scholarly journals Asthma Phenotypes and Current Biological Treatments

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aşkın Gülşen

Asthma is a heterogeneous disease characterized by bronchial hyperreactivity, chronic airway inflammation, and reversible airflow obstruction, and it affects individuals in all age groups. In recent years, the concept of intrinsic and extrinsic asthma as per the former classification has been replaced by endotypic and phenotypic definitions. However, the two main asthma endotypes described and have simplified its classification. These endotypes, “Th2-high” and “Th2-low”, are based on various measurements obtained for different biological materials, including blood, bronchial and sputum samples. The definitions of asthma is useful for targeted and individualized treatments, estimating the treatment response and prognosis. In the field of respiratory medicine, biological drugs (BDs) have shown rapid evolution and positive developments in the last 10 years, particularly for the treatment of asthma, interstitial lung disease, and lung cancer. However, because of the increasing number of BDs and associated studies, it has become very difficult to update treatment guidelines on a regular basis. BDs are used for patients with difficult-to-treat, moderate to severe, and/or uncontrolled allergic asthma. Here we present a review of current asthma phenotypes and the role, efficacy, and side effects of BDs used for the treatment of these conditions.

Life ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 1348
Author(s):  
Cristina Galache Osuna ◽  
Sebastián Reyes García ◽  
Jimena Carrero Martín ◽  
Virginia García Jiménez ◽  
Francisco Vázquez López ◽  
...  

Biological drugs have prompted a revolution in the treatment of patients with psoriasis because of their favourable efficacy/risk profile. The aims of our study are to determine whether there is any difference in the pattern of use of biological treatments for older (65+ years) and younger patients diagnosed with plaque psoriasis by the Dermatology Service of the Hospital Universitario de Asturias (HUCA), to understand the survival of these drugs, and to identify the factors that predict the discontinuation of treatments. We report a retrospective observational hospital-based study of 300 patients registered at HUCA’s Dermatology Service who were receiving one of the following biological treatments for psoriasis on 30 November 2020: adalimumab, ustekinumab, secukinumab, or ixekizumab. The age groups were compared using Student’s t-test for quantitative variables and the chi-squared test for qualitative variables. We used the Kaplan–Meier estimator to estimate the survival function and the log-rank test to measure differences. No statistically significant differences in the frequency of use were noted between the younger and older groups, for any of the drugs studied. Survival on a drug regime, globally and individually, was similar in the two age groups. Factors predicting lower overall survival were being female, obesity, and having undergone previous biological treatment. The first three factors were influential in the under-65-year-old group, while arthritis was a significant factor for the older group.


Lung cancer is the foremost cause of cancer-related deaths world-wide [1]. It affects 100,000 Americans of the smoking population every year of all age groups, particularly those above 50 years of the smoking population [2]. In India, 51,000 lung cancer deaths were reported in 2012, which include 41,000 men and 10,000 women [3]. It is the leading cause of cancer deaths in men; however, in women, it ranked ninth among all cancerous deaths [4]. It is possible to detect the lung cancer at a very early stage, providing a much higher chance of survival for the patients.


Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 817
Author(s):  
Ruth P. Cusack ◽  
Christiane E. Whetstone ◽  
Yanqing Xie ◽  
Maral Ranjbar ◽  
Gail M. Gauvreau

Asthma is a complex and chronic inflammatory disease of the airways, characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, bronchospasm, and airway eosinophilia. As the pathophysiology of asthma is becoming clearer, the identification of new valuable drug targets is emerging. IL-5 is one of these such targets because it is the major cytokine supporting eosinophilia and is responsible for terminal differentiation of human eosinophils, regulating eosinophil proliferation, differentiation, maturation, migration, and prevention of cellular apoptosis. Blockade of the IL-5 pathway has been shown to be efficacious for the treatment of eosinophilic asthma. However, several other inflammatory pathways have been shown to support eosinophilia, including IL-13, the alarmin cytokines TSLP and IL-33, and the IL-3/5/GM-CSF axis. These and other alternate pathways leading to airway eosinophilia will be described, and the efficacy of therapeutics that have been developed to block these pathways will be evaluated.


2018 ◽  
Vol 228 ◽  
pp. 20-26
Author(s):  
Kazuhiro Ueda ◽  
Junichi Murakami ◽  
Toshiki Tanaka ◽  
Kumiko Yoshida ◽  
Taiga Kobayashi ◽  
...  

