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Outcome in patients with congenital heart diseases and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is closely related to right ventricular (RV) function. Two-dimensional echocardiographic parameters, such as strain imaging or RV end-systolic remodeling index (RVESRI) have emerged to quantify RV function.We prospectively studied 30 patients aged 48±12 years with pretricuspid shunt and PAH and investigated the accuracy of multiple echocardiographic parameters of RV function (tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion, tricuspid annular peak systolic velocity, RV systolic-to-diastolic duration ratio, right atrial area, RV fractional area change, RV global longitudinal strain and RVESRI) to RV ejection fraction measured by cardiac magnetic resonance.RV ejection fraction45% was observed in 13 patients (43.3%). RV global longitudinal strain (ρ [Spearman's correlation coefficient]=-0.75; P=.001; RRVESRI, right atrial area and RV global longitudinal strain are strong markers of RV dysfunction in patients with pretricuspid shunt and PAH.

Although it is a rare disease, the number of available therapeutic options for treating pulmonary arterial hypertension has increased since the late 1990s, with multiple drugs developed that are shown to be effective in phase 3 randomised controlled trials. Despite considerable advancements in pulmonary arterial hypertension treatment, prognosis remains poor. Existing therapies target pulmonary endothelial dysfunction with vasodilation and anti-proliferative effects. Novel therapies that target proliferative vascular remodelling and affect important outcomes are urgently needed. There is need for additional innovations in clinical trial design so that all emerging candidate therapies can be rigorously studied. Pulmonary arterial hypertension trial design has shifted from short-term submaximal exercise capacity as a primary endpoint, to larger clinical event-driven trial outcomes. Event-driven pulmonary arterial hypertension trials could face feasibility and efficiency issues in the future because increasing sample sizes and longer follow-up durations are needed, which would be problematic in such a rare disease. Enrichment strategies, innovative and alternative trial designs, and novel trial endpoints are potential solutions that could improve the efficiency of future pulmonary arterial hypertension trials while maintaining robustness and clinically meaningful evidence.

Summary Background Patients with COVID-19 pneumonia can have increased inflammation and elevated cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-6, which might be deleterious. Thus, sarilumab, a high-affinity anti-IL-6 receptor antibody, might improve the outcome of patients with moderate-to-severe COVID-19 pneumonia. Methods We did a multicentric, open-label, Bayesian randomised, adaptive, phase 2/3 clinical trial, nested within the CORIMUNO-19 cohort, to test a superiority hypothesis. Patients 18 years or older hospitalised with COVID-19 in six French centres, requiring at least 3L/min of oxygen but without ventilation assistance and a WHO Clinical Progression Scale [CPS] score of 5 were enrolled. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) via a web-based system, according to a randomisation list stratified on centre and with blocks randomly selected among 2 and 4, to receive usual care plus 400 mg of sarilumab intravenously on day 1 and on day 3 if clinically indicated (sarilumab group) or usual care alone (usual care group). Primary outcomes were the proportion of patients with WHO-CPS scores greater than 5 on the 10-point scale on day 4 and survival without invasive or non-invasive ventilation at day 14. This completed trial is closed to new participants and is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT04324073 . Findings 165 patients were recruited from March 27 to April 6, 2020, and 148 patients were randomised (68 patients to the sarilumab group and 80 to the usual care group) and followed up for 90 days. Median age was 61·7 years [IQR 53·0–71·1] in the sarilumab group and 62·8 years [56·0–71·7] in the usual care group. In the sarilumab group 49 (72%) of 68 were men and in the usual care group 59 (78%) of 76 were men. Four patients in the usual care group withdrew consent and were not analysed. 18 (26%) of 68 patients in the sarilumab group had a WHO-CPS score greater than 5 at day 4 versus 20 (26%) of 76 in the usual care group (median posterior absolute risk difference 0·2%; 90% credible interval [CrI] −11·7 to 12·2), with a posterior probability of absolute risk difference greater than 0 of 48·9%. At day 14, 25 (37%) patients in the sarilumab and 26 (34%) patients in the usual care group needed ventilation or died, (median posterior hazard ratio [HR] 1·10; 90% CrI 0·69–1·74) with a posterior probability HR greater than 1 of 37·4%. Serious adverse events occurred in 27 (40%) patients in the sarilumab group and 28 (37%) patients in the usual care group (p=0·73). Interpretation Sarilumab treatment did not improve early outcomes in patients with moderate-to-severe COVID-19 pneumonia. Further studies are warranted to evaluate the effect of sarilumab on long-term survival. Funding Assistance publique—Hopitaux de Paris

Patients with end-stage pulmonary arterial hypertension due to congenital heart disease have limited access to heart-lung transplantation or double-lung transplantation. We aimed to assess the effects of a high-priority allocation program established in France in 2007. We conducted a retrospective study to compare waitlist and posttransplantation outcomes before versus after implementation of the high-priority allocation program. We included 67 consecutive patients (mean age at listing, 33.2 ± 10.5 years) with pulmonary arterial hypertension due to congenital heart disease listed for heart-lung transplantation or double-lung transplantation from 1997 to 2016. At one month, the incidences of transplantation and death before transplantation were 3.5% and 24.6% in 1997-2006, 4.8% and 4.9% for patients on the regular list in 2007-2016, and 41.2% and 7.4% for patients listed under the high-priority allocation program (p

