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Objectives: This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows:. To evaluate the effects of subcutaneous omalizumab versus placebo for asthma in adults and children.

Background: Non-suppression of fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) during remotely monitored inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) therapy is associated with persistent symptoms and blood eosinophilia. To provide mechanistic insight, we assessed sputum type 2 cytokines and chemokines before and after a FeNO suppression test. Methods: FeNO suppression was performed in 44 patients with severe asthma and FeNO > 40 ppb. FeNO was monitored for 7 days of 1000μg of fluticasone propionate delivered via an INCATM device, with clinical and sputum sampling on days 0 and 7. FeNO suppression was defined as a 42% reduction in FeNO. Sputum supernatant was analyzed in 15 paired samples by ELISA (Prostaglandin D2, Leukotriene E4) and MSD assays (IL-4,-5,-13,-25,-33, CCL26, TSLP). Results: Suppressors (n=21) vs non-suppressors had a greater drop in ACQ-5 (mean∆: -1.2 vs -0.3, p Conclusion: Failure to suppress FeNO during ICS treatment was associated with steroid-unresponsive sputum PGD2 and LTE4 levels.

Reduction of the risk of asthma attacks is a major goal of current asthma management. We propose to derive a risk scale predicting asthma attacks based on the blood eosinophil count and exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO). Biomarker-stratified trial-level attack rates were extracted and pooled from the control arms of the Novel START, CAPTAIN, QUEST, Benralizumab Phase 2b, PATHWAY, STRATOS 1–2 and DREAM trials (n=3051). These were used to derive rate ratios and the predicted asthma attack rate for different patient groups. The resultant prototype risk scale shows potential to predict asthma attacks, which may be prevented by anti-inflammatory treatment.

BackgroundIn people with mild asthma poor adherence to regular therapy is common and increases the risk of exacerbations, morbidity and mortality. The use of fixed-dose combination inhalers containing an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) and a fast-acting β2-agonist (FABA) is established in moderate asthma, but they may also have potential utility in mild asthma.ObjectivesTo evaluate the efficacy and safety of single combined FABA/ICS inhaler only used as needed in people with mild asthma.Design and settingCochrane meta-analysis of available trial data.ParticipantsChildren aged 12+ and adults with mild asthma.Search methodsWe searched the Cochrane Airways Trials Register, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE and Embase, ClinicalTrials.gov and the WHO trials portal on 19 March 2021.InterventionsA single fixed-dose FABA/ICS inhaler used as required compared with no treatment, placebo, short-acting beta agonist (SABA) as required, regular ICS with SABA as required, regular fixed-dose combination ICS/long-acting beta agonist (LABA), or regular fixed-dose combination ICS/FABA with as required ICS/FABA.We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and cross-over trial. We excluded trials shorter than 12 weeks. We included full texts, abstracts and unpublished data.Data collection and analysisWe used Cochrane’s standard methodological procedures and applied the GRADE approach to assess the evidence.Main outcome measuresWe included six studies from which 9657 participants contributed to the meta-analyses. All used dry powder budesonide and formoterol as the combination inhaler. Two studies included children aged 12+ years and two studies were open-label.FABA/ICS as-required versus FABA as-requiredCompared with as-required FABA alone, as-required FABA/ICS reduced exacerbations requiring systemic steroids (OR 0.45, 95% CI 0.34 to 0.60, 2 RCTs, 2997 participants, high-certainty evidence), equivalent to 109 people out of 1000 in the FABA alone group experiencing an exacerbation requiring systemic steroids, compared with 52 (95% CI 40 to 68) out of 1000 in the FABA/ICS as-required group. FABA/ICS as required may also reduce the odds of an asthma-related hospital admission or emergency department or urgent care visit (OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.20 to 0.60, 2 RCTs, 2997 participants, low-certainty evidence). Changes in asthma control were small and less than the minimal clinically important difference (MCID). FABA/ICS as required was associated with reductions in fractional exhaled nitric oxide, probably reducing the odds of an adverse event (OR 0.82, 95% CI 0.71 to 0.95) and may reduce total systemic steroid dose (mean difference (MD) −9.90, 95% CI −19.38 to −0.42).FABA/ICS as required versus regular ICS plus FABA as requiredThere may be little or no difference in the number of people with asthma exacerbations requiring systemic steroids with FABA/ICS as required compared with regular ICS (OR 0.79, 95% CI 0.59 to 1.07, 4 RCTs, 8065 participants, low-certainty evidence), equivalent to 81 people out of 1000 in the regular ICS plus FABA group experiencing an exacerbation requiring systemic steroids, compared with 65 (95% CI 49 to 86) out of 1000 in the FABA/ICS as-required group. The odds of an asthma-related hospital admission or emergency department or urgent care visit may be reduced in those taking FABA/ICS as required (OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.44 to 0.91, 4 RCTs, 8065 participants, low-certainty evidence). Changes in asthma control were small and less than MCID. Adverse events and total systemic corticosteroid doses were similar between groups. FABA/ICS as required was likely associated with less average daily exposure to ICS than those on regular ICS (MD −154.51 mcg/day, 95% CI −207.94 to −101.09).ConclusionsFABA/ICS as required is clinically effective in adults and adolescents with mild asthma and reduced exacerbations, hospital admissions or unscheduled healthcare visits and exposure to systemic corticosteroids and probably reduces adverse events compared with FABA as required alone. FABA/ICS as required is as effective as regular ICS and reduced asthma-related hospital admissions or unscheduled healthcare visits, and average exposure to ICS, and is unlikely associated with increased adverse events.

