Three- Versus Two-Drug Therapy for Patients With Newly Diagnosed Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.

BACKGROUND: In pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), there are no data comparing initial triple oral therapy with initial double oral therapy. OBJECTIVES: TRITON (The Efficacy and Safety of Initial Triple Versus Initial Dual Oral Combination Therapy in Patients With Newly Diagnosed Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension; NCT02558231), a multicenter, double-blind, randomized phase 3b study, evaluated initial triple (macitentan, tadalafil, and selexipag) versus initial double (macitentan, tadalafil, and placebo) oral therapy in newly diagnosed, treatment-naive patients with PAH. METHODS: Efficacy was assessed until the last patient randomized completed week 26 (end of main observation period). The primary endpoint was change in pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) at week 26. RESULTS: Patients were assigned to initial triple (n = 123) or initial double therapy (n = 124). At week 26, both treatment strategies reduced PVR compared with baseline (by 54% and 52%), with no significant difference between groups (ratio of geometric means: 0.96; 95% confidence interval: 0.86-1.07; P = 0.42). Six-minute walk distance and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide improved by week 26, with no difference between groups. Risk for disease progression (to end of main observation period) was reduced with initial triple versus initial double therapy (hazard ratio: 0.59; 95% confidence interval: 0.32-1.09). Most common adverse events with initial triple therapy included headache, diarrhea, and nausea. By the end of the main observation period, 2 patients in the initial triple and 9 in the initial double therapy groups had died. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with newly diagnosed PAH, both treatment strategies markedly reduced PVR by week 26, with no significant difference between groups (primary endpoint not met). Exploratory analyses suggested a possible signal for improved long-term outcomes with initial triple versus initial double oral therapy.

Identifying early pulmonary arterial hypertension biomarkers in systemic sclerosis: machine learning on proteomics from the DETECT cohort.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a devastating complication of systemic sclerosis (SSc). Screening for PAH in SSc has increased detection, allowed early treatment for PAH and improved patient outcomes. Blood-based biomarkers that reliably identify SSc patients at risk of PAH, or with early disease, would significantly improve screening, potentially leading to improved survival, and provide novel mechanistic insights into early disease. The main objective of this study was to identify a proteomic biomarker signature that could discriminate SSc patients with and without PAH using a machine learning approach and to validate the findings in an external cohort.Serum samples from patients with SSc and PAH (n=77) and SSc without pulmonary hypertension (non-PH) (n=80) were randomly selected from the clinical DETECT study and underwent proteomic screening using the Myriad RBM Discovery platform consisting of 313 proteins. Samples from an independent validation SSc cohort (PAH n=22 and non-PH n=22) were obtained from the University of Sheffield (Sheffield, UK).Random forest analysis identified a novel panel of eight proteins, comprising collagen IV, endostatin, insulin-like growth factor binding protein (IGFBP)-2, IGFBP-7, matrix metallopeptidase-2, neuropilin-1, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide and RAGE (receptor for advanced glycation end products), that discriminated PAH from non-PH in SSc patients in the DETECT Discovery Cohort (average area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.741, 65.1% sensitivity/69.0% specificity), which was reproduced in the Sheffield Confirmatory Cohort (81.1% accuracy, 77.3% sensitivity/86.5% specificity).This novel eight-protein biomarker panel has the potential to improve early detection of PAH in SSc patients and may provide novel insights into the pathogenesis of PAH in the context of SSc.

Incidence of pulmonary hypertension and determining factors in patients with systemic sclerosis.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the incidence of pulmonary hypertension (PH) and determining factors in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and a diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO) <60% predicted.In this bicentric, prospective cohort study, patients with SSc were clinically assessed at baseline and after 3 years, including right heart catheterisation (RHC). Analysis of determining factors for the development of PH was performed using univariate and multivariate analyses.96 patients with a mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) <25 mmHg at baseline were followed for 2.95±0.7 years (median 3 years). Of these, 71 had a second RHC; 18 of these 71 patients (25.3%) developed PH, and five (7%) developed SSc-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension. For patients with an mPAP of 21-24 mmHg at baseline, the likelihood of presenting with PH as opposed to normal pressures on follow-up was significantly higher (p=0.026). Pulmonary vascular resistance, tricuspid regurgitation velocity, diffusion capacity and the size of the inferior vena cava at baseline were independent predictors for the development of PH during follow-up.In a selected cohort of SSc patients with a DLCO <60%, pulmonary pressures appeared to rise progressively during follow-up. In this population, it was possible to identify manifest PH in almost 25% of patients using prospective RHC during follow-up. Therefore, regular clinical assessment including RHC might be useful in patients with SSc.