Background A small proportion of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients present severe pulmonary hypertension (PH), defined by mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) ≥35 mm Hg measured by right heart catheterization. Little is known about the characteristics of severe PH-COPD. The aim of the study based on a national registry was to describe this phenotype. Methods We prospectively included and followed patients with incident PH-COPD. Clinical, functional, hemodynamic data at inclusion and follow-up were retrieved. Survival assessed by Kaplan-Meier analysis was the primary end-point. Results From 2012 to 2016, 99 patients from 13 French centers were included in the study (82 males; median age 66.0 years [interquartile range 62.0-72.0]). At inclusion, most patients had marked dyspnea (55.6% and 22.2% New York Heart Association class III and IV, respectively). During 12 months before inclusion, 42.9% had an exacerbation requiring a hospitalization. Pulmonary function tests showed a moderate obstructive pattern with median (interquartile range) FEV1 50.0 [35.0-63.0] % predicted and low diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide, median 20.0 [16.5-30.6] % predicted. The median values for PaO2 and PaCO2 on room air were 50.0 [44.8-62.0] and 36.0 [31.1-43.0] mm Hg. Median values of mPAP, pulmonary artery occlusion pressure, cardiac index and pulmonary vascular resistance were 42.0 [37.0-48.0] mm Hg, 11.0 [9.0-14.0] mm Hg, 3.0 [2.4-3.6] L/min/m2, and 6.3 [4.2-7.9] WU, respectively. Mean restricted survival was 15.0 [13.9-16.0] months. Conclusions Severe PH-COPD is characterized by moderate airway obstruction but marked dyspnea and marked hypoxemia, low DLCO and high mPAP. This phenotype is associated with poor prognosis.

International audience; Lung transplantation (LTx) is a steadily expanding field. The considerable developments have been driven over the years by indefatigable work conducted at LTx centers to improve donor and recipient selection, combined with multifaceted efforts to overcome challenges raised by the surgical procedure, perioperative care, and long-term medical complications. One consequence has been a pruning away of contraindications over time, which has, in some ways, complicated the patient selection process. The Francophone Pulmonology Society (Société de Pneumology de Langue Française, SPLF) set up a task force to produce up-to-date working guidelines designed to assist pulmonologists in managing end-stage respiratory insufficiency, determining which patients may be eligible for LTx, and appropriately timing LTx-center referral. The task force examined the most recent literature and evaluated the risk factors that limit patient survival after LTx. Ideally, the objectives of LTx are to prolong life while also improving quality of life. The guidelines developed by the task force apply to a limited resource and are consistent with the ethical principles described below.

Background Assessment of clinical outcomes in the real-world corroborates findings from randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Objective This meta-analysis evaluated real-world data of omalizumab on treatment response, lung function, exacerbations, oral corticosteroid (OCS) use, patient-reported outcomes (PROs), health care resource utilization (HCRU), and school/work absenteeism at 4, 6, and 12 months after treatment. Methods Observational studies in patients with severe allergic asthma (≥6 years) treated with omalizumab for ≥16 weeks, published from January 2005 to October 2018, were retrieved from PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane. A random-effects model was used to assess heterogeneity. Results In total, 86 publications were included. Global evaluation of treatment effectiveness (GETE) was good/excellent in 77% patients at 16 weeks (risk difference: 0.77; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.70-0.84; I2 = 96%) and in 82% patients at 12 months (0.82, 0.73-0.91; 97%). The mean improvement in forced expiratory volume in 1 second was 160, 220, and 250 mL at 16 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months, respectively. There was a decrease in Asthma Control Questionnaire score at 16 weeks (−1.14), 6 months (−1.56), and 12 months (−1.13) after omalizumab therapy. Omalizumab significantly reduced annualized rate of severe exacerbations (risk ratio [RR]: 0.41, 95% CI: 0.30-0.56; I2 = 96%), proportion of patients receiving OCS (RR: 0.59, 95% CI: 0.47-0.75; I2 = 96%), and number of unscheduled physician visits (mean difference: −2.34, 95% CI: −3.54 to −1.13; I2 = 98%) at 12 months versus baseline. Conclusion The consistent improvements in GETE, lung function, and PROs, and reductions in asthma exacerbations, OCS use, and HCRU with add-on omalizumab in real-life confirm and complement the efficacy data of RCTs.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is rare but remains fatal in infants and children despite the advance of targeted therapies. Lung transplantation (LTx), first performed in pediatric patients in the 1980s, is, with the Potts shunt, the only potentially life-extending option in patients with end-stage PAH but is possible only in tightly selected patients. Size-matching challenges severely restrict the donor organ pool, resulting-together with peculiarities of PAH in infants-in high waitlist mortality. We aimed to investigate survival when using a high-priority allocation program (HPAP) in children with PAH listed for double-LTx or heart-LTx.We conducted a single-center, retrospective, before-after study of consecutive children with severe Group 1 PAH listed for double-LTx or heart-LTx between 1988 and 2019. The HPAP was implemented in France in 2006 and 2007 for heart-LTx and double-LTx, respectively.Fifty-five children with PAH were listed for transplantation. Mean age at transplantation was 15.8±2.8 years and 72% had heart-lung transplantation. PAH was usually idiopathic (65%) or due to congenital heart disease (25%). HPAP implementation resulted in the following significant benefits: Decreased cumulative incidence of waitlist death within 1 and 2 years (p0.0001); increased cumulative incidence of transplantation within 6 months, from 44% to 67% (p0.01); and improved survival after listing (at 1, 3, and 5 years: 61%, 50%, and 44% vs. 92%, 84%, and 72% before and after HPAP implementation, respectively; p = 0.02).HPAP implementation was associated with significant improvements in access to transplantation and in survival after listing in children with end-stage PAH.

Resume L’asthme est une pathologie respiratoire frequente caracterisee par une inflammation chronique des voies aeriennes. La majorite des patients asthmatiques ont une forme legere a moderee de la maladie, pouvant toutefois engendrer des exacerbations severes et alterer significativement la qualite de vie. Cet article fait l’etat des lieux des connaissances actuelles concernant les strategies de prescription des corticosteroides inhales au cours de l’asthme leger a modere. La definition de la severite de l’asthme, les objectifs therapeutiques et l’ajustement du niveau de pression therapeutique sont successivement abordes. Les modifications fondamentales proposees par le groupe GINA en 2019 sont egalement discutees.