Background Whether the clinical or pathophysiologic significance of the “treatable trait” high blood eosinophil count in COPD is the same as for asthma remains controversial. We sought to determine the relationship between the blood eosinophil count, clinical characteristics and gene expression from bronchial brushings in COPD and asthma. Methods Subjects were recruited into a COPD (emphysema versus airway disease [EvA]) or asthma cohort (Unbiased BIOmarkers in PREDiction of respiratory disease outcomes, U‐BIOPRED). We determined gene expression using RNAseq in EvA (n = 283) and Affymetrix microarrays in U‐BIOPRED (n = 85). We ran linear regression analysis of the bronchial brushings transcriptional signal versus blood eosinophil counts as well as differential expression using a blood eosinophil > 200 cells/μL as a cut‐off. The false discovery rate was controlled at 1% (with continuous values) and 5% (with dichotomized values). Results There were no differences in age, gender, lung function, exercise capacity and quantitative computed tomography between eosinophilic versus noneosinophilic COPD cases. Total serum IgE was increased in eosinophilic asthma and COPD. In EvA, there were 12 genes with a statistically significant positive association with the linear blood eosinophil count, whereas in U‐BIOPRED, 1197 genes showed significant associations (266 positive and 931 negative). The transcriptome showed little overlap between genes and pathways associated with blood eosinophil counts in asthma versus COPD. Only CST1 was common to eosinophilic asthma and COPD and was replicated in independent cohorts. Conclusion Despite shared “treatable traits” between asthma and COPD, the molecular mechanisms underlying these clinical entities are predominately different., In a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) cohort (EvA, n = 283), 12 genes, whereas in asthma cohort (UBIOPRED, n = 85), 1197 genes in bronchial epithelial brushes were correlated with a blood eosinophil count. The gene CST1 was common to eosinophilic asthma and COPD and was replicated in independent cohorts. Despite shared “treatable traits” between asthma and COPD, the molecular mechanisms underlying these clinical entities are predominately different.

