Cystic Fibrosis
The Antimicrobial, Antibiofilm and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of P13#1, a Cathelicidin-like Achiral Peptoid
Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2023 Sep 30;16(10):1386. doi: 10.3390/ph16101386.
ABSTRACT
Cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAMPs) are powerful molecules with antimicrobial, antibiofilm and endotoxin-scavenging activities. These properties make CAMPs very attractive drugs in the face of the rapid increase in multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens, but they are limited by their susceptibility to proteolytic degradation. An intriguing solution to this issue could be the development of functional mimics of CAMPs with structures that enable the evasion of proteases. Peptoids (N-substituted glycine oligomers) are an important class of peptidomimetics with interesting benefits: easy synthetic access, intrinsic proteolytic stability and promising bioactivities. Here, we report the characterization of P13#1, a 13-residue peptoid specifically designed to mimic cathelicidins, the best-known and most widespread family of CAMPs. P13#1 showed all the biological activities typically associated with cathelicidins: bactericidal activity over a wide spectrum of strains, including several ESKAPE pathogens; the ability to act in combination with different classes of conventional antibiotics; antibiofilm activity against preformed biofilms of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, comparable to that of human cathelicidin LL-37; limited toxicity; and an ability to inhibit LPS-induced proinflammatory effects which is comparable to that of "the last resource" antibiotic colistin. We further studied the interaction of P13#1 with SDS, LPSs and bacterial cells by using a fluorescent version of P13#1. Finally, in a subcutaneous infection mouse model, it showed antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities comparable to ampicillin and gentamicin without apparent toxicity. The collected data indicate that P13#1 is an excellent candidate for the formulation of new antimicrobial therapies.
PMID:37895857 | DOI:10.3390/ph16101386
Determination of Carrier Frequency of Actionable Pathogenic Variants in Autosomal Recessive Genetic Diseases in the Turkish Cypriot Population
Genes (Basel). 2023 Oct 20;14(10):1967. doi: 10.3390/genes14101967.
ABSTRACT
Whole-exome DNA sequencing is a rich source of clinically useful information for specialists, patients, and their families, as well as elucidating the genetic basis of monogenic and complex diseases in clinical diagnosis. However, interpreting and reporting variants encompassing exome and genome sequence analysis outcome data are one of the greatest challenges of the genomic era. In this study, we aimed to investigate the frequency and allele frequency spectrum of single nucleotide variants accepted as recessive disease carrier status in Turkish Cypriot exomes. The same sequencing platform and data processing line were used for the analysis of data from 100 Turkish Cypriot whole-exome sequence analysis. Identified variants were classified according to ACMG guidelines, and pathogenic variants were confirmed in other databases such as ClinVar, HGMD, Varsome, etc. Pathogenic variants were detected in 68 genes out of 100 whole-exome sequence data. The carriage rate was the highest in the CYP21A2 gene, causing 21-hydroxylase deficiency (14.70%), 11.76% in the HBB gene causing β-thalassemia, 10.29% in the BTD gene causing biotinidase deficiency, 8.82% in the CFTR gene causing cystic fibrosis, 8.82% in the RBM8A gene causing thrombocytopenia-absent radius syndrome, which is an ultra-rare disease, and 5.88% in the GAA gene causing glycogen storage disease II. The carriage of pathogenic variants in other genes causing the disease (GJB2, PAH, GALC, CYP11B2, COL4A3, HBA1, etc.) was determined as less than 5.00%. Also, the identified variations in the mentioned gene within the examined population were reported. The most prevalent mutation in North Cyprus was a missense variant (c.1360 C>T, p.Pro454Ser) detected in the CYP21A2 gene (rs6445), and the most frequently seen variant in the HBB gene was c.93-21G>A (rs35004220). We investigated reported pathogenic variants by estimating the lower and upper limits of carrier and population frequencies for autosomal recessive diseases, for which exome sequencing may reveal additional medically relevant information. Determining the lower and upper limits of these frequencies will shed light on preventive medicine practices and governmental actions.
