. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses are considered to identify the source of heterogeneity. The Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation method is applied to evaluate the evidence level of the result. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION:There is no concerning ethical issue. The result will be sought for publication. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER:CRD42017077336.
Project description:BACKGROUND:Several registries of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) have been established to better understand its natural history, though their size and duration of follow-up are limited. Here, we describe the large European MultiPartner IPF Registry (EMPIRE) and validate predictors of long-term survival in IPF. METHODS:The multinational prospective EMPIRE registry enrolled IPF patients from 48 sites in 10 Central and Eastern European countries since 2014. Survival from IPF diagnosis until death was estimated, accounting for left-truncation. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HR) of death for prognostic factors, using restricted cubic splines to fit continuous factors. RESULTS:The cohort included 1620 patients (mean age at diagnosis 67.6?years, 71% male, 63% smoking history), including 75% enrolled within 6?months of diagnosis. Median survival was 4.5?years, with 45% surviving 5?years post-diagnosis. Compared with GAP stage I, mortality was higher with GAP stages II (HR 2.9; 95% CI: 2.3-3.7) and III (HR 4.0; 95% CI: 2.8-5.7) while, with redefined cut-offs, the corresponding HRs were 2.7 (95% CI: 1.8-4.0) and 5.8 (95% CI: 4.0-8.3) respectively. Mortality was higher with concurrent pulmonary hypertension (HR 2.0; 95% CI: 1.5-2.9) and lung cancer (HR 2.6; 95% CI: 1.3-4.9). CONCLUSIONS:EMPIRE, one of the largest long-term registries of patients with IPF, provides a more accurate confirmation of prognostic factors and co-morbidities on longer term five-year mortality. It also suggests that some fine-tuning of the indices for mortality may provide a more accurate long-term prognostic profile for these patients.
Project description:BackgroundUrban air pollution is involved in the progress of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Its potential role on the devastating event of Acute Exacerbation of IPF (AE-IPF) needs to be clarified. This study examined the association between long-term personal air pollution exposure and AE- IPF risk taking into consideration inflammatory mediators and telomere length (TL).MethodsAll consecutive IPF-patients referred to our Hospital from October 2013-June 2019 were included. AE-IPF events were recorded and inflammatory mediators and TL measured. Long-term personal air pollution exposures were assigned to each patient retrospectively, for O3, NO2, PM2.5 [and PM10, based on geo-coded residential addresses. Logistic regression models assessed the association of air pollutants' levels with AE-IPF and inflammatory mediators adjusting for potential confounders.Results118 IPF patients (mean age 72 ± 8.3 years) were analyzed. We detected positive significant associations between AE-IPF and a 10 μg/m3 increase in previous-year mean level of NO2 (OR = 1.52, 95%CI:1.15-2.0, p = 0.003), PM2.5 (OR = 2.21, 95%CI:1.16-4.20, p = 0.016) and PM10 (OR = 2.18, 95%CI:1.15-4.15, p = 0.017) independent of age, gender, smoking, lung function and antifibrotic treatment. Introduction of TL in all models of a subgroup of 36 patients did not change the direction of the observed associations. Finally, O3 was positively associated with %change of IL-4 (p = 0.014) whilst PM2.5, PM10 and NO2 were inversely associated with %changes of IL-4 (p = 0.003, p = 0.003, p = 0.032) and osteopontin (p = 0.013, p = 0.013, p = 0.085) respectively.ConclusionsLong-term personal exposure to increased concentrations of air pollutants is an independent risk factor of AE-IPF. Inflammatory mediators implicated in lung repair mechanisms are involved.
Project description:Background and objectivePirfenidone is an oral antifibrotic agent that is approved in several countries for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). We performed a comprehensive analysis of safety across four clinical trials evaluating pirfenidone in patients with IPF.MethodsAll patients receiving pirfenidone 2403 mg/day in the Phase 3 CAPACITY studies (Studies 004 and 006) and all patients receiving at least one dose of pirfenidone in one of two ongoing open-label studies in patients with IPF (Studies 002 and 012) were selected for inclusion. Safety outcomes were evaluated from baseline until 28 days after the last dose of study drug.ResultsA total of 789 patients were included in the analysis. The median duration of exposure to pirfenidone was 2.6 years (range, 1 week-7.7 years), and the cumulative total exposure was 2059 person exposure years (PEY). Gastrointestinal and skin-related events were the most commonly reported adverse events; these were almost always mild to moderate in severity, and rarely led to treatment discontinuation. Elevations (>3× upper limit of normal) in alanine aminotransferase (ALT) or aspartate aminotransferase (AST) occurred in 21/789 (2.7%) patients; the adjusted incidence of AST/ALT elevations was 1.7 per 100 PEY.ConclusionsThis comprehensive analysis of safety in a large cohort of IPF patients receiving pirfenidone for a total of 2059 PEY demonstrates that long-term treatment with pirfenidone is safe and generally well tolerated.
Project description:A 67-year-old man without symptoms presented with significant negative T wave on electrocardiography. No significant abnormality was detected by echocardiography. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) showed trivial hypertrophied myocardium in apex. During follow up of 9 years, serial CMR scans revealed the appearance and expansion of late gadolinium enhancement in apex. The patient had never complained of cardiac symptoms such as chest pain, palpitation, or syncope during follow up. We experienced the appearance of significant myocardial fibrosis in a patient with apical hypertrophy. <Learning objective: Apical hypertrophy is characterized by hypertrophied apex and giant negative T wave. From this report, we appreciate the importance of serial cardiac magnetic resonance imaging to follow the progress of hypertrophied myocardium even for patients without significant gadolinium enhancement who can be in a premonitory state of irreversible fibrosis.>.
Project description:ObjectiveTo clarify clinical significance of the sole presence of autoantibodies for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) without any other symptoms or signs suggestive of autoimmune disease.DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis DATA SOURCES: Medline, EMBASE, Science Citation Index Expanded and Google Scholar were searched from 1 January 2002 through 12 February 2019.Eligibility criteria for selecting studiesPrimary studies addressing all-cause mortality and the development of a defined autoimmune disease for IPF with autoantibodies were included for the review.Data extraction and synthesisTwo reviewers extracted relevant data and assessed risk of bias independently. Meta-analysis was conducted using a random-effects model if three or more studies reported the same outcome for a certain autoantibody. The quality of evidence was assessed by the Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation system.ResultsOut of 4603 records retrieved nine studies were included in this review. All studies contained some risk of bias. Based on pooled data myeloperoxidase antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (MPO-ANCA) was significantly associated with microscopic polyangiitis incidence with risk ratio (RR) of 20.2 (95% CI: 7.22 to 56.4) and antinuclear antibody (ANA) was also significantly associated with the development of connective tissue diseases with RR of 7.11 (p=0.001) (10 cases in 157 patients with ANA) in one study. However, there was no significant association of autoantibodies with all-cause mortality aside from MPO-ANCA and proteinase 3-ANCA in one study each. MPO-ANCA was not demonstrated to be associated with all-cause mortality by meta-analysis. The quality of evidence was deemed as either low or very low.ConclusionsThe presence of autoantibodies such as MPO-ANCA and ANA was demonstrated to be associated with the development of some autoimmune diseases for patients with IPF although there was no difference of all-cause mortality. However, the results should be interpreted with caution due to low evidence level.Prospero registration numberCRD42017077336.