Impact of Lung Biopsy Information on Treatment Strategy of Patients with Interstitial Lung Diseases

Progression of interstitial lung disease after the Envisia Genomic Classifier

Background

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) represents a heterogenous group of diseases that have substantial morbidity and mortality. The Envisia Genomic Classifier (EGC) is a test that analyses RNA derived from transbronchial biopsy (TBBx) samples to make a positive or negative genomic usual interstitial pneumonitis (UIP) designation. Our study assesses the ability for the EGC to predict progression of disease, with a longer duration of follow-up than previous studies.

Methods

Patients referred for cryobiopsy for outpatient workup of ILD concurrently had TBBx and EGC testing performed. We performed a retrospective analysis to assess differences in progression of disease between EGC-positive and negative patients, applying Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and log-rank tests. Confidence in ILD diagnosis before and after the EGC result was also noted, and the difference in confidence levels was assessed by a Wilcoxon signed-rank test.

Results

82 patient cases were analysed. EGC-positive patients had a shorter progression-free survival (PFS) than EGC-negative patients, (p<0.0001), with 622 versus 1487 median PFS days respectively. EGC-positive patients also had worse progression in the subsets of patients with "indeterminate for UIP" computed tomography (CT) (p=0.0052), "alternative diagnosis" CT (p=0.0144) and non-idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis ILD diagnosis (p=0.0157). Additionally, EGC increased the diagnostic confidence level (p<0.0001).

Conclusion

EGC positivity predicts worse ILD progression over a sustained follow-up period. The ability to predict worse prediction early in the ILD course without the need for surgical biopsy would have significant clinical impact.

ERS Congress 2024: highlights from the Clinical Techniques, Imaging and Endoscopy Assembly

Excellent presentations at the #ERSCongress 2024 highlight the growing role of interventional pulmonology, imaging and thoracic ultrasound in the diagnosis and management of respiratory disease https://bit.ly/4km8leX.

Clinical significance of histological inflammation in systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease

BACKGROUND

Systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD) is known to have a poor prognosis and the relationships between histological findings and response to anti-inflammatory therapy or prognosis have not been well investigated.

METHODS

We examined SSc-ILD patients who underwent surgical lung biopsy at a single respiratory center between 2008 and 2021 and received anti-inflammatory therapy (corticosteroids and/or immunosuppressive drugs). These patients were classified into two groups: an inflammation group, where histological evidence of inflammation defined as "lymphoid aggregates with germinal centers" or "plasmacytosis" was observed, and a non-inflammation group, where these findings were not observed. The correlation of the histological conclusions of inflammation with treatment response and prognosis was retrospectively investigated.

RESULTS

Twenty-seven patients were included in the study; 15 (55.6%) were allocated to the inflammation group and 12 (44.4%) to the non-inflammation group. Patient backgrounds did not differ between the groups. The first annual increase in % predicted FVC was significantly larger in the inflammation group than in the non-inflammation one (from 74.3% to 85.9% vs. 75.0%-74.7%, respectively; p = 0.021). The inflammation group took significantly longer to reach end-stage lung disease, defined as an FVC <50%, needing continuous oxygen, or death (p = 0.011). They also had a trend towards longer overall survival compared to the non-inflammation group (median survival: not reached vs. 6.6 years, p = 0.083).

CONCLUSIONS

Approximately half of the SSc-ILD patients showed histological evidence of inflammation, which may influence treatment response and long-term disease progression.

2023 American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) Guideline for the Screening and Monitoring of Interstitial Lung Disease in People with Systemic Autoimmune Rheumatic Diseases

OBJECTIVE

We provide evidence-based recommendations regarding screening for interstitial lung disease (ILD) and the monitoring for ILD progression in people with systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs), specifically rheumatoid arthritis, systemic sclerosis, idiopathic inflammatory myopathies, mixed connective tissue disease, and Sjögren disease.