International audience; BACKGROUND: Pulmonary venoocclusive disease (PVOD) is an uncommon form of pulmonary hypertension (PH) predominantly characterized by pulmonary vein and capillary involvement. An association between chemotherapy, in particular mitomycin C (MMC), and PVOD has been reported.RESEARCH QUESTION: What are the characteristics of MMC-induced PVOD, and what is the prognosis for patients with MMC-induced PVOD?STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: We report the clinical, functional, radiologic, and hemodynamic characteristics at diagnosis and outcomes of patients with PVOD from the French PH Registry after exposure to MMC. The results are expressed as the median (minimum-maximum).RESULTS: From June 2011 to December 2018, 17 incident cases of MMC-induced PVOD were identified. At diagnosis, these patients had severe clinical and functional impairment, with 12 patients having a New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class of III or IV and a 6-min walk distance of 220 (0-465) m. Right heart catheterization confirmed severe precapillary PH with a mean pulmonary artery pressure of 38 (30-52) mm Hg, a cardiac index of 2.2 (1.5-4) L/(min x m(2)), and pulmonary vascular resistance of 8.3 (5.1-14.5) Wood units. The diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide was markedly decreased at 31% (20%-51%) of the theoretical values associated with severe hypoxemia. MMC was withdrawn for all patients, and 14 patients received specific pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) therapies. Among these patients, mild but statistically insignificant improvements were observed in NYHA functional class (P = .10), 6-min walk distance (P = .09), and pulmonary vascular resistance (-4.7 Wood units; P = .052) at reassessment (median delay of 4.8 months). Three patients experienced pulmonary edema requiring the cessation or reduction of PAH treatment. The median overall survival was 20 months, and the 6-, 12-, and 24-month survival rates were 76%, 58%, and 18%, respectively.INTERPRETATION: PVOD after MMC treatment is a rare but life-threatening complication associated with a poor prognosis despite MMC withdrawal and PAH-specific therapy.

Summary Cardiopulmonary complications are a leading cause of death in systemic sclerosis. Pulmonary hypertension in particular carries a high mortality and morbidity burden. Patients with systemic sclerosis can suffer from all of the clinical groups of pulmonary hypertension, particularly pulmonary arterial hypertension and pulmonary hypertension related to interstitial lung disease. Despite a similar pathogenetic background with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension, different mechanisms determine a worse prognostic outcome for patients with systemic sclerosis. In this Viewpoint, we will consider the link between pathogenetic and potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension in the context of systemic sclerosis, with a focus on the current unmet needs, such as the importance of early screening and detection, the absence of agreed criteria to distinguish pulmonary arterial hypertension with interstitial lung disease from pulmonary hypertension due to lung fibrosis, and the need for a holistic treatment approach to target all the vascular, immunological, and inflammatory components of the disease.

Background & Aims Long-term outcomes in portopulmonary hypertension (PoPH) are poorly studied in the current era of pulmonary hypertension management. We analysed the effect of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH)-targeted therapies, survival and predictors of death in a large contemporary cohort of patients with PoPH. Methods Data from patients with PoPH consecutively enrolled in the French Pulmonary Hypertension Registry between 2007 and 2017 were collected. The effect of initial treatment strategies on functional class, exercise capacity and cardiopulmonary haemodynamics were analysed. Survival and its association with PAH- and hepatic-related characteristics were also examined. Results Six hundred and thirty-seven patients (mean age 55 ± 10 years; 58% male) were included. Fifty-seven percent had mild cirrhosis, i.e. Child-Pugh stage A. The median model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score was 11 (IQR 9–15). Most patients (n = 474; 74%) were initiated on monotherapy, either with a phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor (n = 336) or with an endothelin-receptor antagonist (n = 128); 95 (15%) were initiated on double oral combination therapy and 5 (1%) on triple therapy. After a median treatment time of 4.5 months, there were significant improvements in functional class (p Conclusion Survival of patients with PoPH is strongly associated with the severity of liver disease. Patients who underwent liver transplantation had the best long-term outcomes. Lay summary Portopulmonary hypertension is defined by the presence of pulmonary arterial hypertension in the context of chronic liver disease and is characterized by progressive shortness of breath and exercise limitation. The presence of severe pulmonary arterial hypertension in liver transplant candidates represents a contraindication for such a surgery; however, treatments targeting pulmonary arterial hypertension are efficacious, allowing for safe transplantation and conferring good survival outcomes in those who undergo liver transplantation.

With more than 900,000 confirmed cases worldwide and nearly 50,000 deaths during the first 3 months of 2020, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has emerged as an unprecedented health care crisis. The spread of COVID-19 has been heterogeneous, resulting in some regions having sporadic transmission and relatively few hospitalized patients with COVID-19 and others having community transmission that has led to overwhelming numbers of severe cases. For these regions, health care delivery has been disrupted and compromised by critical resource constraints in diagnostic testing, hospital beds, ventilators, and health care workers who have fallen ill to the virus exacerbated by shortages of personal protective equipment. Although mild cases mimic common upper respiratory viral infections, respiratory dysfunction becomes the principal source of morbidity and mortality as the disease advances. Thoracic imaging with chest radiography and CT are key tools for pulmonary disease diagnosis and management, but their role in the management of COVID-19 has not been considered within the multivariable context of the severity of respiratory disease, pretest probability, risk factors for disease progression, and critical resource constraints. To address this deficit, a multidisciplinary panel comprised principally of radiologists and pulmonologists from 10 countries with experience managing patients with COVID-19 across a spectrum of health care environments evaluated the utility of imaging within three scenarios representing varying risk factors, community conditions, and resource constraints. Fourteen key questions, corresponding to 11 decision points within the three scenarios and three additional clinical situations, were rated by the panel based on the anticipated value of the information that thoracic imaging would be expected to provide. The results were aggregated, resulting in five main and three additional recommendations intended to guide medical practitioners in the use of chest radiography and CT in the management of COVID-19.

