Relevance of individual bronchial symptoms for asthma diagnosis and control in patients with rhinitis: A MASK-air study.

RATIONALE: It is unclear how each individual asthma symptom is associated with asthma diagnosis or control. OBJECTIVES: To assess the performance of individual asthma symptoms in the identification of patients with asthma and their association with asthma control. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we assessed real-world data using the MASK-air® app. We compared the frequency of occurrence of five asthma symptoms (dyspnea, wheezing, chest tightness, fatigue and night symptoms, as assessed by the Control of Allergic Rhinitis and Asthma Test [CARAT] questionnaire) in patients with probable, possible or no current asthma. We calculated the sensitivity, specificity and predictive values of each symptom, and assessed the association between each symptom and asthma control (measured using the e-DASTHMA score). Results were validated in a sample of patients with a physician-established diagnosis of asthma. MEASUREMENT AND MAIN RESULTS: We included 951 patients (2153 CARAT assessments), with 468 having probable asthma, 166 possible asthma and 317 no evidence of asthma. Wheezing displayed the highest specificity (90.5%) and positive predictive value (90.8%). In patients with probable asthma, dyspnea and chest tightness were more strongly associated with asthma control than other symptoms. Dyspnea was the symptom with the highest sensitivity (76.1%) and the one consistently associated with the control of asthma as assessed by e-DASTHMA. Consistent results were observed when assessing patients with a physician-made diagnosis of asthma. CONCLUSIONS: Wheezing and chest tightness were the asthma symptoms with the highest specificity for asthma diagnosis, while dyspnea displayed the highest sensitivity and strongest association with asthma control.

Thoracic skeletal muscle mass predicts mortality in patients with surgery for pleural empyema: A case control study.

BACKGROUND: This study investigated the role of the thoracic skeletal muscle mass as a marker of sarcopenia on postoperative mortality in pleural empyema. METHODS: All consecutive patients (n = 103) undergoing surgery for pleural empyema in a single tertiary referral center between January 2020 and December 2022 were eligible for this study. Thoracic skeletal muscle mass index (TSMI) was determined from preoperative computed tomography scans. The impact of TSMI and other potential risk factors on postoperative in-hospital mortality was retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 97 patients were included in this study. The in-hospital mortality rate was 13.4%. In univariable analysis, low values for preoperative TSMI (p = 0.020), low preoperative levels of thrombocytes (p = 0.027) and total serum protein (p = 0.046) and higher preoperative American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) category (p = 0.007) were statistically significant risk factors for mortality. In multivariable analysis, only TSMI (p = 0.038, OR 0.933, 95% CI: 0.875-0.996) and low thrombocytes (p = 0.031, OR 0.944, 95% CI: 0.988-0.999) remained independent prognostic factors for mortality. CONCLUSIONS: TSMI was a significant prognostic risk factor for postoperative mortality in patients with pleural empyema. TSMI may be suitable for risk stratification in this disease with high morbidity and mortality, which may have further implications for the selection of the best treatment strategy.

As-needed low-dose inhaled corticosteroid/formoterol therapy in patients with severe asthma included in the German Asthma Net cohort.

After the GINA update in 2019, the proportion of SMART therapy increased with evidence for better disease control in SMART patients compared to SABA alone https://bit.ly/3SSPX1C.

Alpha-1-antitrypsin-deficiency is associated with lower cardiovascular risk: an approach based on federated learning.

BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an inflammatory multisystemic disease caused by environmental exposures and/or genetic factors. Inherited alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) is one of the best recognized genetic factors increasing the risk for an early onset COPD with emphysema. The aim of this study was to gain a better understanding of the associations between comorbidities and specific biomarkers in COPD patients with and without AATD to enable future investigations aimed, for example, at identifying risk factors or improving care. METHODS: We focused on cardiovascular comorbidities, blood high sensitivity troponin (hs-troponin) and lipid profiles in COPD patients with and without AATD. We used clinical data from six German University Medical Centres of the MIRACUM (Medical Informatics Initiative in Research and Medicine) consortium. The codes for the international classification of diseases (ICD) were used for COPD as a main diagnosis and for comorbidities and blood laboratory data were obtained. Data analyses were based on the DataSHIELD framework. RESULTS: Out of 112,852 visits complete information was available for 43,057 COPD patients. According to our findings, 746 patients with AATD (1.73%) showed significantly lower total blood cholesterol levels and less cardiovascular comorbidities than non-AATD COPD patients. Moreover, after adjusting for the confounder factors, such as age, gender, and nicotine abuse, we confirmed that hs-troponin is a suitable predictor of overall mortality in COPD patients. The comorbidities associated with AATD in the current study differ from other studies, which may reflect geographic and population-based differences as well as the heterogeneous characteristics of AATD. CONCLUSION: The concept of MIRACUM is suitable for the analysis of a large healthcare database. This study provided evidence that COPD patients with AATD have a lower cardiovascular risk and revealed that hs-troponin is a predictor for hospital mortality in individuals with COPD.

Tezepelumab in patients with allergic and eosinophilic asthma.

Asthma is a heterogeneous disease commonly driven by allergic and/or eosinophilic inflammation, both of which may be present in severe disease. Most approved biologics for severe asthma are indicated for specific phenotypes and target individual downstream type 2 components of the inflammatory cascade. Tezepelumab, a human monoclonal antibody (immunoglobulin G2λ), binds specifically to thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), an epithelial cytokine that initiates and sustains allergic and eosinophilic inflammation in asthma. By blocking TSLP, tezepelumab has demonstrated efficacy across known asthma phenotypes and acts upstream of all current clinically used biomarkers. In a pooled analysis of the phase 2b PATHWAY (NCT02054130) and phase 3 NAVIGATOR (NCT03347279) studies, compared with placebo, tezepelumab reduced the annualized asthma exacerbation rate over 52 weeks by 62% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 53, 70) in patients with perennial aeroallergen sensitization (allergic asthma); by 71% (95% CI: 62, 78) in patients with a baseline blood eosinophil count ≥300 cells/µL; and by 71% (95% CI: 59, 79) in patients with allergic asthma and a baseline blood eosinophil count ≥300 cells/µL. This review examines the efficacy and mode of action of tezepelumab in patients with allergic asthma, eosinophilic asthma and coexisting allergic and eosinophilic phenotypes.

Initiation, response assessment, and switch of antibody therapies in patients with severe asthma - A survey among German specialists.

Background: For therapy of severe asthma 5 monoclonal antibodies have been available in Germany up to November 2022, but no clear rules exist on choice of initial therapy, assessment of response, and switch. Objective: To assess current practice on all aspects of biologic therapy by specialists in Germany. Methods: A questionnaire was created by specialists for severe asthma, which was tested and modified by further experts. We invited 119 pulmonologists of the German Asthma Net (GAN) to complete the survey and used SoSci Survey and SPSS for data collection and analysis. Results: Forty-seven pulmonologists took part in the survey with a median annual number of patients treated with biologics of 35, 55% worked in an outpatient practice, and 40% in a hospital. Exacerbations and oral steroid use were the most important factors for the decision to start a biologic therapy. Accordingly, these parameters were also the most relevant for assessment of response. Most participants considered type-2 inflammation biomarkers and comorbidities (foremost CRSwNP and AD) for choosing initial biologic. Asthma Control Test (ACT) was the most common instrument for assessing status of disease control. There was no consensus on thresholds for response of pulmonary function tests including FEV1, FVC, and RV. Eighty-five percent of participants distinguished between "responders", "partial responders" and "non-responders". Comorbidities played an important role for the decision to switch to another biologic, eg, when initial therapy had insufficient effectiveness on CRSwNP. Conclusion: This study provides a detailed insight into current opinions and practice of biologic use in severe asthma in Germany.

Characterization of Austrian severe asthma patients.

