Cystic Fibrosis
Development of a cystic fibrosis population model for physiologically based pharmacokinetic models: Is it worth it?
CPT Pharmacometrics Syst Pharmacol. 2024 Mar 21. doi: 10.1002/psp4.13134. Online ahead of print.
NO ABSTRACT
PMID:38511610 | DOI:10.1002/psp4.13134
Response to "Development of a cystic fibrosis population model for physiologically based pharmacokinetic models: Is it worth it?"
CPT Pharmacometrics Syst Pharmacol. 2024 Mar 21. doi: 10.1002/psp4.13135. Online ahead of print.
NO ABSTRACT
PMID:38511390 | DOI:10.1002/psp4.13135
A RCT to explore the effectiveness of supporting adherence to nebuliser medication in adults with cystic fibrosis: fidelity assessment of study interventions
BMC Pulm Med. 2024 Mar 21;24(1):148. doi: 10.1186/s12890-024-02923-z.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: A multi-component self-management intervention 'CFHealthHub' was developed to reduce pulmonary exacerbations in adults with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) by supporting adherence to nebuliser medication. It was evaluated in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving 19 CF centres, with 32 interventionists, 305 participants in the intervention group, and 303 participants in the standard care arm. Ensuring treatment fidelity of intervention delivery was crucial to ensure that the intervention produced the expected outcomes.
METHODS: Fidelity of the CFHealthHub intervention and standard care was assessed using different methods for each of the five fidelity domains defined by the Borrelli framework: study design, training, treatment delivery, receipt, and enactment. Study design ensured that the groups received the intended intervention or standard care. Interventionists underwent training and competency assessments to be deemed certified to deliver the intervention. Audio-recorded intervention sessions were assessed for fidelity drift. Receipt was assessed by identifying whether participants set Action and Coping Plans, while enactment was assessed using click analytics on the CFHealthHub digital platform.
RESULTS: Design: There was reasonable agreement (74%, 226/305) between the expected versus actual intervention dose received by participants in the CFHealthHub intervention group. The standard care group did not include focused adherence support for most centres and participants. Training: All interventionists were trained. Treatment delivery: The trial demonstrated good fidelity (overall fidelity by centre ranged from 79 to 97%), with only one centre falling below the mean threshold (> 80%) on fidelity drift assessments. Receipt: Among participants who completed the 12-month intervention, 77% (205/265) completed at least one action plan, and 60% (160/265) completed at least one coping plan. Enactment: 88% (268/305) of participants used web/app click analytics outside the intervention sessions. The mean (SD) number of web/app click analytics per participant was 31.2 (58.9). Additionally, 64% (195/305) of participants agreed to receive notifications via the mobile application, with an average of 53.6 (14.9) notifications per participant.
CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrates high fidelity throughout the RCT, and the CFHealthHub intervention was delivered as intended. This provides confidence that the results of the RCT are a valid reflection of the effectiveness of the CFHealthHub intervention compared to standard care.
TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN registry: ISRCTN55504164 (date of registration: 12/10/2017).
PMID:38509494 | DOI:10.1186/s12890-024-02923-z
Extended stop codon context predicts nonsense codon readthrough efficiency in human cells
Nat Commun. 2024 Mar 20;15(1):2486. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-46703-z.
ABSTRACT
Protein synthesis terminates when a stop codon enters the ribosome's A-site. Although termination is efficient, stop codon readthrough can occur when a near-cognate tRNA outcompetes release factors during decoding. Seeking to understand readthrough regulation we used a machine learning approach to analyze readthrough efficiency data from published HEK293T ribosome profiling experiments and compared it to comparable yeast experiments. We obtained evidence for the conservation of identities of the stop codon, its context, and 3'-UTR length (when termination is compromised), but not the P-site codon, suggesting a P-site tRNA role in readthrough regulation. Models trained on data from cells treated with the readthrough-promoting drug, G418, accurately predicted readthrough of premature termination codons arising from CFTR nonsense alleles that cause cystic fibrosis. This predictive ability has the potential to aid development of nonsense suppression therapies by predicting a patient's likelihood of improvement in response to drugs given their nonsense mutation sequence context.