METHODS

We developed clinically relevant population, intervention, comparator, and outcomes questions related to screening and monitoring for ILD in patients with SARDs. A systematic literature review was performed, and the available evidence was rated using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation methodology. A Voting Panel of interdisciplinary clinician experts and patients achieved consensus on the direction and strength of each recommendation.

RESULTS

Fifteen recommendations were developed. For screening people with these SARDs at risk for ILD, we conditionally recommend pulmonary function tests (PFTs) and high-resolution computed tomography of the chest (HRCT chest); conditionally recommend against screening with 6-minute walk test distance (6MWD), chest radiography, ambulatory desaturation testing, or bronchoscopy; and strongly recommend against screening with surgical lung biopsy. We conditionally recommend monitoring ILD with PFTs, HRCT chest, and ambulatory desaturation testing and conditionally recommend against monitoring with 6MWD, chest radiography, or bronchoscopy. We provide guidance on ILD risk factors and suggestions on frequency of testing to evaluate for the development of ILD in people with SARDs.

CONCLUSION

This clinical practice guideline presents the first recommendations endorsed by the American College of Rheumatology and American College of Chest Physicians for the screening and monitoring of ILD in people with SARDs.

2023 American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) Guideline for the Screening and Monitoring of Interstitial Lung Disease in People with Systemic Autoimmune Rheumatic Diseases

OBJECTIVE

We provide evidence-based recommendations regarding screening for interstitial lung disease (ILD) and the monitoring for ILD progression in people with systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs), specifically rheumatoid arthritis, systemic sclerosis, idiopathic inflammatory myopathies, mixed connective tissue disease, and Sjögren disease.

METHODS

We developed clinically relevant population, intervention, comparator, and outcomes questions related to screening and monitoring for ILD in patients with SARDs. A systematic literature review was performed, and the available evidence was rated using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation methodology. A Voting Panel of interdisciplinary clinician experts and patients achieved consensus on the direction and strength of each recommendation.

RESULTS

Fifteen recommendations were developed. For screening people with these SARDs at risk for ILD, we conditionally recommend pulmonary function tests (PFTs) and high-resolution computed tomography of the chest (HRCT chest); conditionally recommend against screening with 6-minute walk test distance (6MWD), chest radiography, ambulatory desaturation testing, or bronchoscopy; and strongly recommend against screening with surgical lung biopsy. We conditionally recommend monitoring ILD with PFTs, HRCT chest, and ambulatory desaturation testing and conditionally recommend against monitoring with 6MWD, chest radiography, or bronchoscopy. We provide guidance on ILD risk factors and suggestions on frequency of testing to evaluate for the development of ILD in people with SARDs.

CONCLUSION

This clinical practice guideline presents the first recommendations endorsed by the American College of Rheumatology and American College of Chest Physicians for the screening and monitoring of ILD in people with SARDs.

In ILD, a step-up diagnostic strategy vs. immediate surgical biopsy reduced need for unexpected chest tube drainage

SOURCE CITATION

Kalverda KA, Ninaber MK, Wijmans L, et al. Transbronchial cryobiopsy followed by as-needed surgical lung biopsy versus immediate surgical lung biopsy for diagnosing interstitial lung disease (the COLD study): a randomised controlled trial. Lancet Respir Med. 2024;12:513-522. 38640934.

Transbronchial cryobiopsy followed by as-needed surgical lung biopsy versus immediate surgical lung biopsy for diagnosing interstitial lung disease (the COLD study): a randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND

An adequate diagnosis for interstitial lung disease (ILD) is important for clinical decision making and prognosis. In most patients with ILD, an accurate diagnosis can be made by clinical and radiological data assessment, but in a considerable proportion of patients, a lung biopsy is required. Surgical lung biopsy (SLB) is the most common method to obtain tissue, but it is associated with high morbidity and even mortality. More recently, transbronchial cryobiopsy has been introduced, with fewer adverse events but a lower diagnostic yield than SLB. The aim of this study is to compare two diagnostic strategies: a step-up strategy (transbronchial cryobiopsy, followed by SLB if the cryobiopsy is insufficiently informative) versus immediate SLB.