2008 ◽  
Vol 61 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 16-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natasa Maksimovic ◽  
Kyriakos Spanopoulos

Introduction. Lung cancer represents the most common malignant tumour among men, and appears more and more frequently among women in many countries worldwide. The aims of this descriptive epidemiological study were to evaluate the mortality trends of all malignant tumours and lung cancer in Central Serbia from 1990 to 1999, and to estimate the incidence, mortality and the basic demographic characteristics of lung cancer in Central Serbia in 1999. Material and methods. The source of data concerning cancer cases in 1999 was the Cancer Registry of Central Serbia, while data of the Republic Statistics Institute were used for the analysis of mortality trends for the period 1990-1999. All rates were standardized by the direct method, to the world standard population. Confidence intervals for mortality rates were assessed with 95% level of probability. Linear regression coefficient was determined by Fisher's test. Results. The mortality rates showed rising tendencies for both lung cancer (y=-1876.26+0.96x, p=0.028 for men; y=654.78U).33x, p-0.001 for women) and all malignant tumours (y=-4139.88+2.15x, p=0.163 for men; y=3649.68 + 1.88x, p=0.016 for women), with statistically significant increase being observed for all trends, except all malignant tumours among men. In the year 1999, lung cancer ranked first among men and third among women, with 29.2% and 10.3% of cancer mortality respectively. The age-specific mortality rates were much higher in men in all age groups. Mortality increased with age and the highest rates were found in the age group 70-74 for both sexes. The highest incidence and mortality rates were reported in Belgrade, Moravicki and Sumadijski district. .


2004 ◽  
pp. 333-350
Author(s):  
S. Singhal ◽  
J. B. Shrager ◽  
J. R. Kaiser

2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 9108-9108
Author(s):  
ErinMarie Kimbrough ◽  
Hiba I. Dada ◽  
Leylah Drusbosky ◽  
Yujie Zhao ◽  
Rami Manochakian ◽  
...  

9108 Background: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains a leading cause of cancer-related death in the U.S. The median age at diagnosis is 70 years, and NSCLC is uncommon among younger individuals ( < 50 years).Overall, outcomes in NSCLC have improved significantly with targeted therapy. A prior study demonstrated patients < 50 are more likely to have targetable alterations including EGFR, ALK, ERBB2, and ROS1. Another study reported an increased prevalence of EGFR mutations in females and KRAS mutations in males with NSCLC. The comprehensive genomic landscape of NSCLC patients in different age groups and genders remains largely unknown. In our study, we aim to investigate the genomic alterations in patients with advanced NSCLC according to age and sex. Efforts that are focused on identifying targetable alterations in NSCLC will likely help personalize treatment and improve outcomes. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of de-identified data from the Guardant Health database from March 2018 through October 2020. We reviewed 34,237 profiles from patients with NSCLC who underwent molecular profiling using the plasma-based circulating-tumor DNA (ctDNA) Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) assay Guardant360. Single nucleotide variants (SNV), fusions, indels and copy number variations (CNV) of up to 83 genes were analyzed. We assessed for genomic differences among patients with advanced NSCLC by both sex and age (≥70 and < 70). We conducted two-tailed tests of equality of proportions comparing males to females and ≥70 to < 70. Results: Of the 34,237 profiles reviewed, somatic alterations were seen in 81.7% (n = 27,972) of the patients. The median age was 70 (range 16-102) and 55% were female. Our study demonstrated that the most common genomic alterations in both age groups and genders were TP53, EGFR, KRAS, ATM, and MET. Patients ≥70 were more likely to have ATM (21% versus 14%, p < 0.0001) and MET (12% versus 10 %, p < 0.0001) mutations than those < 70. Patients < 70 were more likely to have EGFR (30% versus 27%, p < 0.0001), STK11 (14% versus 11%, p = 0.0056), and KRAS (26% versus 24%, p < 0.0001) alterations. EGFR was seen more frequently in females (33% versus 26%, p < 0.0001). ATM (11% versus 6%, p < 0.0001) and MET (8% versus 5%, p = 0.0050) were seen more frequently in males. Conclusions: Significant differences in the distribution of targetable genomic alterations were identified among different age groups and genders in patients with advanced NSCLC. These findings highlight the importance of taking personalized approaches to diagnostic testing and treatment of advanced NSCLC.


2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 107327481983608 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vaida Gedvilaitė ◽  
Edvardas Danila ◽  
Saulius Cicėnas ◽  
Giedrė Smailytė

Lung cancer is the most common cancer-related death worldwide. The aim of this study is to describe the most recent survival rates by sex, age group, extent of disease, and histology of lung cancer in Lithuania. The study is based on the Lithuanian Cancer Registry database. The analysis included patients with primary invasive lung cancer diagnosed in 1998 to 2012 (International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision C33 and C34). Patients were followed up with respect to vital status until December 31, 2012. Five-year relative survival estimates were calculated using period analysis. Relative survival was calculated as the ratio of the observed survival of patients with cancer and the expected survival of the underlying general population. In our study, the overall 5-year relative survival was low but increased slightly (10.7%) from 2003–2007 to 2008–2012. Positive changes in survival were evident in both sexes, in almost all age groups and for all histological groups and disease stages. Adenocarcinoma relative survival increased from 6.7% in 2003–2007 to 12.8% in 2008–2012 and squamous cell carcinoma increased from 7.4% in 2003–2007 to 11.1% in 2008–2012. Patients with small-cell carcinoma had the worst survival (2.9% in 2003-2007 and 3.6% in 2008–2012). The majority of patients with lung cancer are diagnosed with advanced disease. The number of new cases of advanced lung cancer increased from 35.1% to 37.8%. Despite low overall survival, there were positive changes in survival in both sexes, in almost all age groups, and for all histological groups and disease stages. The survival rate of patients with lung cancer in Lithuania is similar to that in other European countries.


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