PMID:38509072 | DOI:10.1038/s41467-024-46703-z
Covid-19 in cystic fibrosis patients compared to the general population: Severity and virus-host cell interactions
J Cyst Fibros. 2024 Mar 19:S1569-1993(24)00036-5. doi: 10.1016/j.jcf.2024.03.006. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: People with cystic fibrosis (pwCF) are considered at risk of developing severe forms of respiratory viral infections. We studied the consequences of COVID-19 and virus-host cell interactions in CF vs. non-CF individuals.
METHODS: We enrolled CF and non-CF individuals, with /without COVID-like symptoms, who underwent nasopharyngeal swab for detection of SARS-CoV-2. Gene expression was evaluated by RNA sequencing on the same nasopharyngeal swabs. Criteria for COVID-19 severity were hospitalization and requirement or increased need of oxygen therapy.
RESULTS: The study included 171 patients (65 pwCF and 106 non-CF individuals). Among them, 10 pwCF (15.4 %) and 43 people without CF (40.6 %) tested positive at RT-PCR. Symptomatic infections were observed in 8 pwCF (with 2 requiring hospitalization) and in 11 individuals without CF (6 requiring hospitalization). Host transcriptomic analysis revealed that genes involved in protein translation, particularly ribosomal components, were downregulated in CF samples irrespective of SARS-CoV-2 status. In SARS-CoV-2 negative individuals, we found a significant difference in genes involved with motile cilia expression and function, which were upregulated in CF samples. Pathway enrichment analysis indicated that interferon signaling in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection was upregulated in both pwCF and non-CF subjects.
CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 does not seem to be more severe in CF, possibly due to factors intrinsic to this population: the lower expression of ribosomal genes may downregulate the protein translation machinery, thus creating an unfavorable environment for viral replication.
PMID:38508950 | DOI:10.1016/j.jcf.2024.03.006
ECFS standards of care on CFTR-related disorders: Identification and care of the disorders
J Cyst Fibros. 2024 Mar 19:S1569-1993(24)00037-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jcf.2024.03.008. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
This is the third paper in the series providing updated information and recommendations for people with cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR)-related disorder (CFTR-RD). This paper covers the individual disorders, including the established conditions - congenital absence of the vas deferens (CAVD), diffuse bronchiectasis and chronic or acute recurrent pancreatitis - and also other conditions which might be considered a CFTR-RD, including allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, chronic rhinosinusitis, primary sclerosing cholangitis and aquagenic wrinkling. The CFTR functional and genetic evidence in support of the condition being a CFTR-RD are discussed and guidance for reaching the diagnosis, including alternative conditions to consider and management recommendations, is provided. Gaps in our knowledge, particularly of the emerging conditions, and future areas of research, including the role of CFTR modulators, are highlighted.
PMID:38508949 | DOI:10.1016/j.jcf.2024.03.008
Elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor improves nasal nitric oxide in patients with cystic fibrosis
J Cyst Fibros. 2024 Mar 19:S1569-1993(24)00034-1. doi: 10.1016/j.jcf.2024.03.003. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: In health, nitric oxide (NO) shows high concentrations in the upper airways, while nasal NO (nNO) is significantly lower in patients with sinonasal inflammation, such as people with cystic fibrosis (PwCF). In PwCF treated with elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor (ETI; PwCF-ETI), clinical improvement of sinonasal symptoms and inflammation was observed. We therefore hypothesised that ETI may increase nNO in PwCF.
METHODS: 25 PwCF-ETI underwent nNO measurement at baseline and after 3 to 24 months of ETI treatment. NNO was measured using velum closure (VC) techniques in cooperative patients and tidal breathing (TB) for all patients. As controls, 7 CF patients not eligible for ETI (PwCF-non ETI) and 32 healthy controls (HC) were also repeatedly investigated.
RESULTS: In PwCF-ETI, sinonasal symptoms, lung function parameters and sweat chloride levels improved from baseline to follow-up whereas there was no change in PwCF-non ETI and HC. NNO increased from a median (IQR) value at baseline to follow-up from 348.2 (274.4) ppb to 779.6 (364.7) ppb for VC (P < 0.001) and from 198.2 (107.0) ppb to 408.3 (236.1) ppb for TB (P < 0.001). At follow-up, PwCF-ETI reached nNO values in the normal range. In PwCF-non ETI as well as HC, nNO did not change between baseline and follow-up.
CONCLUSIONS: In PwCF-ETI, the nNO values significantly increased after several months of ETI treatment in comparison to baseline and reached values in the normal range. This suggests that nNO is a potential non-invasive biomarker to examine sinonasal inflammatory disease in PwCF and supports the observation of clinical improvement in these patients.