METHODS

The COLD study was a multicentre, randomised controlled trial in six hospitals across the Netherlands. We included patients with ILD with an indication for lung biopsy as assessed by a multidisciplinary team discussion. Patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to the step-up or immediate SLB strategy, with follow-up for 12 weeks from the initial procedure. Patients, clinicians, and pathologists were not masked to the study treatment. The primary endpoint was unexpected chest tube drainage, defined as requiring any chest tube after transbronchial cryobiopsy, or prolonged (>24 h) chest tube drainage after SLB. Secondary endpoints were diagnostic yield, in-hospital stay, pain, and serious adverse events. A modified intention-to-treat analysis was performed. This trial is registered with the Dutch Trial Register, NL7634, and is now closed.

FINDINGS

Between April 8, 2019, and Oct 24, 2021, 122 patients with ILD were assessed for study participation; and 55 patients were randomly assigned to the step-up strategy (n=28) or immediate SLB (n=27); three patients from the immediate SLB group were excluded. Unexpected chest tube drainage occurred in three of 28 patients (11%; 95% CI 4-27%) in the step-up group, and the number of patients for whom the chest tube could not be removed within 24 h was 11 of 24 patients (46%; 95% CI 2-65%) in the SLB group, with an absolute risk reduction of 35% (11-56%; p=0·0058). In the step-up strategy, the multidisciplinary team diagnostic yield after transbronchial cryobiopsy alone was 82% (64-92%), which increased to 89% (73-96%) when subsequent SLB was performed after inconclusive transbronchial cryobiopsy. In the immediate surgery strategy, the multidisciplinary team diagnostic yield was 88% (69-97%). Total in-hospital stay was 1 day (IQR 1-1) in the step-up group versus 5 days (IQR 4-6) in the SLB group. One (4%) serious adverse event occurred in step-up strategy versus 12 (50%) in the immediate SLB strategy.

INTERPRETATION

In ILD diagnosis, if lung tissue assessment is required, a diagnostic strategy starting with transbronchial cryobiopsy, followed by SLB when transbronchial cryobiopsy is inconclusive, appears to result in a significant reduction of patient burden and in-hospital stay with a similar diagnostic yield versus immediate SLB.

FUNDING

Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMW) and Amsterdam University Medical Centers.

Usefulness of Transbronchial Lung Cryobiopsy When Starting Antifibrotic Treatment and Predicting Progressive Fibrosing Interstitial Lung Disease: Descriptive Research

BACKGROUND

Although transbronchial lung cryobiopsy (TBLC) is widely used in diagnostic algorithms for various interstitial lung diseases (ILDs), its real-world utility in the therapeutic decision-making strategy for ILD patients remains unclear, in particular, when judging the time to start antifibrotic agents.

METHODS

We analyzed medical records of 40 consecutive patients with idiopathic or fibrotic hypersensitivity pneumonitis who underwent TBLC. A TBLC-based usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) score was used to assess three morphologic descriptors: patchy fibrosis, fibroblastic foci, and honeycombing.

RESULTS

In our 40 patients with ILD, the most frequent radiological feature was indeterminate for UIP (45.0%). Final diagnosis included idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (22.5%), fibrotic nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (5.0%), fibrotic hypersensitivity pneumonitis (35.0%), and unclassifiable ILD (37.5%). Linear mixed-effects analysis showed that declines in the slopes of %FVC and %DLCO in patients with TBLC-based UIP "Score ≥ 2" were significantly steeper than those of patients with "Score ≤ 1." During follow-up of patients with Score ≥ 2 (n = 24), more than half of them (n = 17) received an antifibrotic agent, with most patients (n = 13) receiving early administration of the antifibrotic agent within 6 months after the TBLC procedure.