PMID:37895316 | DOI:10.3390/genes14101967
Lung Inflammatory Genes in Cystic Fibrosis and Their Relevance to Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator Modulator Therapies
Genes (Basel). 2023 Oct 20;14(10):1966. doi: 10.3390/genes14101966.
ABSTRACT
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a monogenic syndrome determined by over 2000 mutations in the CF Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) gene harbored on chromosome 7. In people with CF (PWCF), lung disease is the major determinant of morbidity and mortality and is characterized by a clinical phenotype which differs in the presence of equal mutational assets, indicating that genetic and environmental modifiers play an important role in this variability. Airway inflammation determines the pathophysiology of CF lung disease (CFLD) both at its onset and progression. In this narrative review, we aim to depict the inflammatory process in CF lung, with a particular emphasis on those genetic polymorphisms that could modify the clinical outcome of the respiratory disease in PWCF. The natural history of CF has been changed since the introduction of CFTR modulator therapies in the clinical arena. However, also in this case, there is a patient-to-patient variable response. We provide an overview on inflammatory/immunity gene variants that affect CFLD severity and an appraisal of the effects of CFTR modulator therapies on the inflammatory process in lung disease and how this knowledge may advance the optimization of the management of PWCF.
PMID:37895314 | DOI:10.3390/genes14101966
Vaping-Induced Proteolysis Causes Airway Surface Dehydration
Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Oct 19;24(20):15348. doi: 10.3390/ijms242015348.
ABSTRACT
Proteases such as neutrophil elastase cleave and activate the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC), causing airway dehydration. Our current study explores the impact of increased protease levels in vapers' airways on ENaC activity and airway dehydration. Human bronchial epithelial cultures (HBECs) were exposed to bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from non-smokers, smokers and vapers. Airway surface liquid (ASL) height was measured by confocal microscopy as a marker of hydration. ENaC cleavage was measured by Western blotting. Human peripheral blood neutrophils were treated with a menthol-flavored e-liquid (Juul), and the resulting secretions were added to HBECs. BALF from smokers and vapers significantly and equally increased ENaC activity and decreased ASL height. The ASL height decrease was attenuated by protease inhibitors. Non-smokers' BALF had no effect on ENaC or ASL height. BALF from smokers and vapers, but not non-smokers, induced ENaC cleavage. E-liquid-treated neutrophil secretions cleaved ENaC and decreased ASL height. Our study demonstrated that elevated protease levels in vapers' airways have functional significance since they can activate ENaC, resulting in airway dehydration. Lung dehydration contributes to diseases like cystic fibrosis (CF), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. Thus, our data predict that vaping, like smoking, will cause airway surface dehydration that likely leads to lung disease.
PMID:37895029 | DOI:10.3390/ijms242015348
Readthrough Approach Using NV Translational Readthrough-Inducing Drugs (TRIDs): A Study of the Possible Off-Target Effects on Natural Termination Codons (NTCs) on TP53 and Housekeeping Gene Expression
Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Oct 11;24(20):15084. doi: 10.3390/ijms242015084.
ABSTRACT
Nonsense mutations cause several genetic diseases such as cystic fibrosis, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, β-thalassemia, and Shwachman-Diamond syndrome. These mutations induce the formation of a premature termination codon (PTC) inside the mRNA sequence, resulting in the synthesis of truncated polypeptides. Nonsense suppression therapy mediated by translational readthrough-inducing drugs (TRIDs) is a promising approach to correct these genetic defects. TRIDs generate a ribosome miscoding of the PTC named "translational readthrough" and restore the synthesis of full-length and potentially functional proteins. The new oxadiazole-core TRIDs NV848, NV914, and NV930 (NV) showed translational readthrough activity in nonsense-related in vitro systems. In this work, the possible off-target effect of NV molecules on natural termination codons (NTCs) was investigated. Two different in vitro approaches were used to assess if the NV molecule treatment induces NTC readthrough: (1) a study of the translational-induced p53 molecular weight and functionality; (2) the evaluation of two housekeeping proteins' (Cys-C and β2M) molecular weights. Our results showed that the treatment with NV848, NV914, or NV930 did not induce any translation alterations in both experimental systems. The data suggested that NV molecules have a specific action for the PTCs and an undetectable effect on the NTCs.