INTRODUCTION: The Severe Asthma Registry, founded by German Asthma Net (GAN) in 2011, is a prospective registry recording clinical parameters from participating centers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. This article presents the baseline characteristics of severe asthma patients from Austrian centers. METHODS: We analyzed the baseline visit data of all patients recruited to the GAN Severe Asthma Registry from participating Austrian centers. RESULTS: Baseline visit data were available for 214 Austrian severe asthma patients from 6 Austrian centers from 2013 to 2022. Mean age was 53.7 years. Mean BMI was 26.4 kg/m2. More than a third (37.4%) of all patients had daily daytime asthma symptoms at baseline and had to use their reliever medication at least once per day. Forty-one percent of patients were classified as uncontrolled according to GINA and 24.8% as partially controlled at baseline visit. The median annual exacerbation frequency was 3 in the previous 12 months. At the time of baseline visit, 23.4% of all patients had regular treatment with oral corticosteroids. Furthermore, 23.9% had received any severe asthma monoclonal antibody prior to the baseline visit. There were no notable differences in baseline characteristics between patients categorized by smoking history or measurable type 2 inflammation. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides the first multi-center characterization of Austrian severe asthma patients. Patients in this cohort had better asthma control and less frequent exacerbations compared to most international registries.

[Diagnosis and treatment of asthma: a guideline for respiratory specialists 2023 - published by the German Respiratory Society (DGP) e. V.] / S2k-Leitlinie zur fachärztlichen Diagnostik und Therapie von Asthma 2023.

The management of asthma has fundamentally changed during the past decades. The present guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of asthma was developed for respiratory specialists who need detailed and evidence-based information on the new diagnostic and therapeutic options in asthma. The guideline shows the new role of biomarkers, especially blood eosinophils and fractional exhaled NO (FeNO), in diagnostic algorithms of asthma. Of note, this guideline is the first worldwide to announce symptom prevention and asthma remission as the ultimate goals of asthma treatment, which can be achieved by using individually tailored, disease-modifying anti-asthmatic drugs such as inhaled steroids, allergen immunotherapy or biologics. In addition, the central role of the treatment of comorbidities is emphasized. Finally, the document addresses several challenges in asthma management, including asthma treatment during pregnancy, treatment of severe asthma or the diagnosis and treatment of work-related asthma.

Characterization of Obesity in Severe Asthma in the German Asthma Net.

BACKGROUND: Asthma is increasingly recognized as heterogeneous, characterized by different endotypes, with obesity not only a distinct phenotype but a risk factor for severe asthma. OBJECTIVE: We sought to understand the associations of obesity with relevant parameters of severe asthma, including asthma control, disease burden, and lung function. METHODS: The German Asthma Net registry is a multicenter international real-life registry capturing long-term follow-up data. This analysis included 2213 patients (52 ± 16 years, 58% female, 29% with obesity [body mass index ≥30 kg/m2], 4.2 ± 4.3 exacerbations/year). The primary analysis assessed relationships between BMI and variables through univariate tests, followed by a multiple regression model. Secondary outcomes regarded clinically relevant variables in relation to weight groups. RESULTS: Patients with obesity were more frequently female, more likely to have depression and gastroesophageal reflux, and suffered from worse asthma control, lower quality of life, reduced static lung volumes, more pronounced hypoxemia, and higher blood neutrophil counts, all statistically significant. Blood eosinophils, exhaled nitric oxide, and total IgE were independent of obesity. In the multiple regression analysis, obesity was significantly associated with more frequent reflux and depression, reduced static lung function values, older age, poor asthma control, and long-acting muscarinic antagonist therapy, and inversely associated with bronchiectasis and nonsmoking status. CONCLUSION: In this large, well-characterized cohort, we identified the association of obesity with a significantly higher disease burden and a similar portfolio of inflammation type 2 markers in patients with and without obesity; therefore, patients with obesity seem similarly eligible for the treatment with biologics targeting these disease endotypes.

Response to Biologics and Clinical Remission in the Adult German Asthma Net Severe Asthma Registry Cohort.

