Publications by authors named "Evans R Fernandez-Perez"

The term "progressive pulmonary fibrosis" or "PPF" is generally used to describe progressive lung fibrosis in an individual with an interstitial lung disease (ILD) other than idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Several sets of criteria have been proposed for the identification of PPF, most of which are based on a combination of a decline in forced vital capacity, worsening of respiratory symptoms, and increase in the extent of fibrosis on radiology. Although some risk factors for faster progression of fibrosing ILD have been identified, it remains challenging to predict which individuals will develop PPF.

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Granulomatous-lymphocytic interstitial lung disease (GLILD) is a lymphoproliferative and granulomatous pulmonary manifestation of primary immune deficiency diseases, notably common variable immunodeficiency (CVID), and is an important contributor of excess morbidity. As with all forms of ILD, the significance of utilizing a multidisciplinary team discussion to enhance diagnostic and treatment confidence of GLILD cannot be overstated. In this review, key clinical, radiological, and pathological features are integrated into a diagnostic algorithm to facilitate a consensus diagnosis.

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Background: Sjögren's disease (SjD) is a common systemic autoimmune disease that affects mainly women. Key pathologic features include the infiltration of exocrine glands by lymphocytes and the activation of B lymphocytes with the production of autoantibodies. We aimed to analyze the transcriptome of circulating B cells from patients with SJD and healthy controls to decipher the B-cell-specific contribution to SJD.

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Importance: Current treatments for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis slow the rate of lung function decline, but may be associated with adverse events that affect medication adherence. In phase 2 trials, pamrevlumab (a fully human monoclonal antibody that binds to and inhibits connective tissue growth factor activity) attenuated the progression of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis without substantial adverse events.

Objective: To assess the efficacy and safety of pamrevlumab for patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

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  • The Living with Pulmonary Fibrosis questionnaire (L-PF) evaluates the impact of dyspnea on quality of life (QOL) in patients with fibrotic hypersensitivity pneumonitis (FHP), though it hasn't been specifically validated for this group yet.
  • Data from the Pirfenidone in FHP trial showed that the L-PF-35 Dyspnea domain score has good internal consistency and significant correlations with other validated measures, indicating its reliability and responsiveness.
  • The study estimates a meaningful within-patient change (MWPC) threshold for worsening dyspnea at 6.6 points, suggesting the L-PF-35 Dyspnea domain is a useful tool for assessing symptoms in FHP, but further validation
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Hypersensitivity pneumonitis is an immunologically mediated form of lung disease, resulting from inhalational exposure to a large variety of antigens. A subgroup of patients with fibrotic hypersensitivity pneumonitis (FHP) develop symptomatic, functional and radiographic disease progression. Mortality occurs primarily from respiratory failure as a result of progressive and self-sustaining lung injury that often occurs despite immunosuppression and removal of the inciting antigen.

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Background: Fibrotic hypersensitivity pneumonitis (FHP) is an irreversible lung disease with high morbidity and mortality. We sought to evaluate the safety and effect of pirfenidone on disease progression in such patients.

Methods: We conducted a single-centre, randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial in adults with FHP and disease progression.

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Recent clinical practice guidelines have addressed the diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and fibrotic hypersensitivity pneumonitis (fHP). These disease-specific guidelines were developed independently, without clear direction on how to apply their respective recommendations concurrently within a single patient, where discrimination between these two fibrotic interstitial lung diseases represents a frequent diagnostic challenge. The objective of this review, created by an international group of experts, was to suggest a pragmatic approach on how to apply existing guidelines to distinguish IPF and fHP.

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A subset of patients with hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) develop lung fibrosis that is clinically similar to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). To address the aetiological determinants of fibrotic HP, we investigated whether the common IPF genetic risk variants were also relevant in study subjects with fibrotic HP. Our findings indicate that common genetic variants in , , and were significantly associated with fibrotic HP.