Reslizumab displays efficacy in patients with inadequately controlled eosinophilic asthma; previous reports in oral corticosteroid-dependent asthma are limited.To assess efficacy of reslizumab in oral corticosteroid-dependent patients and benefits on oral corticosteroid burden.We report post hoc analyses of pooled data from duplicate, placebo-controlled phase 3 trials. Patients aged 12 to 75 years with inadequately controlled, moderate-to-severe asthma were randomized 1:1 to receive intravenous reslizumab 3.0 mg/kg or placebo every 4 weeks for 52 weeks, stratified by oral corticosteroid use at enrollment and by region. Assessments included efficacy and predictors of clinical asthma exacerbation response in oral corticosteroid-dependent patients, and systemic corticosteroids burden in the overall population.Patients were randomized to reslizumab (n = 477) or placebo (n = 476); 73 (15%) patients in each group were taking oral corticosteroids at baseline. Reslizumab was favored over placebo for all efficacy end points in oral corticosteroid-dependent patients, with numerically greater improvements in oral corticosteroid-dependent patients than the overall population. Having 2 or more versus 1 clinical asthma exacerbation in the previous 12 months was the strongest positive predictor of reduced exacerbation risk with reslizumab (risk reduction, 77.5% vs 15.2%; P ≤ .02). Significantly fewer new systemic corticosteroid prescriptions were issued per patient receiving reslizumab versus placebo (mean ± SD, 0.5 ± 1.07 vs 1.0 ± 1.52; P.0001). Total and per-patient systemic corticosteroid burdens were lower: 121,135 versus 290,977 mg and 254 versus 611 mg/patient, respectively (both P.0001).Oral corticosteroid-dependent patients benefited from reslizumab across asthma efficacy outcome measures. Reslizumab-treated patients required fewer new systemic corticosteroid prescriptions and had a lower systemic corticosteroid burden compared with placebo.

Right ventricular failure (RVF) is a common cause of admission to the intensive care unit and its presence is a major prognostic factor in acute pulmonary embolism (PE) and chronic pulmonary hypertension (PH). RVF results from an incapacity of the RV to adapt to an increase in afterload so it can become critical in acute PE and chronic PH. The presence of RVF in cases of acute PE with haemodynamic instability is an indication for thrombolytic therapy. RVF represents the most common cause of death in chronic PH. Factors triggering RV failure in PH, such as infection, PE, arrhythmias, or unplanned withdrawal of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH)-targeted therapy, have to be considered and treated if identified. However, RVF may also represent progression to end-stage disease. The management of RVF in patients with PH requires expertise and consists of optimization of fluid balance (with diuretics), cardiac output (with inotropic support such as dobutamine), perfusion pressure (with norepinephrine), and reduction of RV afterload with PAH-targeted therapies. Extracorporeal life support, lung transplantation or heart-lung transplantation should be considered in cases of refractory RVF in eligible patients.

International audience; Hepatic veno-occlusive disease (HVOD), alias sinusoidal obstruction syndrome, may develop as a complication of chemotherapy in the setting of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. HVOD is less frequently described after exposure to chemotherapy in the nontransplant setting and can also be a complication after ingestion of toxins, such as pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Veno-occlusive disease may also affect the lungs, and it is therefore termed pulmonary veno-occlusive disease (PVOD). Similarly, PVOD can develop after exposure to chemotherapeutic agents in the treatment of solid and hematological malignancies. In addition, PVOD has also been linked to autoimmune disorders and occupational solvent exposure. Finally, the heritable form of PVOD is due to biallelic mutations of the EIF2AK4 gene. Both HVOD and PVOD share common histopathological features and pathophysiologic mechanisms. Both clinical disorders are rare complications that can appear after exposure to the common inciting trigger of chemotherapeutic agents. The present review aims to summarize the current knowledge of HVOD and PVOD and to describe both similarities as well as differences regarding both conditions.

Allergic asthma often coexists with different pathological conditions, called multimorbidities, that are mostly of allergic nature and share a common underlying inflammatory pathophysiological mechanism. Multimorbidities of allergic asthma may influence asthma control, its severity, and patients' response to treatment, and contribute to the overall socioeconomic burden of the disease. Immunoglobulin E (IgE) is known to play a central role in the pathogenesis of various allergic diseases, including asthma. Thus, IgE-mediated immunologic pathways present an attractive target for intervention in asthma and multimorbidities. In this review, we discuss the most frequently reported IgE-mediated multimorbidities in allergic asthma, including allergic rhinitis, rhinoconjunctivitis, atopic dermatitis, vernal keratoconjunctivitis, chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps, food allergies, and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis. Omalizumab is a recombinant humanized monoclonal antibody against IgE and has been in use to treat allergic asthma for more than a decade. We comprehensively review the clinical evidence for omalizumab in the treatment of the aforementioned multimorbidities in allergic asthma. (C) 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology

The golden ratio (phi, Φ = 1.618) is a proportion that has been found in many phenomena in nature, including the cardiovascular field. We tested the hypothesis that the systolic over mean pulmonary artery pressure ratio (sPAP/mPAP) and the mean over diastolic pressure ratio (mPAP/dPAP) may match Φ in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and in control patients.In the first, theoretical part of the study, we discuss why our hypothesis is consistent with three known hemodynamic features of the pulmonary circulation: (1) the 0.61 slope of the mPAP vs sPAP relationship, (2) pulmonary artery pulse pressure and mPAP have an almost 1:1 ratio, and (3) the proportional relationship among sPAP, mPAP, and dPAP. In the second part of the study, fluid-filled pressures were analyzed in 981 incident, untreated PAH and high-fidelity pressures were also analyzed in 44 historical control patients (mPAP range, 9-113 mm Hg).In PAH (non-normal distribution), median values of sPAP/mPAP and mPAP/dPAP were 1.591 (98%Φ) and 1.559 (96%Φ), respectively. In control patients (normal distribution), mean sPAP/mPAP and mPAP/dPAP were 1.572 (97%Φ) and 1.470 (91%Φ), respectively. In both PAH and control patients, this was consistent with the Φ hypothesis, assuming 1 mm Hg error in estimation of sPAP, mPAP, and dPAP on average.In PAH and in control patients, the fluctuations in sPAP and dPAP around mPAP exhibited a constant scaling factor matched to Φ. This remarkable property allows linkage of various empirical observations on pulmonary hemodynamics that were hitherto apparently unrelated. These findings warrant further confirmation in other types of pulmonary hypertension and warrant explanation.