CONCLUSIONS

TBLC-based UIP Score ≥ 2 indicated the increased possibility of a progressive fibrosis course that may prove helpful in predicting progressive pulmonary fibrosis/progressive fibrosing ILD even if disease is temporarily stabilized due to anti-inflammatory agents. Patients may benefit from early introduction of antifibrotic agents by treating clinicians.

Defining Optimal Settings for Lung Cryobiopsy in End-Stage Pulmonary Disease. A Human, Ex Vivo, Diseased Lung Clinical Trial

BACKGROUND

To evaluate optimal settings of probe size, freezing time, and distance to the pleura that influence the size and quality of biopsy specimens during transbronchial lung cryobiopsies in ESPD.

METHODS

We prospectively recruited 17 patients undergoing lung transplantation. We created a nonperfused ex vivo bronchoscopy setting to perform multiple cryobiopsies with different probe sizes (1.7, 1.9, and 2.4 mm), freezing times (3, 5, 7, 10, 20, 30 seconds), and probe distance from pleura (5, 10, and 20 mm). Alveolated pulmonary parenchyma area≥50% in histology was considered a good quality biopsy, with a minimum procedural artifact. We used logistic regression to identify independent parameters as risk factors for histologic adequacy.

RESULTS

A total of 545 cryobiopsies were obtained from 34 explanted lungs after pneumonectomy for lung transplantation. The mean maximum diameter of the specimen achieved with the 1.7 probe was larger (13.5 mm) than those obtained with 1.9 and 2.4 mm probes (11.3 and 10.7 mm, P= 0.07). More pleural macroscopic damage and pleural tissue in histology occurred with the 2.4 mm probe ( P <0.001). There was no difference in the quality of specimens between the different freezing times and the distance from the pleura.

CONCLUSIONS

Freezing time and distance from the pleura did not affect the histologic quality for diagnosing ESPD in severely damaged lungs. Smaller cryoprobe size did not negatively affect sample adequacy.

The role of lung biopsy for diagnosis and prognosis of interstitial lung disease in systemic sclerosis: a systematic literature review

BACKGROUND

The prognostic and theragnostic role of histopathological subsets in systemic sclerosis interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD) have been largely neglected due to the paucity of treatment options and the risks associated with surgical lung biopsy. The novel drugs for the treatment of ILDs and the availability of transbronchial cryobiopsy provide a new clinical scenario making lung biopsy more feasible and a pivotal guide for treatment. The aim of our study was to investigate the usefulness of lung biopsy in SSc ILD with a systematic literature review (SLR).

METHODS

PubMed, Embase and Cochrane databases were searched up to June 30, 2023. Search terms included both database-specific controlled vocabulary terms and free-text terms relating to lung biopsy and SSc-ILD diagnostic and prognosis. The SLR was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA). Studies were selected according to the PEO (population, exposure, and outcomes) framework and Quality assessment of diagnostic accuracy studies (QUADAS) were reported.

RESULTS

We selected 14 articles (comprising 364 SSc-ILD patients). The paucity and heterogeneity of the studies prevented a systematic analysis. Diffuse cutaneous SSc was present in 30-100% of cases. Female predominance was observed in all studies (ranging from 64 to 100%). Mean age ranged from 42 to 64 years. Mean FVC was 73.98 (+/-17.3), mean DLCO was 59.49 (+/-16.1). Anti-Scl70 antibodies positivity was detected in 33% of cases (range: 0-69.6). All patients underwent surgical lung biopsies, and multiple lobes were biopsied in a minority of studies (4/14). Poor HRCT-pathologic correlation was reported with HRCT-NSIP showing histopathologic UIP in up to 1/3 of cases. Limited data suggest that SSc-UIP patients may have a worse prognosis and response to immunosuppressive treatment compared to other histopathologic patterns.

CONCLUSIONS

The data from this SLR clearly show the paucity and heterogeneity of the studies reporting lung biopsy in SSc ILD. Moreover, they highlight the need for further research to address whether the lung biopsy can be helpful to refine prognostic prediction and guide therapeutic choices.