Background Asthma affects 350 million people worldwide including 45% to 70% with mild disease. Treatment is mainly with inhalers containing beta₂‐agonists, typically taken as required to relieve bronchospasm, and inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) as regular preventive therapy. Poor adherence to regular therapy is common and increases the risk of exacerbations, morbidity and mortality. Fixed‐dose combination inhalers containing both a steroid and a fast‐acting beta₂‐agonist (FABA) in the same device simplify inhalers regimens and ensure symptomatic relief is accompanied by preventative therapy. Their use is established in moderate asthma, but they may also have potential utility in mild asthma. Objectives To evaluate the efficacy and safety of single combined (fast‐onset beta₂‐agonist plus an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS)) inhaler only used as needed in people with mild asthma. Search methods We searched the Cochrane Airways Trials Register, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE and Embase, ClinicalTrials.gov and the World Health Organization (WHO) trials portal. We contacted trial authors for further information and requested details regarding the possibility of unpublished trials. The most recent search was conducted on 19 March 2021. Selection criteria We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and cross‐over trials with at least one week washout period. We included studies of a single fixed‐dose FABA/ICS inhaler used as required compared with no treatment, placebo, short‐acting beta agonist (SABA) as required, regular ICS with SABA as required, regular fixed‐dose combination ICS/long‐acting beta agonist (LABA), or regular fixed‐dose combination ICS/FABA with as required ICS/FABA. We planned to include cluster‐randomised trials if the data had been or could be adjusted for clustering. We excluded trials shorter than 12 weeks. We included full texts, abstracts and unpublished data. Data collection and analysis Two review authors independently extracted data. We analysed dichotomous data as odds ratios (OR) or rate ratios (RR) and continuous data as mean difference (MD). We reported 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We used Cochrane's standard methodological procedures of meta‐analysis. We applied the GRADE approach to summarise results and to assess the overall certainty of evidence. Primary outcomes were exacerbations requiring systemic steroids, hospital admissions/emergency department or urgent care visits for asthma, and measures of asthma control. Main results We included six studies of which five contributed results to the meta‐analyses. All five used budesonide 200 μg and formoterol 6 μg in a dry powder formulation as the combination inhaler. Comparator fast‐acting bronchodilators included terbutaline and formoterol. Two studies included children aged 12+ and adults; two studies were open‐label. A total of 9657 participants were included, with a mean age of 36 to 43 years. 2.3% to 11% were current smokers. FABA / ICS as required versus FABA as required Compared with as‐required FABA alone, as‐required FABA/ICS reduced exacerbations requiring systemic steroids (OR 0.45, 95% CI 0.34 to 0.60, 2 RCTs, 2997 participants, high‐certainty evidence), equivalent to 109 people out of 1000 in the FABA alone group experiencing an exacerbation requiring systemic steroids, compared to 52 (95% CI 40 to 68) out of 1000 in the FABA/ICS as‐required group. FABA/ICS as required may also reduce the odds of an asthma‐related hospital admission or emergency department or urgent care visit (OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.20 to 0.60, 2 RCTs, 2997 participants, low‐certainty evidence). Compared with as‐required FABA alone, any changes in asthma control or spirometry, though favouring as‐required FABA/ICS, were small and less than the minimal clinically‐important differences. We did not find evidence of differences in asthma‐associated quality of life or mortality. For other secondary outcomes FABA/ICS as required was associated with reductions in fractional exhaled nitric oxide, probably reduces the odds of an adverse event (OR 0.82, 95% CI 0.71 to 0.95, 2 RCTs, 3002 participants, moderate‐certainty evidence) and may reduce total systemic steroid dose (MD ‐9.90, 95% CI ‐19.38 to ‐0.42, 1 RCT, 443 participants, low‐certainty evidence), and with an increase in the daily inhaled steroid dose (MD 77 μg beclomethasone equiv./day, 95% CI 69 to 84, 2 RCTs, 2554 participants, moderate‐certainty evidence). FABA/ICS as required versus regular ICS plus FABA as required There may be little or no difference in the number of people with asthma exacerbations requiring systemic steroid with FABA/ICS as required compared with regular ICS (OR 0.79, 95% CI 0.59 to 1.07, 4 RCTs, 8065 participants, low‐certainty evidence), equivalent to 81 people out of 1000 in the regular ICS plus FABA group experiencing an exacerbation requiring systemic steroids, compared to 65 (95% CI 49 to 86) out of 1000 FABA/ICS as required group. The odds of an asthma‐related hospital admission or emergency department or urgent care visit may be reduced in those taking FABA/ICS as required (OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.44 to 0.91, 4 RCTs, 8065 participants, low‐certainty evidence). Compared with regular ICS, any changes in asthma control, spirometry, peak flow rates (PFR), or asthma‐associated quality of life, though favouring regular ICS, were small and less than the minimal clinically important differences (MCID). Adverse events, serious adverse events, total systemic corticosteroid dose and mortality were similar between groups, although deaths were rare, so confidence intervals for this analysis were wide. We found moderate‐certainty evidence from four trials involving 7180 participants that FABA/ICS as required was likely associated with less average daily exposure to inhaled corticosteroids than those on regular ICS (MD ‐154.51 μg/day, 95% CI ‐207.94 to ‐101.09). Authors' conclusions We found FABA/ICS as required is clinically effective in adults and adolescents with mild asthma. Their use instead of FABA as required alone reduced exacerbations, hospital admissions or unscheduled healthcare visits and exposure to systemic corticosteroids and probably reduces adverse events. FABA/ICS as required is as effective as regular ICS and reduced asthma‐related hospital admissions or unscheduled healthcare visits, and average exposure to ICS, and is unlikely to be associated with an increase in adverse events. Further research is needed to explore use of FABA/ICS as required in children under 12 years of age, use of other FABA/ICS preparations, and long‐term outcomes beyond 52 weeks.