PMID:37894764 | DOI:10.3390/ijms242015084
Mutation Analysis in Regulator DNA-Binding Regions for Antimicrobial Efflux Pumps in 17,000 <em>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</em> Genomes
Microorganisms. 2023 Oct 4;11(10):2486. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms11102486.
ABSTRACT
Mutations leading to upregulation of efflux pumps can produce multiple drug resistance in the pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Changes in their DNA binding regions, i.e., palindromic operators, can compromise pump depression and subsequently enhance resistance against several antibacterials and biocides. Here, we have identified (pseudo)palindromic repeats close to promoters of genes encoding 13 core drug-efflux pumps of P. aeruginosa. This framework was applied to detect mutations in these repeats in 17,292 genomes. Eighty-nine percent of isolates carried at least one mutation. Eight binary genetic properties potentially related to expression were calculated for mutations. These included palindromicity reduction, mutation type, positioning within the repeat and DNA-bending shift. High-risk ST298, ST308 and ST357 clones commonly carried four conserved mutations while ST175 and the cystic fibrosis-linked ST649 clones showed none. Remarkably, a T-to-C transition in the fourth position of the upstream repeat for mexEF-oprN was nearly exclusive of the high-risk ST111 clone. Other mutations were associated with high-risk sublineages using sample geotemporal metadata. Moreover, 1.5% of isolates carried five or more mutations suggesting they undergo an alternative program for regulation of their effluxome. Overall, P. aeruginosa shows a wide range of operator mutations with a potential effect on efflux pump expression and antibiotic resistance.
PMID:37894144 | DOI:10.3390/microorganisms11102486
The NLRP3 Inflammasome in Neurodegenerative Disorders: Insights from Epileptic Models
Biomedicines. 2023 Oct 18;11(10):2825. doi: 10.3390/biomedicines11102825.
ABSTRACT
Neuroinflammation represents a dynamic process of defense and protection against the harmful action of infectious agents or other detrimental stimuli in the central nervous system (CNS). However, the uncontrolled regulation of this physiological process is strongly associated with serious dysfunctional neuronal issues linked to the progression of CNS disorders. Moreover, it has been widely demonstrated that neuroinflammation is linked to epilepsy, one of the most prevalent and serious brain disorders worldwide. Indeed, NLRP3, one of the most well-studied inflammasomes, is involved in the generation of epileptic seizures, events that characterize this pathological condition. In this context, several pieces of evidence have shown that the NLRP3 inflammasome plays a central role in the pathophysiology of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (mTLE). Based on an extensive review of the literature on the role of NLRP3-dependent inflammation in epilepsy, in this review we discuss our current understanding of the connection between NLRP3 inflammasome activation and progressive neurodegeneration in epilepsy. The goal of the review is to cover as many of the various known epilepsy models as possible, providing a broad overview of the current literature. Lastly, we also propose some of the present therapeutic strategies targeting NLRP3, aiming to provide potential insights for future studies.
PMID:37893198 | DOI:10.3390/biomedicines11102825
Oxidative Stress Biomarkers in Cystic Fibrosis and Cystic Fibrosis-Related Diabetes in Children: A Literature Review
Biomedicines. 2023 Sep 29;11(10):2671. doi: 10.3390/biomedicines11102671.