Pulmonary fibrosis: from pathogenesis to clinical decision-making

Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) encompasses a spectrum of chronic lung diseases that progressively impact the interstitium, resulting in compromised gas exchange, breathlessness, diminished quality of life (QoL), and ultimately respiratory failure and mortality. Various diseases can cause PF, with their underlying causes primarily affecting the lung interstitium, leading to their referral as interstitial lung diseases (ILDs). The current understanding is that PF arises from abnormal wound healing processes triggered by various factors specific to each disease, leading to excessive inflammation and fibrosis. While significant progress has been made in understanding the molecular mechanisms of PF, its pathogenesis remains elusive. This review provides an in-depth exploration of the latest insights into PF pathophysiology, diagnosis, treatment, and future perspectives.

A Curious Case of Biopsy-Proven Usual Interstitial Pneumonia

Usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) refers to a combination of radiologic and histologic findings, which include patchy interstitial fibrosis with fibroblastic foci and dense acellular collagen that causes architectural distortion due to scarring and honeycomb change with alternating areas of normal lungs. The UIP pattern is not a synonymous term with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). IPF is diagnosed when an etiologic workup has been performed, deemed to be unrevealing, with a radiologic or histologic UIP pattern. While the 2018 American Thoracic Society (ATS)/European Respiratory Society (ERS) guideline categories of UIP help eliminate the need for surgical lung biopsy (SLB) in two categories, i.e., "definite UIP" and "probable UIP," when characterizing a patient in the other categories, clinicians should wary about prolonging SLB in patients to determine the fibrosis pattern. Changes in the treatment and overall prognosis of patients can occur due to SLB confirming a UIP pattern on histology. Here, we report the case of a patient with an indeterminate UIP pattern on high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) with histopathologic diagnosis of UIP on SLB. With no underlying identifiable cause for the UIP pattern, the patient was diagnosed and managed as IPF, ultimately requiring lung transplantation. This case highlights the importance of pursuing surgical lung biopsy in patients with indeterminate UIP on HRCT scanning to facilitate prompt treatment and guide further management.

Histologic Analysis of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis by Morphometric and Fractal Analysis

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive fibrotic lung disorder, ultimately leading to respiratory failure and death. Despite great research advances in understanding the mechanisms underlying the disease, its diagnosis, and its treatment, IPF still remains idiopathic without known biological or histological markers able to predict disease progression or response to treatment. The histologic hallmark of IPF is usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP), with its intricate architectural distortion and temporal inhomogeneity. We hypothesize that normal lung alveolar architecture can be compared to fractals, such as the Pythagoras tree with its fractal dimension (D_f), and every pathological insult, distorting the normal lung structure, could result in D_f variations. In this study, we aimed to assess the UIP histologic fractal dimension in relationship to other morphometric parameters in newly diagnosed IPF patients and its possible role in the prognostic stratification of the disease. Clinical data and lung tissue specimens were obtained from twelve patients with IPF, twelve patients with non-specific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP), and age-matched "healthy" control lung tissue from patients undergoing lung surgery for other causes. Histology and histomorphometry were performed to evaluate D_f and lacunarity measures, using the box counting method on the FracLac ImageJ plugin. The results showed that D_f was significantly higher in IPF patients compared to controls and fibrotic NSIP patients, indicating greater architectural distortion in IPF. Additionally, high D_f values were associated with higher fibroblastic foci density and worse prognostic outcomes in IPF, suggesting that D_f may serve as a potential novel prognostic marker for IPF. The scalability of D_f measurements was demonstrated through repeated measurements on smaller portions from the same surgical biopsies, which were selected to mimic a cryobiopsy. Our study provides further evidence to support the use of fractal morphometry as a tool for quantifying and determining lung tissue remodeling in IPF, and we demonstrated a significant correlation between histological and radiological D_f in UIP pattern, as well as a significant association between D_f and FF density. Furthermore, our study demonstrates the scalability and self-similarity of D_f measurements across different biopsy types, including surgical and smaller specimens.