BackgroundThe antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties of azithromycin suggest therapeutic potential against COVID-19. Randomised data in mild-moderate disease are lacking. We assessed whether azithromycin is effective in reducing hospitalisation in patients with mild-moderate COVID-19.MethodsThis open-label, randomised superiority clinical trial at 19 centres in the United Kingdom enrolled adults, ≥18 years, presenting to hospitals with clinically-diagnosed highly-probable or confirmed COVID-19 infection, with NCT04381962, Study closed.Findings298 participants were enrolled from 3rd June 2020 to 29th January 2021. The primary outcome was assessed in 292 participants. The primary endpoint was not significantly different between the azithromycin and control groups (Adjusted OR 0·91 [95% CI 0·43-1·92], p=0·80). Rates of respiratory failure, progression to pneumonia, all-cause mortality, and adverse events, including serious cardiovascular events, were not significantly different between groups.InterpretationIn patients with mild-moderate COVID-19 managed without hospital admission, adding azithromycin to standard care treatment did not reduce the risk of subsequent hospitalisation or death. Our findings do not support the use of azithromycin in patients with mild-moderate COVID-19.FundingNIHR Oxford BRC, University of Oxford and Pfizer Inc.Research in contextEvidence before this studyWe searched MEDLINE and the Cochrane Central register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) with the terms (“azithromycin”) AND (“COVID” OR “COVID-19”) AND (“clinical trials”), until March 25, 2021, with no language restrictions. We identified 42 studies, among which there were four completed randomised trials of azithromycin (with or without hydroxychloroquine) in hospitalised patients with severe disease, and three completed randomised trials of azithromycin in mild COVID-19 in primary care. The four trials in hospitalised patients randomised 8,988 participants to azithromycin or standard care or hydroxychloroquine and found no evidence of a difference in mortality, duration of hospital stay or peak disease severity. Of the three trials in primary care, these randomised participants with early disease to 3 or 5 days of therapy, of which only one assessed azithromycin as standalone therapy. This large, adaptive platform trial in the UK randomised 540 participants in primary care to 3 days treatment with azithromycin versus 875 to standard care alone and found no meaningful difference in time to first reported recovery, or of rates of hospitalisation (3% versus 3%) and there were no deaths. We did not identify any randomised trials in patients with COVID-19 managed in ambulatory care.Added value of this studyThe ATOMIC2 trial was uniquely-designed to assess azithromycin as a standalone therapy in those with mild-moderately COVID-19 presenting to emergency care, but assessed as appropriate for initial ambulatory management without hospital admission. ATOMIC2 also uniquely assessed high-dose, long-duration treatment to investigate the efficacy of putative anti-inflammatory effects. We found that azithromycin 500 mg daily for 14 days did not reduce the proportion of participants who died or required hospital admission from any cause over the 28 days from randomisation.Implications of all the available evidenceOur findings, taken together with existing data, suggest there is no evidence that azithromycin reduces hospitalisation, respiratory failure or death compared with standard care, either in early disease in the community, or those hospitalised with severe disease, or in those with moderate disease managed on an ambulatory pathway.

