[Transbronchial lung cryobiopsy in interstitial lung diseases]. / Les cryobiopsies pulmonaires transbronchiques dans les pneumopathies infiltrantes diffuses.

In some cases of interstitial lung disease (ILD), clinical and biological findings associated with CT scan pattern during multidisciplinary discussion (MDD) fail to yield a confident diagnosis. In these cases, histology may be necessary. Transbronchial lung cryobiopsy (TBLC) is a bronchoscopic procedure that has been developed in recent years and currently contributes to diagnostic work-up in patients with ILD. TBLC provides tissue samples for histological analysis with an acceptable risk of complications, consisting mainly in pneumothorax or bleeding. In addition to higher diagnostic yield than conventional forceps biopsies, the procedure shows a better safety profile than surgical biopsies. The indication to perform TBLC is decided during a 1st MDD and during a 2nd MDD, results can provide a diagnostic yield approximating 80%. TBLC appears to be an attractive, minimally invasive technique to be proposed as a first-line procedure in selected patients in experienced centers, while surgical lung biopsy may be considered as a second-line solution.

Use of FeNO to predict anti-IL-5 and IL-5R biologics efficacy in a real-world cohort of adults with severe eosinophilic asthma.

INTRODUCTION: Severe eosinophilic asthma (SEA) is associated with multiple exacerbations. Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), a biomarker of airway T2 inflammation, is known to be correlated with the risk of exacerbations. While the use of FeNO is well established to predict the therapeutic response to dupilumab (anti-IL-4/IL-13), it remains uncertain for biologics targeting the IL-5 pathway. METHODS: We conducted an observational, retrospective, monocentric analysis of adults with SEA who started mepolizumab (anti-IL-5) or benralizumab (anti-IL-5R) between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2020. RESULTS: Data were collected for 109 patients. All participants reported uncontrolled asthma with a median of 3 annual exacerbations and a median Asthma Control Test score of 12. They all had an initial blood eosinophilia >300/mm3, with a median at 610/mm3 (IQR 420-856). Patients with a baseline FeNO ≥50 ppb reported more exacerbations in the previous year than those with a FeNO <50 ppb (p = 0.02). After initiation of treatment, change in FeNO was not associated with therapeutic response. However, decrease in the annual number of exacerbations was significantly greater in patients with a baseline FeNO ≥50 ppb than in those with a baseline FeNO <50 ppb (-3.3 ± 2.7 vs -0.9 ± 2.4, respectively; p = 0.01). There was no association between baseline FeNO values and subsequent lung function, asthma control or reduction of oral corticosteroids use. CONCLUSION: In this real-world cohort, adults with SEA who had a baseline FeNO ≥50 ppb experienced a greater decrease in exacerbations after 12 months of anti-IL-5 or IL-5R biologics than those with a FeNO <50 ppb.

[Update in severe asthma physiopathology and treatments]. / Actualités physiopathologiques et thérapeutiques dans l'asthme sévère.

Asthma is an inflammatory airway disease which presentation is highly heterogeneous. Last two decades provided new clinical and basic data concerning asthma physiopathology that make global understanding much complex. Phenotypes based on clinical settings and paraclinical investigations from large cohorts confirm old paradigm (eosinophilic vs. non-eosinophilic asthma) but also introduce new concepts (obesity-related asthma, late onset asthma, etc.). Conversely, improvement of big data analytics allows to initiate new cohorts aiming at better understanding the pathophysiology underlying those phenotypes and unraveling new ones. However, clinical and therapeutic impacts of those big data need to be further detailed. In parallel, biotherapies and innovative techniques as bronchial thermoplasty become available for severe asthmatic patients who did not respond to specific treatment in the past. Development of a personalized medicine in severe asthma becomes an important challenge for tomorrow. This review will focus on new pathophysiological concepts arisen from large cohorts and new therapeutic strategies available and in progress for severe asthma.