BACKGROUND: Recently, criteria for evaluation of response to biologics have been proposed and the concept of clinical remission has gained attention as a possible goal even in severe asthma. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the response and remission in the German Asthma Net severe asthma registry cohort. METHODS: We included adults not using a biologic at baseline (V0) and compared patients treated between V0 and 1-year visit (V1) without using a biologic (group A) to patients starting with a biologic after V0 and continuing it up to V1 (group B). We applied the Biologics Asthma Response Score to quantify composite response in good, intermediate, or insufficient. We defined clinical remission (R) as absence of significant symptoms (Asthma Control Test score ≥ 20 at V1) in the absence of exacerbations and oral corticosteroid therapy. RESULTS: Group A included 233 and group B 210 patients, the latter receiving omalizumab (n = 33), mepolizumab (n = 40), benralizumab (n = 81), reslizumab (n = 1), or dupilumab (n = 56). At baseline, group B had less often an allergic phenotype (35.2% vs 41.6%), lower Asthma Control Test score (median, 12 vs 14), more exacerbations in the past year (median, 3 vs 2), and more often high-dose inhaled corticosteroid treatment (71.4% vs 51.5%) than group A. After 1 year of treatment, rates of response (good: 61.4% vs 34.8%; intermediate: 26.7% vs 42.9%; insufficient: 11.9% vs. 22.3%) and/or clinical remission (37.6% vs 17.2%) were higher in group B than in group A. CONCLUSIONS: Despite more severe asthma at baseline, patients treated with biologics had a markedly higher probability of achieving good clinical response and/or remission than patients treated without biologics.

EVELUT®: A Real-World, Observational Study Assessing Dyspnoea and Symptom Burden in COPD Patients Switched from LABA/ICS to LAMA/LABA or LAMA/LABA/ICS.

INTRODUCTION: The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD 2023) no longer recommends a long-acting ß2-agonist (LABA) plus inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) combination for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In patients treated with LABA/ICS, who continue to experience symptoms without frequent or severe exacerbations, GOLD now recommends switching to long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA)/LABA instead of escalating to triple therapy (TT; LAMA/LABA/ICS), which previously was also a recommended option. EVELUT®, a real-life, observational study, compared these two treatment strategies in terms of symptom relief and health status improvement. METHODS: Patients with symptomatic COPD at low exacerbation risk (GOLD B) were switched, at their physicians' discretion, from LABA/ICS to either fixed-dose LAMA/LABA (tiotropium/olodaterol, Respimat® [Tio/Olo]) or fixed or free TT. Primary endpoints were change in modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) and COPD Assessment Test™ (CAT™) scores after 12 weeks. RESULTS: The safety set contained 463 patients (Tio/Olo, n = 329; TT, n = 134). In a propensity score-matched set (Tio/Olo, n = 121; TT, n = 121), improvement in mMRC score was similar in patients on Tio/Olo (-0.23; 95% confidence interval [CI] -0.11, -0.36) and TT (-0.25; 95% CI -0.13, -0.38). Improvement in total CAT score was slightly larger in patients on Tio/Olo (-3.45; 95% CI -2.45, -4.45) versus TT (-2.51; 95% CI -1.62, -3.40). In both groups, Physician's Global Evaluation scores increased, with 69-89% of patients satisfied with their treatment overall. Marginally more patients on Tio/Olo responded to treatment versus TT (Δ mMRC score ≥ 1; 25% vs. 22%; Δ CAT score ≥ 2, 68% vs. 56%). CONCLUSION: In patients with symptomatic COPD at low exacerbation risk, treatment can be switched from LABA/ICS to LAMA/LABA without compromising clinical benefit, compared with escalating to LAMA/LABA/ICS. Switching from LABA/ICS to LAMA/LABA can provide symptom relief and improve health status without exposure to the risks associated with ICS. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03954132.

Real-World Experience on the Use of Mepolizumab from the Severe Asthma Registry of the German Asthma Net (MepoGAN-Study).