Intro: Prior metagenomic studies in asthma are limited by inconsistent clinical phenotyping and inadequate sequencing depth for species-level bacterial identification. We hypothesise chronic bacterial infection is i) a ‘treatable trait’ whose prevalence, clinical phenotype and reliable biomarkers need definition and ii) is best characterised using Nanopore sequencing. Aims/Methods: To compare performance of Illumina MiSeq, Nanopore sequencing, and RT-qPCR on total DNA extracts against culture/MALDI-TOF for analysis of induced sputum samples from well-phenotyped severe asthma. Results: In 23 patients with with severe asthma Haemophilus influenzae was commonly cultured (n=8/23), and identified as the dominant bacterial species by metagenomic sequencing using MiSeq and Nanopore. Nanopore provided superior operational characterisitics and longer read lengths allowing whole bacterial genome reconstruction and greater resolution between species. Clinically significant infection was confirmed with validated H.inf plasmid-based RT-qPCR assay. H.inf culture positive patients had sputum neutrophilia and lower FeNO. Conclusions:H.inf is a clinically-relevant pathogen in severe ashma and is identified reliably using molecular microbiological methods. Application of these optimised protocols in ongoing analysis of 3 large patient cohorts is allowing full characterisation of this clinical phenotype.

Background Azithromycin is an orally active synthetic macrolide antibiotic with a wide range of anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties. It is a safe, inexpensive, generic licenced drug available worldwide and manufactured to scale and is a potential candidate therapy for pandemic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Azithromycin was widely used to treat severe SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, but to date, no randomised data are available in any coronavirus infections. Other ongoing trials are exploring short courses of azithromycin either in early disease, within the first 7 days of symptoms, when azithromycin’s antiviral properties may be important, or late in disease when anti-bacterial properties may reduce the risk of secondary bacterial infection. However, the molecule’s anti-inflammatory properties, including suppression of pulmonary macrophage-derived pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukins-1β, -6, -8, and -18 and cytokines G-CSF and GM-CSF may provide a distinct therapeutic benefit if given in as a prolonged course during the period of progression from moderate to severe disease. Methods ATOMIC2 is a phase II/III, multi-centre, prospective, open-label, two-arm randomised superiority clinical trial of azithromycin versus standard care for adults presenting to hospital with COVID-19 symptoms who are not admitted at initial presentation. We will enrol adults, ≥ 18 years of age assessed in acute hospitals in the UK with clinical diagnosis of COVID-19 infection where management on an ambulatory care pathway is deemed appropriate. Participants will be randomised in a 1:1 ratio to usual care or to azithromycin 500 mg orally daily for 14 days with telephone follow-up at days 14 and 28. The primary objective is to compare the proportion with either death or respiratory failure requiring invasive or non-invasive mechanical ventilation over 28 days from randomisation. Secondary objectives include mortality/respiratory failure in those with a PCR-confirmed diagnosis; all-cause mortality; progression to pneumonia; progression to severe pneumonia; peak severity of illness and mechanistic analysis of blood and nasal biomarkers. Discussion This trial will determine the clinical utility of azithromycin in patients with moderately severe, clinically diagnosed COVID-19 and could be rapidly applicable worldwide. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04381962. Registered on 11 May 2020. EudraCT identifier 2020-001740-26. Opened for accrual on 29 May 2020.