About 70% patients waiting for liver transplantation have a dyspnea. Two pulmonary vascular disorders can be associated with portal hypertension or chronic liver diseases: portopulmonary hypertension (PoPH) related to pulmonary small arteries remodeling and obstruction and hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) characterized by pulmonary capillaries dilatations and proliferations. PoPH is defined by the combination of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) (mean pulmonary artery pressure [PAP]≥25mmHg, with normal pulmonary artery wedge pressure≤15mmHg and pulmonary vascular resistance [PVR]>3 Wood units [WU]) and portal hypertension. HPS is a triad of intrapulmonary vascular dilatations, hypoxemia (increased alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient) and liver disease or isolated portal hypertension. The pathophysiology of both syndromes is complex and poorly understood. PoPH and HPS have a negative impact on functional and vital prognosis in patients with portal hypertension. Liver transplantation is the established treatment standard in HPS. PoPH treatment is improved over the years with the use of specific PAH treatment despite the lack of randomized assay in this indication. Liver transplantation could be considered in PoPH leading to stabilization, improvement or recovery in selected patients (mean PAP

International audience; Background: Patients with COVID-19 pneumonia have an excess of inflammation and increased concentrations of cytokines including interleukin-1 (IL-1). We aimed to determine whether anakinra, a recombinant human IL-1 receptor antagonist, could improve outcomes in patients in hospital with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 pneumonia.Methods: In this multicentre, open-label, Bayesian randomised clinical trial (CORIMUNO-ANA-1), nested within the CORIMUNO-19 cohort, we recruited patients from 16 University hospitals in France with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection confirmed by real-time RT-PCR, requiring at least 3 L/min of oxygen by mask or nasal cannula but without ventilation assistance, a score of 5 on the WHO Clinical Progression Scale (WHO-CPS), and a C-reactive protein serum concentration of more than 25 mg/L not requiring admission to the intensive care unit at admission to hospital. Eligible patients were randomly assigned (1:1) using a web-based secure centralised system, stratified by centre and blocked with varying block sizes (randomly of size two or four), to either usual care plus anakinra (200 mg twice a day on days 1-3, 100 mg twice on day 4, 100 mg once on day 5) or usual care alone. Usual care was provided at the discretion of the site clinicians. The two coprimary outcomes were the proportion of patients who had died or needed non-invasive or mechanical ventilation by day 4 (ie, a score of >5 on the WHO-CPS) and survival without need for mechanical or non-invasive ventilation (including high-flow oxygen) at day 14. All analyses were done on an intention-to-treat basis. The trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04341584, and is now closed to accrual.Findings: Between April 8 and April 26, 2020, we screened 153 patients. The study was stopped early following the recommendation of the data and safety monitoring board, after the recruitment of 116 patients: 59 were assigned to the anakinra group, and 57 were assigned to the usual care group. Two patients in the usual care group withdrew consent and were not analysed. In the analysable population, the median age was 66 years (IQR 59 to 76) and 80 (70%) participants were men. In the anakinra group, 21 (36%) of 59 patients had a WHO-CPS score of more than 5 at day 4 versus 21 (38%) of 55 in the usual care group (median posterior absolute risk difference [ARD] -2·5%, 90% credible interval [CrI] -17·1 to 12·0), with a posterior probability of ARD of less than 0 (ie, anakinra better than usual care) of 61·2%. At day 14, 28 (47%; 95% CI 33 to 59) patients in the anakinra group and 28 (51%; 95% CI 36 to 62) in the usual care group needed ventilation or died, with a posterior probability of any efficacy of anakinra (hazard ratio [HR] being less than 1) of 54·5% (median posterior HR 0·97; 90% CrI 0·62 to 1·52). At day 90, 16 (27%) patients in the anakinra group and 15 (27%) in the usual care group had died. Serious adverse events occurred in 27 (46%) patients in the anakinra group and 21 (38%) in the usual care group (p=0·45).Interpretation: Anakinra did not improve outcomes in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 pneumonia. Further studies are needed to assess the efficacy of anakinra in other selected groups of patients with more severe COVID-19.Funding: The Ministry of Health, Programme Hospitalier de Recherche Clinique, Foundation for Medical Research, and AP-HP Foundation.

New multidimensional echocardiographic markers have been developed to assess right ventricle remodeling and function in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Their prognostic value in patients with congenital heart diseases (CHD) remains little known. Methods and results We assess the prognostic value of right ventricle end-systolic remodeling index (RVESRI), RV global longitudinal strain (GLS), RV fractional area change (FAC) in 34 patients (47.7 ± 12.6-year-old) with PAH and pre-tricuspid shunt. Associations between baseline echocardiographic values and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) were assessed using a univariate Cox regression analysis. Eisenmenger syndrome was observed in 15 patients (44.1%). Mean pulmonary artery pressure was 48.7 ± 12.7 mmHg. Median pulmonary vascular resistance was 9.4 wood-unit [5.1–15]. Mean RV GLS was -15.1 ± 5.0%. Mean TAPSE was 18.9 ± 5.8. Mean RV FAC was 30.0 ± 8.6%. Mean RVESRI was 1.6 ± 0.3. Mean right atrium area was 21.8 ± 6.4 mm2. Mean right to left atrium area ratio was 1.5 ± 0.5. Pericardial effusion was noted in 7 patients (20.6%). Mean systole to diastole duration ratio (S/D) was 1.3 ± 0.5. After a mean follow-up of 16.6 ± 8.4 months, a major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE) was reported in 8 patients (23.5%) including 1 death, 3 transplantation and 4 waitlisting. Echocardiographic data associated with outcome were RV ESRI (HR = 25.2, P = 0.02); right atrium area (HR = 1.3, P = 0.002); RV GLS (HR = 1.8, P = 0.03); right to left atrium area ratio (HR = 6.6, P = 0.02) and S/D (HR = 7.3, P = 0.004). A non-significant trend towards an association with MACE was observed for pericardial effusion (HR = 3.4, P = 0.1); RV FAC (HR = 0.9, P = 0.1); TAPSE (HR = 0.9, P = 0.1) and RV systolic area (HR = 1.1, P = 0.07). Conclusion RVESRI and RV GLS carries strong relationships with outcome in addition to conventional echocardiographic parameters of RV function in patients with PAH and CHD.