Purpose: The German Asthma Net (GAN) operates a Severe Asthma Registry that provides an overview of the clinical presentation and management of patients with severe asthma. Based upon data from the GAN registry, the MepoGAN study aimed to describe clinical profiles and treatment outcomes of patients who were treated with the anti-IL-5 monoclonal antibody mepolizumab (NucalaTM) in routine practice in Germany. Patients and Methods: The MepoGAN study is a descriptive retrospective non-interventional cohort study. Mepolizumab patients enrolled in the GAN registry were evaluated with results being described in two different data sets: Cohort 1 (n=131) started on mepolizumab when the patients entered the registry. Results were reported after 4 months of therapy. Patients in Cohort 2 (n=220) were on treatment with mepolizumab at the time of enrollment and follow-up data were collected after a further year of treatment. Outcome measures included asthma control, lung function, disease symptoms, OCS use, and exacerbations. Results: Patients enrolled in the registry who started on mepolizumab in Cohort 1 had a mean age of 55 years, were former smokers in 51% of the cases, had a mean blood eosinophil count of 500 cells/µL, and frequently had maintenance OCS use (55%). In this real-world setting, mepolizumab therapy was associated with a clinically relevant reduction in blood eosinophils (-445.7 cells/µL), OCS use (-30%), and improvement in asthma control. Fifty-five percent (vs 10% at baseline) of the patients reported controlled or partially controlled asthma 4 months after starting therapy. In patients who were already treated with mepolizumab at registry enrollment (Cohort 2), asthma control and lung function remained stable after a further year of observation. Conclusion: The GAN registry data confirm the effectiveness of mepolizumab in a real-world setting. Treatment benefits are maintained over time. While the asthma of patients treated in routine practice was more severe, the results observed with mepolizumab are broadly consistent with RCTs.

Asthma Prevalence and Phenotyping in the General Population: The LEAD (Lung, hEart, sociAl, boDy) Study.

Background: Asthma is a chronic heterogeneous respiratory disease involving differential pathophysiological pathways and consequently distinct asthma phenotypes. Objective and Methods: In the LEAD Study, a general population cohort (n=11.423) in Vienna ranging from 6-82 years of age, we addressed the prevalence of asthma and explored inflammatory asthma phenotypes that included allergic and non-allergic asthma, and within these phenotypes, an eosinophilic (eosinophils ≥300 cells/µL, or ≥150 cells/µL in the presence of ICS medication) or non-eosinophilic (eosinophils <300 cells/µL, or <150 cells/µL in the presence of ICS) phenotype. In addition, we compared various factors related to biomarkers, body composition, lung function, and symptoms in control subjects versus subjects with current asthma (current doctor's diagnosis of asthma). Results: An overall prevalence of 4.6% was observed for current asthma. Furthermore, an age-dependent shift from allergic to non-allergic asthma was found. The non-eosinophilic phenotype was more prominent. Obesity was a prevalent condition, and body composition including visceral adipose tissue (VAT), is affected in current asthma versus controls. Conclusion: This broad-aged and large general population cohort identified differential patterns of inflammatory asthma phenotypes that were age-dependent. The presence of eosinophilia was associated with worse asthma control, increased asthma medication, increased VAT, and lower lung function, the opposite was found for the presence of an allergic asthma.

Patient-centered digital biomarkers for allergic respiratory diseases and asthma: The ARIA-EAACI approach - ARIA-EAACI Task Force Report.

Biomarkers for the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of patients with rhinitis and/or asthma are urgently needed. Although some biologic biomarkers exist in specialist care for asthma, they cannot be largely used in primary care. There are no validated biomarkers in rhinitis or allergen immunotherapy (AIT) that can be used in clinical practice. The digital transformation of health and health care (including mHealth) places the patient at the center of the health system and is likely to optimize the practice of allergy. Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) and EAACI (European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology) developed a Task Force aimed at proposing patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) as digital biomarkers that can be easily used for different purposes in rhinitis and asthma. It first defined control digital biomarkers that should make a bridge between clinical practice, randomized controlled trials, observational real-life studies and allergen challenges. Using the MASK-air app as a model, a daily electronic combined symptom-medication score for allergic diseases (CSMS) or for asthma (e-DASTHMA), combined with a monthly control questionnaire, was embedded in a strategy similar to the diabetes approach for disease control. To mimic real-life, it secondly proposed quality-of-life digital biomarkers including daily EQ-5D visual analogue scales and the bi-weekly RhinAsthma Patient Perspective (RAAP). The potential implications for the management of allergic respiratory diseases were proposed.