To-date, there has not been a clear signal suggesting that asthma or treatment with inhaled steroids are a risk factor for severe COVID-19 disease. We have therefore explored ACE2 receptor mRNA expression, and co-factors for Sars-CoV-2 infectivity (TMPRSS2 and furin) in bronchial brushes and biopsies from people with asthma and healthy controls, and looked for relationships between asthma severity, Th2- and IL-17 dependent gene signatures, and clinical demographics (age, sex). We have looked at a cohort of 356 research participants from previously described studies. The only significant association was a positive correlation between ACE2 and IL-17-dependent gene expression, and an inverse correlation between ACE2 and Th2-cytokine-dependent gene expression. These data suggest that differences in ACE2, TMPRSS2 and furin epithelial and airway gene expression are unlikely to confer enhanced COVID-19 pneumonia risk in patients with asthma across all treatment intensities and severity., Expression of mRNA for ACE2, the Sars-CoV-2 receptor, is similar in the lower airways of healthy controls and people with mild-severe asthma. Altered ACE2 expression is unlikely to confer enhanced COVID-19 pneumonia risk in asthma.

Monoclonal antibodies targeting IgE or the type-2 cytokines interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5 and IL-13 are proving highly effective in reducing exacerbations and symptoms in people with severe allergic and eosinophilic asthma, respectively. However, these therapies are not appropriate for 30–50% of patients in severe asthma clinics who present with non-allergic, non-eosinophilic, “type-2 low” asthma. These patients constitute an important and common clinical asthma phenotype, driven by distinct, yet poorly understood pathobiological mechanisms. In this review we describe the heterogeneity and clinical characteristics of type-2 low asthma and summarise current knowledge on the underlying pathobiological mechanisms, which includes neutrophilic airway inflammation often associated with smoking, obesity and occupational exposures and may be driven by persistent bacterial infections and by activation of a recently described IL-6 pathway. We review the evidence base underlying existing treatment options for specific treatable traits that can be identified and addressed. We focus particularly on severe asthma as opposed to difficult-to-treat asthma, on emerging data on the identification of airway bacterial infection, on the increasing evidence base for the use of long-term low-dose macrolides, a critical appraisal of bronchial thermoplasty, and evidence for the use of biologics in type-2 low disease. Finally, we review ongoing research into other pathways including tumour necrosis factor, IL-17, resolvins, apolipoproteins, type I interferons, IL-6 and mast cells. We suggest that type-2 low disease frequently presents opportunities for identification and treatment of tractable clinical problems; it is currently a rapidly evolving field with potential for the development of novel targeted therapeutics.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is a new rapidly spreading infectious disease. Current guidance from the World Health Organization (WHO) highlights asthmatics as a high-risk group for severe illness from COVID-19. Viruses are common triggers of asthma exacerbations and the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic raises several questions regarding the optimum management strategies. Here, we discuss the contentious issue of whether the mainstay therapy systemic corticosteroids should be used in the routine management of COVID-19-associated asthma exacerbations. Recent guidance from the WHO has advised against the use of corticosteroids if COVID-19 is suspected due to concerns that these agents may impair protective innate antiviral immune responses. This may not be appropriate in the unique case of asthma exacerbation, a syndrome associated with augmented type 2 inflammation, a disease feature that is known to directly inhibit antiviral immunity. Corticosteroids, through their suppressive effects on type 2 inflammation, are thus likely to restore impaired antiviral immunity in asthma and, in contrast to non-asthmatic subjects, have beneficial clinical effects in the context of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

While there now exist effective treatments for type 2 high, eosinophilic asthma, there are no specific therapies for 40–50% of people with asthma with other phenotypes, which result from poorly understood underlying pathological mechanisms. One such pathology is neutrophilic inflammation, which has been associated with interleukin (IL)-17 family cytokines. Human genetic studies identified IL-17 polymorphisms associated with asthma; in murine models of allergic airways disease, IL-17A contributes to airway hyperresponsiveness, and in humans, elevated airway IL-17A levels are repeatedly observed in severe asthma. However, the directionality of this association is unknown, and the assumption that IL-17 cytokines drive disease pathology remains speculative. Here, we explore the evidence underlying the relationship between IL-17 and asthma, we review lessons learned from investigating IL-17 in other inflammatory diseases, and discuss the possibility that IL-17 may even be protective in asthma rather than pathogenic. We also critically examine the newly proposed paradigm of a reciprocal relationship between type 2 and type 17 airways inflammation. In summary, we suggest an association between IL-17 and asthma, but research is needed examining the diverse functions of these cytokines, their longitudinal stability, their response to clinical interventions, and for mechanistic studies determining whether they are protective or pathogenic., IL-17 cytokines have been implicated in neutrophilic asthma by genetic, murine and human data. Here, previous studies are critiqued and the assumption their dominant role is pathogenic rather than protective of airway epithelial barrier integrity is challenged. http://bit.ly/3axB4Zs

