Pulmonary exacerbation inflammatory phenotypes in adults with cystic fibrosis.

Background: Adults with cystic fibrosis (CF) develop exuberant inflammatory responses during pulmonary exacerbations (PEx) but whether distinct systemic inflammatory profiles can be identified and whether these associate with disparate treatment outcomes are unclear. We conducted a pilot study to address this question and hypothesized that CF adults with a pauci-inflammatory phenotype might derive less clinical benefit from intravenous (IV) antibiotic treatment than patients with other systemic inflammatory phenotypes.

Methods: Six proteins reflective of systemic inflammation were examined in 37 PEx from 28 unique CF subjects.

Biomarkers for the Diagnosis of Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis in Cystic Fibrosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) is a hypersensitivity reaction to Aspergillus fumigatus and impacts 10% of individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF). A diagnosis of ABPA is challenging to establish in CF owing to overlapping clinical and radiologic features with CF lung disease. Recent studies have identified blood tests, imaging, and other biomarkers that may be useful for diagnosis.