PMID:38508948 | DOI:10.1016/j.jcf.2024.03.003
COVID-19 disease in patients with chronic neutropenia: The experience from the European Network for Innovative Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Neutropenias
Br J Haematol. 2024 Mar 20. doi: 10.1111/bjh.19411. Online ahead of print.
NO ABSTRACT
PMID:38506338 | DOI:10.1111/bjh.19411
Assessment of hepatic fibrosis with non-invasive indices in subjects with diabetes before and after liver transplantation
Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2024 Mar 5;15:1359960. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1359960. eCollection 2024.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: One of the most common complications of cirrhosis is diabetes, which prevalence is strictly related to severity of hepatopathy. Actually, there are no data on the persistence of post-transplant glucose abnormalities and on a potential impact of diabetes on development of fibrosis in the transplanted liver. To this aim, we evaluated liver fibrosis in cirrhotic subjects before and after being transplanted.
METHODS: The study included 111 individuals who had liver transplantation. The assessment was performed before and two years after surgery to investigate a potential impact of the persistence of diabetes on developing de novo fibrosis in the transplanted liver. The degree of fibrosis was assessed using the Fibrosis Index Based on 4 Factors (FIB-4) and the Aspartate to Platelet Ratio Index (APRI).
RESULTS: At pre-transplant evaluation, 63 out of 111 (56.8%) subjects were diabetic. Diabetic subjects had higher FIB-4 (Geometric mean, 95% confidence interval: 9.74, 8.32-11.41 vs 5.93, 4.71-7.46, P<0.001) and APRI (2.04, 1.69-2.47 vs 1.18, 0.90-1.55, P<0.001) compared to non-diabetic subjects. Two years after transplantation, 39 out of 111 (35.1%) subjects remained with diabetes and continued to show significantly higher FIB-4 (3.14, 2.57-3.82 vs 1.87, 1.55-2.27, P<0.001) and APRI (0.52, 0.39-0.69 vs 0.26, 0.21-0.32, P<0.001) compared to subjects without diabetes.
DISCUSSION: Thus, persistence of diabetes after surgery is a possible risk factor for an evolution to fibrosis in the transplanted liver, potentially leading to worsened long-term outcomes in this population.
PMID:38505744 | PMC:PMC10948411 | DOI:10.3389/fendo.2024.1359960
Cell type-specific regulation of CFTR trafficking-on the verge of progress
Front Cell Dev Biol. 2024 Mar 4;12:1338892. doi: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1338892. eCollection 2024.
ABSTRACT
Trafficking of the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) protein is a complex process that starts with its biosynthesis and folding in the endoplasmic reticulum. Exit from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is coupled with the acquisition of a compact structure that can be processed and traffic through the secretory pathway. Once reaching its final destination-the plasma membrane, CFTR stability is regulated through interaction with multiple protein partners that are involved in its post-translation modification, connecting the channel to several signaling pathways. The complexity of the process is further boosted when analyzed in the context of the airway epithelium. Recent advances have characterized in detail the different cell types that compose the surface epithelium and shifted the paradigm on which cells express CFTR and on their individual and combined contribution to the total expression (and function) of this chloride/bicarbonate channel. Here we review CFTR trafficking and its relationship with the knowledge on the different cell types of the airway epithelia. We explore the crosstalk between these two areas and discuss what is still to be clarified and how this can be used to develop more targeted therapies for CF.
PMID:38505263 | PMC:PMC10949533 | DOI:10.3389/fcell.2024.1338892
Prevalence of pulmonary artery dilation in non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis: a computed tomography analysis from a cohort of the US Bronchiectasis and Nontuberculous Mycobacteria Research Registry
J Thorac Dis. 2024 Feb 29;16(2):1496-1502. doi: 10.21037/jtd-23-1316. Epub 2024 Feb 27.