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Assessment of lung biopsies for the diagnosis of hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) is one of the most difficult diagnostic problems for surgical pathologists. It is a form of interstitial lung disease resulting from an immune reaction provoked by an inhaled antigen in susceptible individuals. Although this definition sounds simple, in practice, the diagnosis of HP can be challenging.

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  • The study investigates the potential of PBMC expression profiles to predict disease progression in patients with chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis (CHP) alongside traditional clinical assessments.
  • RNA-seq analysis revealed 74 transcripts that differentiate between patients with and without disease progression based on specific lung function declines and increased fibrosis visible on chest CTs.
  • Moreover, classification models that integrate gene expression data and clinical factors provide significantly better predictions of disease progression than models using only clinical data.
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Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) is an immunologically mediated form of lung disease resulting from inhalational exposure to any of a large variety of antigens. A subgroup of patients with HP develops pulmonary fibrosis (fibrotic HP; FHP), a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. This study will evaluate the safety and efficacy of the antifibrotic pirfenidone in treating FHP.

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Background: The purpose of this summary is to provide a synopsis of evidence-based and consensus-derived guidance for clinicians to improve individual diagnostic decision-making for hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) and decrease diagnostic practice variability.

Study Design And Methods: Approved panelists developed key questions regarding the diagnosis of HP using the PICO (Population, Intervention, Comparator, and Outcome) format. MEDLINE (via PubMed) and the Cochrane Library were systematically searched for relevant literature, which was supplemented by manual searches.

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Background: The purpose of this analysis is to provide evidence-based and consensus-derived guidance for clinicians to improve individual diagnostic decision-making for hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) and decrease diagnostic practice variability.

Study Design And Methods: Approved panelists developed key questions regarding the diagnosis of HP using the PICO (Population, Intervention, Comparator, Outcome) format. MEDLINE (via PubMed) and the Cochrane Library were systematically searched for relevant literature, which was supplemented by manual searches.

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This report is based on proceedings from the Exposure Assessment Tools for Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis (HP) Workshop, sponsored by the American Thoracic Society, that took place on May 18, 2019, in Dallas, Texas. The workshop was initiated by members from the Environmental, Occupational, and Population Health and Clinical Problems Assemblies of the American Thoracic Society. Participants included international experts from pulmonary medicine, occupational medicine, radiology, pathology, and exposure science.

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Background: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a devastating condition characterized by progressive lung function decline and early mortality. While early accurate diagnosis is essential for IPF treatment, data evaluating the impact of hospital academic status on IPF-related mortality remains limited. Here we examined in-hospital mortality trends for patients with IPF from 2013 to 2017.

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  • Limited data exists on systemic sclerosis (SSc) mortality trends, prompting an analysis of death rates from SSc and its severe complication, pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), between 2003 and 2016.
  • Overall, the age-adjusted mortality rate for SSc decreased by 3% annually, with the majority of decedents being female, white, and around 66 years old, while trends were consistent across demographic groups and regions.
  • Although SSc-related mortality declined, the death rate associated with SSc along with interstitial lung disease (ILD) increased, particularly in patients with PAH, especially among females and Black decedents.
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  • A specific type of B cells, known as age-associated B cells (ABCs), is found in higher numbers in individuals with infections or autoimmune conditions.
  • Researchers aimed to determine the levels of ABC-like cells in patients with lung granulomatous diseases, such as sarcoidosis.
  • Results showed that patients with sarcoidosis had elevated levels of ABC-like cells in both blood and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples, and treatment led to a decrease in these cells, indicating a potential role for ABC-like cells in diagnosis and treatment strategies for lung diseases.
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  • This review focuses on improving the diagnosis and management of hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) through a multidisciplinary approach and emphasizes the use of Bayesian reasoning for better interpretation of diagnostic tests.
  • Probabilities associated with diagnostic certainty and treatment thresholds are analyzed to guide healthcare providers in making informed decisions for patients with HP.
  • While antigen avoidance and antifibrotic therapy are highlighted, there are still many unanswered questions regarding the timing and effectiveness of anti-inflammatory treatments, and the review aims to offer a conceptual framework rather than clear resolutions to existing controversies.
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