ABSTRACT
The most common inherited condition that results in death, particularly in those of Caucasian heritage, is cystic fibrosis (CF). Of all the young adults diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, 20% will develop hyperglycemia as a complication, later classified as a disease associated with cystic fibrosis. Impaired insulin secretion and glucose intolerance represent the primary mechanisms associated with diabetes (type 1 or type 2) and cystic fibrosis. Oxidative stress represents the imbalance between oxygen-reactive species and antioxidant defense mechanisms. This pathogenic mechanism is vital in triggering other chronic diseases, including cystic fibrosis-related diabetes. It is essential to understand oxidative stress and the significant impact it has on CFRD. This way, therapies can be individually adjusted and tailored to each patient's needs. This review aims to understand the connection between CFRD and oxidative stress. As a subsidiary element, we analyzed the effects of glycemic balance on complications and their evolution over time, providing insights into their potential benefits in mitigating oxidative stress-associated complications.
PMID:37893045 | DOI:10.3390/biomedicines11102671
Identification of the <em>bla</em><sub>OXA-23</sub> Gene in the First Mucoid XDR <em>Acinetobacter baumannii</em> Isolated from a Patient with Cystic Fibrosis
J Clin Med. 2023 Oct 18;12(20):6582. doi: 10.3390/jcm12206582.
ABSTRACT
Acinetobacter baumannii is one of the pathogens most involved in health care-associated infections in recent decades. Known for its ability to accumulate several antimicrobial resistance mechanisms, it possesses the oxacillinase blaoxa-23, a carbapenemase now endemic in Italy. Acinetobacter species are not frequently observed in patients with cystic fibrosis, and multidrug-resistant A. baumannii is a rare event in these patients. Non-mucoid A. baumannii carrying the blaoxa-23 gene has been sporadically detected. Here, we describe the methods used to detect blaoxa-23 in the first established case of pulmonary infection via a mucoid strain of A. baumannii producing carbapenemase in a 24-year-old cystic fibrosis patient admitted to Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital in Rome, Italy. This strain, which exhibited an extensively drug-resistant antibiotype, also showed a great ability to further increase its resistance in a short time.
PMID:37892720 | DOI:10.3390/jcm12206582
Care Issues in Patients with Rett Syndrome: A Parental Perspective
Children (Basel). 2023 Oct 21;10(10):1713. doi: 10.3390/children10101713.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to better understand the way caregivers of patients with Rett syndrome perceive the quality of the health care services they receive and identify its main shortcomings.
METHODS: A survey was distributed to all caregivers who are part of AIRETT (the Italian Association of Relatives of Patients with RS). The survey gathered information on the management of relatives of patients with Rett syndrome.
RESULTS: The data refers to 52 patients, all females, with a median age of 15 years at the time of the survey. Concerning RS specificity, our data confirm the high complexity of this chronic, multifaceted condition, mainly characterized by the presence of epilepsy, apnea, severe scoliosis, and gastrointestinal symptoms. The specialists more frequently involved in the care of patients were general practitioners or family pediatricians (98%) and neurologists (92%), and more rarely physiatrists (71%). Only 15% of patients were followed by a pulmonologist, despite the fact that respiratory problems were frequent (apneas were present in 81% of patients, and 2% had a tracheostomy). Although 63.5% of patients presented with gastrointestinal symptoms and 2% had a gastrostomy, only 33% were followed by a gastroenterologist. Moreover, although orthopedic issues were present in 78.8% of patients, including severe scoliosis in 22% of them, only 25% were followed by an orthopedist. Furthermore, despite the fact that RS patients are fragile, about one quarter of them were not vaccinated. As far as organizational issues are concerned, several specialized centers are located in various regions throughout the country. As a consequence, the high mobility rate from one center to another resulted in non-homogeneous assistance.
CONCLUSIONS: The study shows that caregivers of RS patients take over most obligations and burdens by increasing their perceived level of stress. For the majority of patients, the most frequent complications were not followed by the reference subspecialist, with the only exception of epilepsy. Moreover, improving vaccination strategies for these patients is necessary.