ABSTRACT
Although pulmonary artery (PA) dilation is independently associated with significant morbidity and mortality in patients with pulmonary diseases irrespective of diagnosed pulmonary hypertension, its relationship with nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) is unknown. The Bronchiectasis and NTM Research Registry is a multicenter registry created to foster research in non-cystic fibrosis (CF) bronchiectasis and NTM lung disease. The majority of patients with non-CF bronchiectasis at Oregon Health & Science University have NTM infections. To determine the prevalence of PA dilation in these patients and its association with supplemental oxygen use, severity of bronchiectasis, tobacco use, and NTM in the sputum culture, we evaluated the chest computed tomography (CT) scans from 321 patients in a cross-sectional analysis. We measured the severity of bronchiectasis by applying modified Reiff criteria and measured the diameters of the PA and aorta (Ao), with PA dilation defined as a PA:Ao ratio >0.9. In our cohort, the mean age was 67.3 years and 83.2% were female. The mean modified Reiff score was 7.1, indicating moderate disease severity. Forty-two patients (13.1%) were found to have PA dilation. PA dilation was positively associated with the use of supplemental oxygen (P<0.001), but there was no association between PA dilation and NTM infection.
PMID:38505050 | PMC:PMC10944741 | DOI:10.21037/jtd-23-1316
A phase I clinical trial assessing the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of inhaled ethanol in humans as a potential treatment for respiratory tract infections
Front Med (Lausanne). 2024 Mar 5;11:1324686. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2024.1324686. eCollection 2024.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Current treatments for respiratory infections are severely limited. Ethanol's unique properties including antimicrobial, immunomodulatory, and surfactant-like activity make it a promising candidate treatment for respiratory infections if it can be delivered safely to the airway by inhalation. Here, we explore the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of inhaled ethanol in a phase I clinical trial.
METHODS: The study was conducted as a single-centre, open-label clinical trial in 18 healthy adult volunteers, six with no significant medical comorbidities, four with stable asthma, four with stable cystic fibrosis, and four active smokers. A dose-escalating design was used, with participants receiving three dosing cycles of 40, 60%, and then 80% ethanol v/v in water, 2 h apart, in a single visit. Ethanol was nebulised using a standard jet nebuliser, delivered through a novel closed-circuit reservoir system, and inhaled nasally for 10 min, then orally for 30 min. Safety assessments included adverse events and vital sign monitoring, blood alcohol concentrations, clinical examination, spirometry, electrocardiogram, and blood tests.
RESULTS: No serious adverse events were recorded. The maximum blood alcohol concentration observed was 0.011% immediately following 80% ethanol dosing. Breath alcohol concentrations were high (median 0.26%) following dosing suggesting high tissue levels were achieved. Small transient increases in heart rate, blood pressure, and blood neutrophil levels were observed, with these normalising after dosing, with no other significant safety concerns. Of 18 participants, 15 completed all dosing cycles with three not completing all cycles due to tolerability. The closed-circuit reservoir system significantly reduced fugitive aerosol loss during dosing.
CONCLUSION: These data support the safety of inhaled ethanol at concentrations up to 80%, supporting its further investigation as a treatment for respiratory infections.Clinical trial registration: identifier ACTRN12621000067875.
PMID:38504921 | PMC:PMC10949138 | DOI:10.3389/fmed.2024.1324686
Trial watch: local anesthetics in cancer therapy
Oncoimmunology. 2024 Mar 17;13(1):2308940. doi: 10.1080/2162402X.2024.2308940. eCollection 2024.
ABSTRACT
Preclinical evidence indicates potent antitumor properties of local anesthetics. Numerous underlying mechanisms explaining such anticancer effects have been identified, suggesting direct cytotoxic as well as indirect immunemediated effects that together reduce the proliferative, invasive and migratory potential of malignant cells. Although some retrospective and correlative studies support these findings, prospective randomized controlled trials have not yet fully confirmed the antineoplastic activity of local anesthetics, likely due to the intricate methodology required for mitigating confounding factors. This trial watch aims at compiling all published preclinical and clinical research, along with completed and ongoing trials, that explore the potential antitumor effects of local anesthetics.
PMID:38504848 | PMC:PMC10950281 | DOI:10.1080/2162402X.2024.2308940
Diagnosis and management of anemia in pediatric inflammatory bowel diseases: Clinical practice guidelines on behalf of the SIGENP IBD Working group
Dig Liver Dis. 2024 Mar 18:S1590-8658(24)00277-9. doi: 10.1016/j.dld.2024.02.016. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
Anemia is one of the most frequent extra-intestinal manifestations of inflammatory bowel disease. Insidious onset, variability of symptoms and lack of standardized screening practices may increase the risk of underestimating its burden in children with IBD. Despite its relevance and peculiarity in everyday clinical practice, this topic is only dealt with in a few documents specifically for the pediatric field. The aim of the current guidelines is therefore to provide pediatric gastroenterologists with a practical update to support the clinical and therapeutic management of children with IBD and anemia. A panel of 19 pediatric gastroenterologists and 1 pediatric hematologist with experience in the field of pediatric IBD was agreed by IBD Working group of the Italian Society of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (SIGENP) to produce the present article outlining practical clinical approaches to the pediatric patient with IBD and anemia. The levels of evidence and recommendations have been defined for each part of the statement according to the GRADE system.