Background A variety of different fixed-dose combinations of inhaled corticosteroids/long-acting β2-agonists (ICS/LABA) are available for the treatment of asthma. The aim of this 24-week, open-label, multicenter, Phase IIIb randomized controlled trial was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of once-daily fluticasone furoate/vilanterol (FF/VI; 100/25 or 200/25 μg) compared with twice-daily fixed combinations of ICS/LABA (fluticasone propionate/salmeterol [FP/S] and budesonide/formoterol [BUD/F]) as maintenance therapy in patients with uncontrolled asthma treated with ICS alone. Methods Adult patients with documented physician-diagnosed asthma ≥1 year with an Asthma Control Test (ACT) score ≥15 and Results Overall, 423 patients were randomized to receive study medication in France and Germany. The least-squares mean change (standard error) in ACT total score at Week 12 was 3.6 units with FF/VI and 2.8 with usual ICS/LABA, giving a treatment difference of 0.8 (95% confidence interval 0.1, 1.5; p = 0.033). Non-inferiority of FF/VI to usual ICS/LABA was confirmed at Weeks 6, 18 and 24. The observed safety profile for FF/VI in this study was in line with previous experience with FF/VI. Conclusions These findings suggest that, in a tightly controlled randomized controlled trial setting, once-daily FF/VI provides similar asthma control over 24 weeks to usual, twice-daily ICS/LABA in patients with asthma that is uncontrolled on ICS alone. FF/VI was well tolerated.

Background Recent guidelines recommend riociguat, a soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) stimulator, and the type 5 phosphodiesterase inhibitor (PDE5i) tadalafil or sildenafil as treatments for pulmonary arterial hypertension. We compared the safety profiles of sildenafil, tadalafil, and riociguat in pulmonary hypertension. Methods We combined two approaches. First, we performed a meta-analysis of safety data extracted from randomized controlled trials. Second, we conducted a disproportionality analysis of data from VigiBase, the World Health Organization's global database of individual case safety reports, to compare the safety profiles with real-life data. Results In the meta-analysis, a significant difference between the three drugs was only detected for gastrointestinal disorders, in disfavor of riociguat ( P Conclusions The safety profiles of PDE5is and sGC stimulators significantly differ in pulmonary hypertension. Accordingly, there is a safety rationale in switching between PDE5is and sGC stimulators because of their different side effects. Trial Registry PROSPERO; No.: CRD42016051986; URL: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/.

Resume L’hypertension pulmonaire (HTP) est une complication rare des connectivites, notamment de la sclerodermie systemique, du lupus erythemateux systemique et de la connectivite mixte. Elle se definit par une elevation de la pression arterielle pulmonaire moyenne ≥ 25 mmHg documentee par un catheterisme cardiaque droit. Du fait de leur nature systemique, les connectivites peuvent induire une HTP par differents mecanismes, parfois intriques : remodelage des petites arteres pulmonaires (groupe 1 de la classification de l’HTP) ou des petites veines (groupe 1′), cardiopathie gauche (groupe 2), maladie respiratoire chronique (groupe 3) ou maladie thromboembolique chronique (groupe 4). L’existence d’une HTP peut etre suspectee par l’echographie cardiaque (qui peut montrer une elevation de la vitesse de la fuite tricuspide et/ou une dilatation des cavites droites), et par une baisse isolee de la DLCO lors des epreuves fonctionnelles respiratoires, une elevation du NT-pro-BNP ou l’apparition de signes droits a l’electrocardiogramme. Son diagnostic necessite toujours une confirmation hemodynamique par catheterisme cardiaque droit. La prise en charge therapeutique de l’HTP depend du(es) mecanisme(s) en cause : traitement vasodilatateur en cas d’HTP de groupe 1 (avec discussion d’une immunosuppression en cas de lupus ou de connectivite mixte) ; traitement de la cardiopathie gauche en cas d’HTP de groupe 2 ; traitement de la maladie respiratoire chronique en cas d’HTP du groupe 3 ; anticoagulation, traitement vasodilatateur, endarteriectomie et angioplastie pulmonaire en cas d’HTP du groupe 4. Un suivi regulier est indispensable.

Background Right ventricular (RV) function is the most important prognostic factor for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients. The progressive increase of pulmonary vascular resistance induces RV hypertrophy (RVH) and at term RV failure (RVF). However, the molecular mechanisms of RVH and RVF remain understudied. In this study, we gained insights into cytosolic Ca2+ signaling remodeling in ventricular cardiomyocytes during the pathogenesis of severe pulmonary hypertension (PH) induced in rats by monocrotaline (MCT) exposure, and we further identified molecular candidates responsible for this Ca2+ remodeling. Methods and results After PH induction, hypertrophied RV myocytes presented longer action potential duration, higher and faster [Ca2+]i transients and increased sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ content, whereas no changes in these parameters were detected in left ventricular (LV) myocytes. These modifications were associated with increased P-Ser16-phospholamban pentamer expression without altering SERCA2a (Sarco/Endoplasmic Reticulum Ca2+-ATPase) pump abundance. Moreover, after PH induction, Ca2+ sparks frequency were higher in hypertrophied RV cells, while total RyR2 (Ryanodine Receptor) expression and phosphorylation were unaffected. Together with cellular hypertrophy, the T-tubules network was disorganized. Hypertrophied RV cardiomyocytes from MCT-exposed rats showed decreased expression of classical STIM1 (Stromal Interaction molecule) associated with increased expression of muscle-specific STIM1 Long isoform, glycosylated-Orai1 channel form, and TRPC1 and TRPC4 channels, which was correlated with an enhanced Ca2+-release-activated Ca2+ (CRAC)-like current. Pharmacological inhibition of TRPCs/Orai1 channels in hypertrophied RV cardiomyocytes normalized [Ca2+]i transients amplitude, the SR Ca2+ content and cell contractility to control levels. Finally, we showed that most of these changes did not appear in LV cardiomyocytes. Conclusions These new findings demonstrate RV-specific cellular Ca2+ cycling remodeling in PH rats with maladaptive RVH and that the STIM1L/Orai1/TRPC1/C4-dependent Ca2+ current participates in this Ca2+ remodeling in RVH secondary to PH.