Factors associated with disease progression in early-diagnosed pulmonary arterial hypertension associated with systemic sclerosis: longitudinal data from the DETECT cohort.

OBJECTIVE: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a severe complication of systemic sclerosis (SSc). In this longitudinal study, we aimed to identify factors associated with an unfavourable outcome in patients with SSc with early PAH (SSc-PAH) from the DETECT cohort. METHODS: Patients with SSc-PAH enrolled in DETECT were observed for up to 3 years. Associations between cross-sectional variables and disease progression (defined as the occurrence of any of the following events: WHO Functional Class worsening, combination therapy for PAH, hospitalisation or death) were analysed by univariable logistic regression. RESULTS: Of 57 patients with PAH (median observation time 12.6 months), 25 (43.9%) had disease progression. The following factors (OR (95% CI)) were associated with disease progression: male gender (4.1 (1.2 to 14.1)), high forced vital capacity % predicted/carbon monoxide lung diffusion capacity (DLCO)% predicted ratio (3.6 (1.2 to 10.7)), high Borg Dyspnoea Index (1.7 (1.1 to 2.6)) and low DLCO% predicted (non-linear relationship). CONCLUSION: More than 40% of early-diagnosed patients with SSc-PAH had disease progression during a short follow-up time, with male gender, functional capacity and pulmonary function tests at PAH diagnosis being associated with progression. This suggests that even mild PAH should be considered a high-risk complication of SSc.

Borderline pulmonary arterial pressure in systemic sclerosis patients: a post-hoc analysis of the DETECT study.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with mean pulmonary artery pressures (mPAP) of 21 to 24 mm Hg have a so-called borderline elevation of mPAP (BoPAP)--a condition thought to represent early-stage pulmonary arterial vasculopathy. Based on the DETECT study, this post-hoc analysis examined patient characteristics of systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients with normal mPAP, BoPAP and elevated mPAP, fulfilling pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) criteria. METHODS: Adult patients with a duration of SSc more than 3 years, a diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide less than 60% predicted, and no previous diagnosis of any form of pulmonary hypertension (PH) underwent screening tests followed by right heart catheterization. Subjects were divided into three groups: normal mPAP, BoPAP, and PAH. Exploratory comparative and binary logistic regression analyses were performed for the BoPAP versus normal mPAP and PAH versus BoPAP groups. RESULTS: Of 244 patients evaluated, 148 (60%) had normal mPAP, 36 (15%) had BoPAP, and 60 (25%) had definite PAH. Univariable logistic regression (ULR) showed the mean tricuspid regurgitation velocity in patients with BoPAP to be intermediate between normal mPAP and PAH. In the ULR analyses BoPAP versus normal mPAP and PAH versus BoPAP, the statistically significant predictors were, amongst others: demographic, clinical, pulmonary function, echocardiographic and hemodynamic variables. CONCLUSIONS: In this exploratory post-hoc analysis of the DETECT study population patients with BoPAP could be distinguished from patients with normal mPAP and PAH, and it appears that BoPAP may be an intermediate stage on the continuum between normal PA pressures and PAH.

Evidence-based detection of pulmonary arterial hypertension in systemic sclerosis: the DETECT study.