Development and validation of an electronic daily control score for asthma (e-DASTHMA): a real-world direct patient data study.

BACKGROUND: Validated questionnaires are used to assess asthma control over the past 1-4 weeks from reporting. However, they do not adequately capture asthma control in patients with fluctuating symptoms. Using the Mobile Airways Sentinel Network for airway diseases (MASK-air) app, we developed and validated an electronic daily asthma control score (e-DASTHMA). METHODS: We used MASK-air data (freely available to users in 27 countries) to develop and assess different daily control scores for asthma. Data-driven control scores were developed based on asthma symptoms reported by a visual analogue scale (VAS) and self-reported asthma medication use. We included the daily monitoring data from all MASK-air users aged 16-90 years (or older than 13 years to 90 years in countries with a lower age of digital consent) who had used the app in at least 3 different calendar months and had reported at least 1 day of asthma medication use. For each score, we assessed construct validity, test-retest reliability, responsiveness, and accuracy. We used VASs on dyspnoea and work disturbance, EQ-5D-VAS, Control of Allergic Rhinitis and Asthma Test (CARAT), CARAT asthma, and Work Productivity and Activity Impairment: Allergy Specific (WPAI:AS) questionnaires as comparators. We performed an internal validation using MASK-air data from Jan 1 to Oct 12, 2022, and an external validation using a cohort of patients with physician-diagnosed asthma (the INSPIRERS cohort) who had had their diagnosis and control (Global Initiative for Asthma [GINA] classification) of asthma ascertained by a physician. FINDINGS: We studied 135 635 days of MASK-air data from 1662 users from May 21, 2015, to Dec 31, 2021. The scores were strongly correlated with VAS dyspnoea (Spearman correlation coefficient range 0·68-0·82) and moderately correlated with work comparators and quality-of-life-related comparators (for WPAI:AS work, we observed Spearman correlation coefficients of 0·59-0·68). They also displayed high test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficients range 0·79-0·95) and moderate-to-high responsiveness (correlation coefficient range 0·69-0·79; effect size measures range 0·57-0·99 in the comparison with VAS dyspnoea). The best-performing score displayed a strong correlation with the effect of asthma on work and school activities in the INSPIRERS cohort (Spearman correlation coefficients 0·70; 95% CI 0·61-0·78) and good accuracy for the identification of patients with uncontrolled or partly controlled asthma according to GINA (area under the receiver operating curve 0·73; 95% CI 0·68-0·78). INTERPRETATION: e-DASTHMA is a good tool for the daily assessment of asthma control. This tool can be used as an endpoint in clinical trials as well as in clinical practice to assess fluctuations in asthma control and guide treatment optimisation. FUNDING: None.

Key recommendations for primary care from the 2022 Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) update.

The Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) was established in 1993 by the World Health Organization and the US National Heart Lung and Blood Institute to improve asthma awareness, prevention and management worldwide. GINA develops and publishes evidence-based, annually updated resources for clinicians. GINA guidance is adopted by national asthma guidelines in many countries, adapted to fit local healthcare systems, practices, and resource availability. GINA is independent of industry, funded by the sale and licensing of its materials. This review summarizes key practical guidance for primary care from the 2022 GINA strategy report. It provides guidance on confirming the diagnosis of asthma using spirometry or peak expiratory flow. GINA recommends that all adults, adolescents and most children with asthma should receive inhaled corticosteroid (ICS)-containing therapy to reduce the risk of severe exacerbations, either taken regularly, or (for adults and adolescents with "mild" asthma) as combination ICS-formoterol taken as needed for symptom relief. For patients with moderate-severe asthma, the preferred regimen is maintenance-and-reliever therapy (MART) with ICS-formoterol. Asthma treatment is not "one size fits all"; GINA recommends individualized assessment, adjustment, and review of treatment. As many patients with difficult-to-treat or severe asthma are not referred early for specialist review, we provide updated guidance for primary care on diagnosis, further investigation, optimization and treatment of severe asthma across secondary and tertiary care. While the GINA strategy has global relevance, we recognize that there are special considerations for its adoption in low- and middle-income countries, particularly the current poor access to inhaled medications.