Resume La maladie veino-occlusive pulmonaire (MVO) est une forme rare d’hypertension pulmonaire (HTP) se caracterisant par une atteinte veinulaire pulmonaire et capillaire predominante. On distingue au sein des MVO les formes idiopathiques, heritables (mutations bialleliques du gene EIF2AK4), secondaires a une exposition a un toxique (chimiotherapies, solvants organiques) et les MVO associees a une connectivite, en particulier la sclerodermie. La presentation clinique de la MVO est proche de celle de l’hypertension arterielle pulmonaire (HTAP). Les biopsies pulmonaires sont contre-indiquees dans l’HTP et le diagnostic repose donc sur un faisceau d’argument. Le diagnostic de MVO est generalement evoque devant la presence d’anomalies scannographiques (lignes septales, nodules flous, adenopathies mediastinales), d’une DLCO effondree associee a une hypoxemie profonde. Le pronostic des patients atteints de MVO est sombre. Les traitements specifiques de l’HTAP n’ont pas prouve leur efficacite dans la MVO et peuvent entrainer des œdemes pulmonaires severes. La transplantation pulmonaire constitue aujourd’hui le seul traitement curatif de cette maladie.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) due to chronic lung disease is associated with a poor prognosis, regardless of the underlying respiratory condition. Updated PH guidelines recommend optimal treatment of the underlying lung disease, including long-term oxygen therapy, in patients with chronic hypoxemia despite the lack of randomized controlled clinical trials supporting this statement. So far, randomized controlled trials of drugs approved for pulmonary arterial hypertension have yielded discouraging results in both interstitial lung diseases and COPD with PH. In some cases, the trials were terminated because of an increase in death and other major adverse events in the active treatment arm vs placebo. In cases of PH due to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, new therapies under investigation use a combination of novel antifibrotic treatments and other treatments approved for pulmonary arterial hypertension. The choice of robust end points as well as a target group of patients with specific hemodynamic criteria may help in the selection of innovative therapeutic strategies. The aim of this review is to discuss recent studies and clinical trials for the treatment of PH due to the main chronic respiratory diseases and to discuss possible future scenarios for the evaluation of new therapeutic strategies.

Background Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods We identified all patients with SLE and PAH (SLE-PAH) who were enrolled in the French Pulmonary Hypertension Registry with a diagnosis confirmed by right heart catheterization (RHC). A control group of 101 patients with SLE without known PAH was selected from SLE expert centers participating in the Pulmonary Hypertension Registry. Survival was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Hazard ratios associated with potential predictors of death were estimated using Cox proportional hazard models. Results Of the 69 patients with SLE-PAH identified in the French Pulmonary Hypertension Registry, 51 were included in the study. They did not differ from the control group regarding age, sex, or duration of SLE at the time of the analysis but had a higher frequency of anti-SSA and anti-SSB antibodies. The delay between SLE diagnosis and PAH diagnosis was 4.9 years (range, 2.8-12.9) years. The 3- and 5-year overall survival rates were 89.4% (95% CI, 76.2%-96.5%) and 83.9% (95% CI, 68.8%-92.1%), respectively. The survival rate was significantly better in patients with anti-U1-RNP antibodies ( P = .04). Conclusions Patients with SLE-PAH have an overall 5-year survival rate of 83.9% after the PAH diagnosis. Anti-SSA/SSB antibodies may be a risk factor for PAH, and the presence of anti-U1-RNP antibodies appears to be a protective factor regarding survival.

Patients with end-stage pulmonary arterial hypertension due to congenital heart disease had limited access to heart-lung transplantation or double-lung transplantation. Methods and results We aimed to assess the effects of a high-priority allocation programme established in France in 2007. We conducted a retrospective study to compare waiting-list and post-transplantation outcomes before versus after implementation of the high-priority allocation programme. We included 67 consecutive patients (mean age at listing 33.2 ± 10.5 years) with pulmonary arterial hypertension due to congenital heart disease listed for heart-lung transplantation or double-lung transplantation from 1997 to 2016. At one month, the incidences of transplantation and death before transplantation were 3.5% and 24.6% in 1997–2006, 4.8% and 4.9% for patients on the regular list in 2007–2016, and 41.2% and 7.4% for patients listed under the high-priority allocation programme (P Conclusion Increased incidence of transplantation, decreased waiting list mortality, and improved early and long-term outcomes were observed in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension due to congenital heart disease listed for transplantation in the recent era, characterized by implementation of a high-priority allocation programme.