PMID:38503658 | DOI:10.1016/j.dld.2024.02.016
Pulmonary Vascular Dysfunctions in Cystic Fibrosis
Physiology (Bethesda). 2024 Mar 19. doi: 10.1152/physiol.00024.2023. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is an inherited disorder caused by a deleterious mutation in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. Given that the CFTR protein is a chloride channel expressed on a variety of cells throughout the human body, mutations in this gene impact several organs, particularly the lungs. For this very reason, research regarding CF disease and CFTR function has historically focused on the lung airway epithelium. Nevertheless, it has been discovered more than two decades ago that CFTR is also expressed and functional on endothelial cells. Despite the great strides that have been made in understanding the role of CFTR in the airway epithelium, the role of CFTR in the endothelium remains unclear. Considering that the airway epithelium and endothelium work in tandem to allow gas exchange, it becomes very crucial to understand how a defective CFTR protein can impact the pulmonary vasculature and overall lung function. Fortunately, more recent research has been dedicated to elucidating the role of CFTR in the endothelium. As a result, several vascular dysfunctions associated with CF disease have come to light. Here, we summarize the current knowledge on pulmonary vascular dysfunctions in CF and discuss applicable therapies.
PMID:38501963 | DOI:10.1152/physiol.00024.2023
Antibacterial peptide Reg4 ameliorates <em>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</em>-induced pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis
Microbiol Spectr. 2024 Mar 19:e0390523. doi: 10.1128/spectrum.03905-23. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) is a Gram-negative facultative anaerobe that has become an important cause of severe infections in humans, particularly in patients with cystic fibrosis. The development of efficacious methods or mendicants against P. aeruginosa is still needed. We previously reported that regenerating islet-derived family member 4 (Reg4) has bactericidal activity against Salmonella Typhimurium, a Gram-negative flagellated bacterium. We herein explore whether Reg4 has bactericidal activity against P. aeruginosa. In the P. aeruginosa PAO1-chronic infection model, Reg4 significantly inhibits the colonization of PAO1 in the lung and subsequently ameliorates pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis. Reg4 recombinant protein suppresses the growth motility and biofilm formation capability of PAO1 in vitro. Mechanistically, Reg4 not only exerts bactericidal action via direct binding to the P. aeruginosa cell wall but also enhances the phagocytosis of alveolar macrophages in the host. Taken together, our study demonstrates that Reg4 may provide protection against P. aeruginosa-induced pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis via its antibacterial activity.IMPORTANCEChronic lung infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with cystic fibrosis. Due to the antibiotic resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, antimicrobial peptides appear to be a potential alternative to combat its infection. In this study, we report an antimicrobial peptide, regenerating islet-derived 4 (Reg4), that showed killing activity against clinical strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 and ameliorated PAO1-induced pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis. Experimental data also showed Reg4 directly bound to the bacterial cell membrane and enhanced the phagocytosis of host alveolar macrophages. Our presented study will be a helpful resource in searching for novel antimicrobial peptides that could have the potential to replace conventional antibiotics.
PMID:38501823 | DOI:10.1128/spectrum.03905-23
A rare variant c.1802T>C (p. Ile601Thr) associated with severe phenotype among people with cystic fibrosis from south India, and potential genetic admixture in Reunion, France
Pediatr Pulmonol. 2024 Mar 19. doi: 10.1002/ppul.26965. Online ahead of print.
