contributed equally to this article. ** Drs. Wainwright and McColley contributed equally to this article.+Associate Editor, AJRCCM (participation complies with American Thoracic Society requirements for recusal from review and decisions for authored works).
Rationale:The cystic fibrosis (CF) modulator drug elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor (ETI) proved highly effective in controlled clinical trials for individuals with ≥1 F508del allele, which occurs in at least 85% of people with CF (PwCF). Objective: PROMISE is a post-approval study to understand the broad effects of ETI through 30 months clinical use in a more diverse US patient population with planned analyses after 6 months. Methods: Prospective, observational study in 487 PwCF age ≥12 years with ≥1 F508del allele starting ETI for the first time. Assessments occurred before and 1, 3, and 6 months into ETI therapy. Outcomes included change in ppFEV 1 , sweat chloride concentration, body mass index, and selfreported respiratory symptoms. Results: average age was 25.1 years. 44.1% entered the study using tezacaftor/ivacaftor or lumacaftor/ivacaftor while 6.7% were using ivacaftor, consistent with F508del homozygosity and G551D allele, respectively. At 6 months into ETI therapy, ppFEV 1 improved 9.76 percentage points (95% CI 8.76, 10.76) from baseline, CFQ-R Respiratory Domain score improved 20.4 points (95% CI 18.3, 22.5), and sweat chloride decreased -41.7 mmol/L (95% ). BMI also significantly increased.Changes were larger in those naïve to modulators but substantial in all groups, including those treated with ivacaftor at baseline. Conclusions: ETI by clinical prescription provided large improvements in lung function, respiratory symptoms, and BMI in a diverse population naïve to modulator drug therapy, using existing two-drug combinations, or using ivacaftor alone. Each group also experienced significant reductions in sweat chloride concentration, which correlated with improved ppFEV 1 in the overall study population.
Rationale: Modulation of the cystic fibrosis (CF) transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein improves clinical outcomes in patients with CF and specific CFTR genetic mutations. It remains unclear how improving CFTR function modifies existing airway infection and inflammation.Objectives: To compare sputum microbiome and markers of inflammation before and after 6 months of ivacaftor treatment.
Methods:The study included 31 people with CF, ages 10 years and older, with at least one G551D CFTR allele and an forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV 1 ) of 40% predicted or greater who were enrolled in the GOAL (G551D Observational) study. Sputum samples were collected either by induction (n = 14) or by spontaneous expectoration (n = 17) before and 6 months after initiation of ivacaftor. Changes in bacterial community indices by sequencing of 16S rRNA amplicons, total and specific bacterial load, and a panel of proteases, antiproteases, and inflammatory cytokines were determined.
Results:The cohort that spontaneously expectorated sputum had a lower FEV 1 , a higher proportion with Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection, and higher concentrations of sputum inflammatory markers compared with the cohort that provided sputum by induction. Although the overall cohort experienced significant improvements in FEV 1 and reductions in sweat chloride, no significant changes in bacterial diversity, specific bacterial pathogens, or markers of inflammation were observed in these subjects. Neither total bacterial load nor presence of Pseudomonas changed significantly between paired samples with ivacaftor treatment. Younger patients experienced more shifts in their microbial communities than older patients.Conclusions: In this multicenter cohort, 6 months of ivacaftor treatment were not associated with significant changes in airway microbial communities or measures of inflammation. These data suggest that concomitant antimicrobial and antiinflammatory treatments will still be needed to manage airway disease in patients with CF treated with highly effective CFTR modulator therapy, especially in older patients with more advanced disease.
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