Introduction Malgre les progres realises dans l’evaluation pronostique de l’hypertension arterielle pulmonaire (HTAP), plus de 50 % des patients inscrits sur liste de transplantation pulmonaire ou cardio-pulmonaire ont recours a un acces prioritaire a la greffe en France. Lors du dernier congres mondial de l’hypertension pulmonaire (HTP), l’utilisation des differentes methodes d’evaluation du risque a ete proposee pour poser l’indication d’une inscription sur liste de transplantation. Methodes L’objectif de notre etude etait d’evaluer les methodes d’evaluation du risque sur une population de 208 patients suivis pour une HTAP et inscrits sur liste de transplantation entre 2006 et 2018. Au moment de l’inscription sur liste, le risque a ete calcule pour chaque patient selon les criteres ERS-ESC et le score REVEAL 2.0. Le critere de jugement principal etait la survie globale apres inscription sur liste. Les criteres de jugement secondaire etaient la mortalite sur liste, la survie post-transplantation et l’incidence cumulee de dysfonction chronique du greffon. Resultats La survie globale apres inscription sur liste de transplantation pulmonaire ou cardiopulmonaire etait significativement plus faible chez les patients a « risque eleve » selon les criteres ERS-ESC, avec la methode proposee par le reseau francais de l’HTP (p = 0,005) et celle du registre COMPERA (p = 0,001), ou bien selon le score REVEAL 2.0 (p = 0,02). Le taux de mortalite sur liste de transplantation etait plus eleve chez les patients a « risque eleve » (de 13 % a 19%) et le recours a un acces prioritaire a la greffe plus frequent (de 70% a 90 %) quelle que soit la methode utilisee. La survie post-transplantation etait sensiblement plus faible chez les patients a « risque eleve » sans difference significative, avec une tendance a une incidence cumulee plus elevee de dysfonction chronique du greffon. Conclusion Les patients avec HTAP identifies comme a « risque eleve » selon les differentes methodes d’evaluation du risque au moment de l’inscription sur liste de transplantation ont un moins bon pronostic malgre un recours plus frequent a la super urgence. Anticiper l’inscription sur liste de transplantation et prioriser les patients a « risque eleve » dans le systeme d’attribution des greffons pourrait aider a diminuer le temps d’attente sur liste, diminuer le recours a la super urgence et ameliorer la morbi-mortalite de ces patients.

Introduction Les guidelines ESC/ERS 2015 recommandent un traitement combine d’emblee incluant une prostacyline parenterale dans l’hypertension arterielle pulmonaire (HTAP) a risque eleve de mortalite. L’interet d’une tritherapie initiale incluant une prostacyline parenterale repose deux etudes retrospectives de faibles effectifs (Sitbon O, et al. Eur Respir J 2014; D’Alto M, et al. Chest 2020). Les donnees de survie a long-terme avec cette strategie demeurent encore mal connues. Methodes Analyse retrospective a partir du registre francais de l’hypertension pulmonaire de tous les cas incidents d’HTAP initiees en tritherapie associant une prostacycline parenterale (epoprostenol par voie IV ou treprostinil par voie sous-cutanee), un antagoniste des recepteurs de l’endotheline et un inhibiteur de la PDE-5 entre 2007 et 2018. Recueil des donnees cliniques, fonctionnelles (classe fonctionnelle [CF] NYHA, distance parcourue au test de marche de six minutes [DM6]), biologiques (NT-proBNP) et hemodynamique (catheterisme cardiaque droit) au diagnostic, a la premiere et a la derniere reevaluation. Analyses de la survie globale et sans transplantation. Resultats Quatre-vingt-cinq patients (80 % de femmes, âge moyen 43 ± 15 ans) atteints d’HTAP (44 idiopathiques, 25 heritables, 10 associees a une connectivite, 3 hypertensions porto-pulmonaires, 3 autres). Le Tableau 1 montre les caracteristiques cliniques et hemodynamiques au diagnostic et leurs modifications au cours du suivi. Le suivi moyen etait de 4.6 ± 2.9 ans. Six patients sont decedes apres 2 mois (2), 8 mois (1), 13 mois (1) et 2 ans (2), et 16 ont beneficie d’une transplantation pulmonaire (11 HTAP idiopathiques et 5 heritables) apres 2.4 ± 1.8 ans. La survie globale etait de 96 %, 92 %, 92 % et 92 % a 1, 3, 5 et 10 ans; la survie sans transplantation de 94 %, 82 %, 78 % et 72 %. Dix-huit patients ont arrete le traitement par prostacycline parenterale en raison d’une amelioration hemodynamique majeure. Conclusion Nous confirmons qu’une tritherapie initiale incluant une prostacycline parenterale ameliore de facon majeure les symptomes, les capacites a l’exercice et l’hemodynamique dans une large cohorte de patients avec HTAP severe. Cette strategie est associee a un excellent pronostic a long terme avec une survie de 92 % a 10 ans.

Introduction Le traitement optimal pour les patients atteints de maladie grave a coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) et d’hyper-inflammation etait initiallement debattu. Methodes Une etude de cohorte a ete concue pour evaluer si un algorithme therapeutique utilisant des steroides avec ou sans antagoniste de l’interleukine-1 (anakinra) pouvait prevenir la mort ou la ventilation invasive. Les patients avec une evolution ≥ 5 jours depuis l’apparition des symptomes, avec une hyper-inflammation (CRP > 50 mg/L), necessitant 3 a 5 L/min d’oxygene, ont recu de la methylprednisolone seule. Les patients ayant besoin de > 6 L/min ont recu quotidiennement de la methylprednisolone + anakinra sous-cutane soit en premiere ligne, soit en cas de deterioration clinique sous corticosteroides seuls. Le taux de mortalite et le taux de mortalite ou de ventilation invasive en unite de soins intensifs (USI) au jour 15, avec odds ratio (OR) et IC a 95%, ont ete determines selon les scores de regression logistique et de propension. Une analyse bayesienne a estime les effets du traitement. Resultats Sur 108 patients consecutifs, 70 patients ont recu des glucocorticoides seuls. Le groupe temoin comprenait 63 patients recevant des soins standards. Dans le groupe corticosteroides + anakinra (n = 108), le taux de mortalite etait de 20,4%, contre 30,2% chez les temoins, indiquant une diminution relative de 30% du risque de deces et un nombre de 10 patients a traiter pour eviter un deces (p = 0,15). En utilisant les scores de propension, une analyse per protocole a montre un OR pour les deces lies au COVID-19 de 0,9 (IC a 95% [0,80–1,01], p = 0,067). En analyse bayesienne, la probabilite posterieure de tout benefice de mortalite avec les corticosteroides ± anakinra etait de 87,5%, avec une probabilite de 7,8% de prejudice lie au traitement. Une exacerbation preexistante du diabete est survenue chez 29 des 108 patients (26,9%). Conclusion Chez les patients hospitalises pour COVID-19 hors reanimation en phase hyperinflammatoire, les corticosteroides avec ou sans anakinra ont ete associes a une diminution de 30% du risque de deces au jour 15.