NO ABSTRACT
PMID:38501349 | DOI:10.1002/ppul.26965
Pancreatitis in cystic fibrosis: Presentation, medical and surgical management, and the impact of modulator therapies
Pediatr Pulmonol. 2024 Mar 19. doi: 10.1002/ppul.26958. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
Patients with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) are at increased risk of acute (AP) and chronic (CP) pancreatitis, and their complications. The extent of remaining healthy pancreatic parenchyma determines the risk of developing future episodes of pancreatitis, as well as pancreatic exocrine or endocrine insufficiency. Pancreatitis may be the presenting symptom of CF, and genetic testing is especially important in pediatrics. AP and recurrent AP are managed with intravenous fluid hydration and pain control, in addition to early refeeding and treatment of complications. With the use of modulator therapy in CF, pancreatic function may be restored to some extent. CP related pain is managed with analgesics and neuromodulators, with surgery if indicated in specific situations including TPIAT as a possible type of surgical intervention. Long-term sequelae of CP in patients with CF include exocrine pancreatic insufficiency treated with pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy, fat-soluble vitamin deficiencies and associated metabolic complications such as bone disease/osteoporosis, pancreatogenic diabetes, and less commonly, pancreatic cancer. We review the presentation and etiologies of pancreatitis in CF patients as well as the management of AP and CP primarily in children.
PMID:38501345 | DOI:10.1002/ppul.26958
A comparison of aminoglycoside antibiotic serum concentrations collected by peripheral veins and peripherally inserted central catheters in adults with cystic fibrosis
Pediatr Pulmonol. 2024 Mar 19. doi: 10.1002/ppul.26986. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: People with cystic fibrosis (PwCF) are frequently hospitalized for treatment of pulmonary exacerbation. The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Pulmonary Guidelines support the use of intravenous aminoglycosides with therapeutic drug monitoring for the treatment of pulmonary exacerbation due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Serum intravenous tobramycin concentrations are commonly collected by peripheral venipuncture (PV). Discomfort associated with collection of samples by PV prompts collection via PICC, but the accuracy of intravenous tobramycin serum levels collected by PICC has not been documented in adult PwCF. The primary study objective was to evaluate the difference between intravenous tobramycin serum levels collected by PV and PICC in adult PwCF.
METHODS: The authors conducted a prospective case-control study of adult PwCF admitted to University of Utah Health for a pulmonary exacerbation receiving tobramycin by a single lumen PICC. The authors compared tobramycin peak and random serum levels collected by PV and PICC using a detailed flush and waste protocol.
RESULTS: The authors analyzed a total of 19 patients with peripheral and PICC samples. The mean tobramycin peak collected by PV (27.2 mcg/mL) was similar to the mean peak collected by PICC (26.9 mcg/mL) (paired samples Wilcoxon signed-rank test, p = .94). The correlation coefficient was 0.88 (95% CI = 0.85-0.91, p < .001).
CONCLUSION: Tobramycin serum samples collected by PICC appear to be similar in value to PV collections. Collecting aminoglycoside levels by PICC rather than PV may reduce patient discomfort and improve quality of life. Additional multicenter studies are needed to confirm these results.
PMID:38501330 | DOI:10.1002/ppul.26986
Investigating the role of CFTR in human and mouse myometrium
Curr Res Physiol. 2024 Mar 1;7:100122. doi: 10.1016/j.crphys.2024.100122. eCollection 2024.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Abnormal cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) function in cystic fibrosis (CF) has been linked to airway smooth muscle abnormalities including bronchial hyperresponsiveness. However, a role for CFTR in other types of smooth muscle, including myometrium, remains largely unexplored. As CF life expectancy and the number of pregnancies increases, there is a need for an understanding of the potential role of CFTR in myometrial function.
METHODS: We investigated the role of CFTR in human and mouse myometrium. We used immunofluorescence to identify CFTR expression, and carried out contractility studies on spontaneously contracting term pregnant and non-pregnant mouse myometrium and term pregnant human myometrial biopsies from caesarean sections.
RESULTS: CFTR was found to be expressed in term pregnant mouse myometrium. Inhibition of CFTR, with the selective inhibitor CFTRinh-172, significantly reduced contractility in pregnant mouse and human myometrium in a concentration-dependent manner (44.89 ± 11.02 term pregnant mouse, 9.23 ± 4.75 term-pregnant human; maximal effect at 60 μM expressed as a percentage of the pre-treatment control period). However, there was no effect of CFTRinh-172 in non-pregnant myometrium.
CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate decreased myometrial function when CFTR is inhibited, which may have implications on pregnancy and labour outcome and therapeutic decisions for labour in CF patients.
PMID:38501132 | PMC:PMC10945125 | DOI:10.1016/j.crphys.2024.100122