PMID:37892376 | DOI:10.3390/children10101713
Sleep Respiratory Disorders in Children and Adolescents with Cystic Fibrosis and Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia
Children (Basel). 2023 Oct 20;10(10):1707. doi: 10.3390/children10101707.
ABSTRACT
Cystic fibrosis (CF) and primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) are genetic respiratory diseases featured by chronic upper and lower airway inflammation and infection, mainly due to impaired mucociliary clearance due to genetic mutations. Sleep is crucial to healthy children's normal physical and psychological development and has an important value in chronic respiratory diseases. Impaired sleep quality, such as sleep deprivation or insufficient sleep during the night, and sleep respiratory disorders (SRDs) are common in 5% to 30% of the general population. Sleep disruption leads to attention deficits, daytime sleepiness, fatigue and mood disorders and correlates to a worsened quality of life. Furthermore, sleep respiratory disorders (SRSs) are under-recognized comorbidities in CF and PCD patients. SRSs include a spectrum of symptoms ranging from primary snoring through upper airway resistance to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), nocturnal hypoventilation and hypoxemia occurring in people with moderate to severe lung disease and damaging the disease-related outcomes and quality of life. Effective screening during sleep with polysomnography is very important for the timely initiation of efficacious treatments and to prevent worsened respiratory, metabolic and cardiovascular outcomes. However, the impact of SRDs on health and quality of life is still underinvestigated.
PMID:37892370 | DOI:10.3390/children10101707
Nasal Nitric Oxide in Children: A Review of Current Outreach in Pediatric Respiratory Medicine
Children (Basel). 2023 Oct 9;10(10):1671. doi: 10.3390/children10101671.
ABSTRACT
Nasal nitric oxide (nNO) is a gas synthesized by the inducible and constitutive NO synthase (NOS) enzyme in the airway cells of the nasal mucosa. Like lung nitric oxide, it is thought to be associated with airway inflammation in various respiratory diseases in children. The aim of our review was to investigate the current state of use of nNO measurement in children. A comprehensive search was conducted using the Web of Science and PubMed databases specifically targeting publications in the English language, with the following keywords: nasal NO, children, allergic rhinitis, chronic rhinosinusitis, acute rhinosinusitis, primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), and cystic fibrosis (CF). We describe the use of nNO in pediatric allergic rhinitis, chronic rhinosinusitis, acute rhinosinusitis, PCD, and CF based on the latest literature. nNO is a noninvasive, clinically applicable test for use in pediatric allergic rhinitis, chronic rhinosinusitis, acute rhinosinusitis, PCD, and CF. It can be used as a complementary method in the diagnosis of these respiratory diseases and as a monitoring method for the treatment of allergic rhinitis and acute and chronic rhinosinusitis.
PMID:37892334 | DOI:10.3390/children10101671
ATP12A Proton Pump as an Emerging Therapeutic Target in Cystic Fibrosis and Other Respiratory Diseases
Biomolecules. 2023 Sep 27;13(10):1455. doi: 10.3390/biom13101455.
ABSTRACT
ATP12A encodes the catalytic subunit of the non-gastric proton pump, which is expressed in many epithelial tissues and mediates the secretion of protons in exchange for potassium ions. In the airways, ATP12A-dependent proton secretion contributes to complex mechanisms regulating the composition and properties of the fluid and mucus lining the respiratory epithelia, which are essential to maintain the airway host defense and the respiratory health. Increased expression and activity of ATP12A in combination with the loss of other balancing activities, such as the bicarbonate secretion mediated by CFTR, leads to excessive acidification of the airway surface liquid and mucus dysfunction, processes that play relevant roles in the pathogenesis of cystic fibrosis and other chronic inflammatory respiratory disorders. In this review, we summarize the findings dealing with ATP12A expression, function, and modulation in the airways, which led to the consideration of ATP12A as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of cystic fibrosis and other airway diseases; we also highlight the current advances and gaps regarding the development of therapeutic strategies aimed at ATP12A inhibition.
