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Meischl T, Schmid-Scherzer K, Vafai-Tabrizi F, Wurzinger G, Traunmüller-Wurm E, Kutics K, Rauter M, Grabcanovic-Musija F, Müller S, Kaufmann N, Löffler-Ragg J, Valipour A, Funk GC. The impact of diagnostic delay on survival in alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency: results from the Austrian Alpha-1 Lung Registry. Respir Res 2023; 24:34. [PMID: 36707810 PMCID: PMC9881325 DOI: 10.1186/s12931-023-02338-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency (AATD) is a genetic disorder that can manifest as lung disease. A delay between onset of symptoms and diagnosis of AATD is common and associated with worse clinical status and more advanced disease stage but the influence on survival is unclear. OBJECTIVE We aimed to investigate the impact of diagnostic delay on overall survival (OS) and transplant-free survival (TS) in AATD patients. METHODS We analysed 268 AATD patients from the prospective multi-centre Austrian Alpha-1 Lung (AAL) Registry, employing descriptive statistics, Chi-square-test as well as univariable (Kaplan-Meier plots, log-rank test) and multivariable survival analysis (Cox regression). RESULTS The predominant phenotype was Pi*ZZ (82.1%). At diagnosis, 90.2% had an AAT level below 0.6 g/L. At inclusion, 28.2% had never smoked, 68.0% had quit smoking and 3.8% continued to smoke. Lung disease was diagnosed in 98.5%, thereof most patients were diagnosed with emphysema (63.8%) and/or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (44.0%). Median diagnostic delay was 5.3 years (inter-quartile range [IQR] 2.2-11.5 years). In multivariable analysis (n = 229), a longer diagnostic delay was significantly associated with worse OS (hazard ratio [HR] 1.61; 95% CI 1.09-2.38; p = 0.016) and TS (HR 1.43; 95% CI 1.08-1.89; p = 0.011), independent from age, smoking status, body mass index (BMI), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and long-term oxygen treatment. Furthermore, BMI, age and active smoking were significantly associated with worse OS as well as BMI, active smoking and FEV1 were with worse TS. CONCLUSIONS A delayed diagnosis was associated with significantly worse OS and TS. Screening should be improved and efforts to ensure early AATD diagnosis should be intensified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Meischl
- grid.487248.50000 0004 9340 1179Karl Landsteiner Institute for Lung Research and Pulmonary Oncology, Klinik Ottakring, Montleartstraße 37, 1160 Vienna, Austria ,grid.22937.3d0000 0000 9259 8492Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Karin Schmid-Scherzer
- grid.487248.50000 0004 9340 1179Karl Landsteiner Institute for Lung Research and Pulmonary Oncology, Klinik Ottakring, Montleartstraße 37, 1160 Vienna, Austria ,Department of Medicine II With Pneumology, Klinik Ottakring, Vienna, Austria
| | - Florian Vafai-Tabrizi
- grid.487248.50000 0004 9340 1179Karl Landsteiner Institute for Lung Research and Pulmonary Oncology, Klinik Ottakring, Montleartstraße 37, 1160 Vienna, Austria ,Department of Medicine II With Pneumology, Klinik Ottakring, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gert Wurzinger
- Center of Pulmology, LKH Graz II, Standort Enzenbach, Gratwein-Strassengel, Austria
| | - Eva Traunmüller-Wurm
- grid.459707.80000 0004 0522 7001Department of Pulmology, Klinikum Wels-Grieskirchen, Wels, Austria
| | - Kristina Kutics
- grid.459707.80000 0004 0522 7001Department of Pulmology, Klinikum Wels-Grieskirchen, Wels, Austria
| | - Markus Rauter
- grid.415431.60000 0000 9124 9231Department of Pulmonology, Klinikum Klagenfurt Am Woerthersee, Klagenfurt, Austria
| | | | - Simona Müller
- Department of Pulmonology, Landeskrankenhaus Hohenems, Hohenems, Austria
| | - Norbert Kaufmann
- Division of Gastroenterology, Infectiology and Pneumology, Department of Medicine, LKH Graz II, Graz, Austria
| | - Judith Löffler-Ragg
- grid.5361.10000 0000 8853 2677Department of Medicine II, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Arschang Valipour
- grid.487248.50000 0004 9340 1179Karl Landsteiner Institute for Lung Research and Pulmonary Oncology, Klinik Ottakring, Montleartstraße 37, 1160 Vienna, Austria ,Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Klinik Floridsdorf, Vienna, Austria
| | - Georg-Christian Funk
- grid.487248.50000 0004 9340 1179Karl Landsteiner Institute for Lung Research and Pulmonary Oncology, Klinik Ottakring, Montleartstraße 37, 1160 Vienna, Austria ,Department of Medicine II With Pneumology, Klinik Ottakring, Vienna, Austria
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