OBJECTIVE: Earlier detection of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a leading cause of death in systemic sclerosis (SSc), facilitates earlier treatment. The objective of this study was to develop the first evidence-based detection algorithm for PAH in SSc. METHODS: In this cross-sectional, international study conducted in 62 experienced centres from North America, Europe and Asia, adults with SSc at increased risk of PAH (SSc for >3 years and predicted pulmonary diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide <60%) underwent a broad panel of non-invasive assessments followed by diagnostic right heart catheterisation (RHC). Univariable and multivariable analyses selected the best discriminatory variables for identifying PAH. After assessment for clinical plausibility and feasibility, these were incorporated into a two-step, internally validated detection algorithm. Nomograms for clinical practice use were developed. RESULTS: Of 466 SSc patients at increased risk of PAH, 87 (19%) had RHC-confirmed PAH. PAH was mild (64% in WHO functional class I/II). Six simple assessments in Step 1 of the algorithm determined referral to echocardiography. In Step 2, the Step 1 prediction score and two echocardiographic variables determined referral to RHC. The DETECT algorithm recommended RHC in 62% of patients (referral rate) and missed 4% of PAH patients (false negatives). By comparison, applying European Society of Cardiology/European Respiratory Society guidelines to these patients, 29% of diagnoses were missed while requiring an RHC referral rate of 40%. CONCLUSIONS: The novel, evidence-based DETECT algorithm for PAH detection in SSc is a sensitive, non-invasive tool which minimises missed diagnoses, identifies milder disease and addresses resource usage.

Acute hemodynamic effects of single-dose sildenafil when added to established bosentan therapy in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension: results of the COMPASS-1 study.

This study investigated the acute pharmacodynamic effects of sildenafil in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and concomitant bosentan treatment, in view of a mutual pharmacokinetic interaction between the 2 drugs. This prospective, open-label, noncomparative, multicenter, phase II study enrolled 45 patients (>or=18 years) with stable PAH (idiopathic, familial, or related to corrected congenital systemic-to-pulmonary shunts, drugs, or toxins) and on bosentan treatment for at least 3 months. Patients underwent right heart catheterization to evaluate the acute hemodynamic effects of (a) inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) and (b) a single oral dose of sildenafil (25 mg). Mean pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) decreased from baseline following iNO (-15%; 95% confidence limits: -21%, -8%; P = .0001). A statistically significant decrease from baseline in mean PVR was also observed 60 minutes following sildenafil administration (-15%; 95% confidence limits: -21%, -10%; P < .0001). The reduction in PVR following sildenafil was comparable to that resulting from iNO. There were no unexpected safety findings. The pharmacodynamic effect suggests that addition of sildenafil to bosentan treatment can elicit additional hemodynamic benefits. These data represent a rationale for long-term combination studies with the 2 compounds.

Repetitive large-dose infusion of the novel hydroxyethyl starch 130/0.4 in patients with severe head injury.

UNLABELLED: In this prospective, controlled, randomized, single-center study, we investigated the safety of repetitive large-dose infusion of a novel hydroxyethyl starch solution (6% HES 130/0.4) in cranio-cerebral trauma patients. Patients were randomized to receive either HES 130/0.4 (n = 16) at repetitive doses of up to 70 mL x kg(-1) x d(-1) (which is the largest HES dose reported in the literature) or the control HES 200/0.5 (n = 15) up to its approved dose limit of 33 mL x kg(-1) x d(-1) followed by human albumin up to a total dose (HES 200/0.5 + albumin) of 70 mL x kg(-1) x d(-1). We found no differences between groups in mortality, renal function, bleeding complications, and use of blood products. There were also no major differences in coagulation variables. However, at some time points, factor VIII, von Willebrand factor, and ristocetin cofactor were higher in the HES 130/0.4 group despite the large HES doses administered. We conclude that HES 130/0.4 can safely be used in critically ill head trauma patients over several days at doses of up to 70 mL x kg(-1) x d(-1). IMPLICATIONS: There are concerns that infusion of certain hydroxyethyl starch (HES) types for plasma volume expansion may influence coagulation and renal function. We investigated the safety of the novel HES 130/0.4 in patients with severe cranio-cerebral trauma. The repetitive HES doses administered in this study are the largest reported in the literature.