PMID:37892136 | DOI:10.3390/biom13101455
Limited effects of azithromycin on the oropharyngeal microbiome in children with CF and early pseudomonas infection
BMC Microbiol. 2023 Oct 27;23(1):312. doi: 10.1186/s12866-023-03073-8.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Tobramycin inhalation solution (TIS) and chronic azithromycin (AZ) have known clinical benefits for children with CF, likely due to antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activity. The effects of chronic AZ in combination with TIS on the airway microbiome have not been extensively investigated. Oropharyngeal swab samples were collected in the OPTIMIZE multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled trial examining the addition of AZ to TIS in 198 children with CF and early P. aeruginosa infection. Bacterial small subunit rRNA gene community profiles were determined. The effects of TIS and AZ were assessed on oropharyngeal microbial diversity and composition to uncover whether effects on the bacterial community may be a mechanism of action related to the observed changes in clinical outcomes.
RESULTS: Substantial changes in bacterial communities (total bacterial load, diversity and relative abundance of specific taxa) were observed by week 3 of TIS treatment for both the AZ and placebo groups. On average, these shifts were due to changes in non-traditional CF taxa that were not sustained at the later study visits (weeks 13 and 26). Bacterial community measures did not differ between the AZ and placebo groups.
CONCLUSIONS: This study provides further evidence that the mechanism for AZ's effect on clinical outcomes is not due solely to action on airway microbial composition.
PMID:37891457 | PMC:PMC10612347 | DOI:10.1186/s12866-023-03073-8
Things They Are a Changing in the Field of Nontuberculous Mycobacteria
Clin Chest Med. 2023 Dec;44(4):xiii-xiv. doi: 10.1016/j.ccm.2023.09.001.
NO ABSTRACT
PMID:37890923 | DOI:10.1016/j.ccm.2023.09.001
Cystic Fibrosis-Related Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Pulmonary Disease
Clin Chest Med. 2023 Dec;44(4):847-860. doi: 10.1016/j.ccm.2023.06.008. Epub 2023 Aug 14.
ABSTRACT
Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infection is a major cause of morbidity in people with cystic fibrosis (pwCF) with rates of infection increasing worldwide. Accurate diagnosis and decisions surrounding best management remain challenging. Treatment guidelines have been developed to assist physicians in managing NTM in pwCF, but involve prolonged and complex mycobacterial regimens, often associated with significant toxicity. Fortunately, current management and outcomes of NTM in CF are likely to evolve due to improved understanding of disease acquisition, better diagnostics, emerging antimycobacterial therapies, and the widespread uptake of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) modulator therapies.
PMID:37890921 | DOI:10.1016/j.ccm.2023.06.008
Transgenic ferret models to study cystic fibrosis
Lab Anim (NY). 2023 Nov;52(11):265. doi: 10.1038/s41684-023-01279-x.
NO ABSTRACT
PMID:37891344 | DOI:10.1038/s41684-023-01279-x
Folding correctors can restore CFTR posttranslational folding landscape by allosteric domain-domain coupling
Nat Commun. 2023 Oct 27;14(1):6868. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-42586-8.
ABSTRACT
The folding/misfolding and pharmacological rescue of multidomain ATP-binding cassette (ABC) C-subfamily transporters, essential for organismal health, remain incompletely understood. The ABCC transporters core consists of two nucleotide binding domains (NBD1,2) and transmembrane domains (TMD1,2). Using molecular dynamic simulations, biochemical and hydrogen deuterium exchange approaches, we show that the mutational uncoupling or stabilization of NBD1-TMD1/2 interfaces can compromise or facilitate the CFTR(ABCC7)-, MRP1(ABCC1)-, and ABCC6-transporters posttranslational coupled domain-folding in the endoplasmic reticulum. Allosteric or orthosteric binding of VX-809 and/or VX-445 folding correctors to TMD1/2 can rescue kinetically trapped CFTR posttranslational folding intermediates of cystic fibrosis (CF) mutants of NBD1 or TMD1 by global rewiring inter-domain allosteric-networks. We propose that dynamic allosteric domain-domain communications not only regulate ABCC-transporters function but are indispensable to tune the folding landscape of their posttranslational intermediates. These allosteric networks can be compromised by CF-mutations, and reinstated by correctors, offering a framework for mechanistic understanding of ABCC-transporters (mis)folding.
PMID:37891162 | DOI:10.1038/s41467-023-42586-8
Can we decondition TRIKAFTA® tablets for the younger ones?
J Cyst Fibros. 2023 Oct 25:S1569-1993(23)00929-3. doi: 10.1016/j.jcf.2023.10.006. Online ahead of print.
NO ABSTRACT
PMID:37891070 | DOI:10.1016/j.jcf.2023.10.006
Elexacaftor/Tezacaftor/Ivacaftor Treatment and Depression-related Events
Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2023 Oct 27. doi: 10.1164/rccm.202308-1525OC. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
RATIONALE: Elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor (ELX/TEZ/IVA) has been shown to be safe and efficacious in people with cystic fibrosis (pwCF) aged 2 years and older with ≥1 F508del-CFTR allele. Following US approval in 2019, reports emerged of depression-related adverse events in pwCF treated with ELX/TEZ/IVA.
OBJECTIVES: To review available evidence on depression-related events in pwCF treated with ELX/TEZ/IVA in context of background epidemiology in pwCF.
METHODS: Safety data from 14 ELX/TEZ/IVA clinical trials and 10 trials of CFTR modulators in which placebo was administered, along with data from CF registries in the US and Germany and cumulative post-marketing adverse event data from 61,499 pwCF who initiated ELX/TEZ/IVA following initial approval in the US (October 2019) through October 2022, were reviewed and used to calculate exposure-adjusted rates of depression-related adverse events and prevalence of depression. In addition, a scientific literature review was conducted to identify ELX/TEZ/IVA publications reporting depression-related events or changes in depressive symptoms following treatment initiation.
MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: In clinical trials, the exposure-adjusted rate of any depression-related adverse event was 3.32 per 100 person years (PY) in the pooled ELX/TEZ/IVA group (N=1,711) and 3.24 per 100 PY in the pooled placebo group (N=1,369). The exposure-adjusted rates of suicidal ideation and suicide attempt were also similar between the pooled ELX/TEZ/IVA group and pooled placebo group (ideation: 0.23 vs. 0.28 per 100 PY; attempt: 0.08 vs 0.14 per 100 PY). In the post-marketing setting, the exposure-adjusted reporting rates of depression-related events were low in context of the background prevalence in pwCF (all depression-related events: 1.29 per 100 PY, suicidal ideation: 0.12 per 100 PY, suicide attempt: 0.05 per 100 PY). Assessments of individual case reports were confounded by pre-existing mental health conditions, intercurrent psychosocial stressors (including COVID-19 lock downs), and the heterogeneous and fluctuating nature of depression. Data from CF registries in the US and Germany showed that patterns of depression prevalence in pwCF exposed to ELX/TEZ/IVA did not change following treatment initiation. Published studies utilizing the standardized depression symptom assessment tool PHQ-9 did not show evidence of worsening depression symptoms in pwCF treated with ELX/TEZ/IVA.
CONCLUSIONS: Our review of data from clinical trials, post-marketing reports, an ongoing registry-based ELX/TEZ/IVA post-authorization safety study, and peer-reviewed literature suggests depression symptoms and depression-related events reported in pwCF treated with ELX/TEZ/IVA are generally consistent with background epidemiology of these events in CF population, and do not suggest a causal relationship with ELX/TEZ/IVA treatment.
PMID:37890129 | DOI:10.1164/rccm.202308-1525OC