Rationale: On November 21, 2016 in Australia, a major thunderstorm-asthma epidemic struck Melbourne with an unprecedented number of emergency presentations, hospital admissions and fatalities. Objectives: We identified affected patients who presented to The Royal Melbourne Hospital, an adult tertiary center in North-West Melbourne. We aimed to characterize individual patient factors associated with hospital admission and identify biomarkers in patient subgroups that are at risk of being severely affected by thunderstorm-asthma. Methods: Cross-sectional, retrospective analysis of demographics of 240 patients presenting to The Royal Melbourne Hospital on November 21 to 22, 2016 post thunderstorm-asthma event and clinical characteristics of 70 of those patients who subsequently attended an outpatient clinic review. Results: Patients were generally young adults (mean age 35 years), with seasonal rhinitis (96%) and universally (100%) sensitized to ryegrass pollen. Forty-four patients (63%) had a known diagnosis of asthma while 20% reported no previous diagnosis but had symptoms consistent with asthma. Patient characteristics associated with hospitalization were: uncontrolled asthma symptoms in the month before the thunderstorm-asthma event, symptomatic allergic rhinitis, high blood eosinophilia and lower lung function. Conclusion: Thunderstorm-asthma affects people with seasonal rhinitis, ryegrass sensitization and can occur without prior history of asthma, with dramatic potential to inundate a healthcare system. Our data suggests that hospitalization, and thus a more severe thunderstorm-asthma exacerbation, was associated with a known history of asthma, prior uncontrolled asthma symptoms, allergic rhinitis, high eosinophil count and lower lung function. These factors may inform strategies to identify those most at risk of thunderstorm-asthma.

Asthma arises from the complex interplay of inflammatory pathways in diverse cell types and tissues. We sought to undertake a comprehensive transcriptomic assessment of the epithelium and airway T cells that remain understudied in asthma and investigate interactions between multiple cells and tissues. Epithelial brushings and flow-sorted CD3+ T cells from sputum and BAL were obtained from healthy subjects (n = 19) and patients with asthma (mild, moderate, and severe asthma; n = 46). Gene expression was assessed using Affymetrix HT HG-U133+ PM GeneChips, and results were validated by real-time quantitative PCR. In the epithelium, IL-13 response genes (POSTN, SERPINB2, and CLCA1), mast cell mediators (CPA3 and TPSAB1), inducible nitric oxide synthase, and cystatins (CST1, CST2, and CST4) were upregulated in mild asthma, but, except for cystatins, were suppressed by corticosteroids in moderate asthma. In severe asthma—with predominantly neutrophilic phenotype—several distinct processes were upregulated, including neutrophilia (TCN1 and MMP9), mucins, and oxidative stress responses. The majority of the disease signature was evident in sputum T cells in severe asthma, where 267 genes were differentially regulated compared with health, highlighting compartmentalization of inflammation. This signature included IL-17–inducible chemokines (CXCL1, CXCL2, CXCL3, IL8, and CSF3) and chemoattractants for neutrophils (IL8, CCL3, and LGALS3), T cells, and monocytes. A protein interaction network in severe asthma highlighted signatures of responses to bacterial infections across tissues (CEACAM5, CD14, and TLR2), including Toll-like receptor signaling. In conclusion, the activation of innate immune pathways in the airways suggests that activated T cells may be driving neutrophilic inflammation and steroid-insensitive IL-17 response in severe asthma.

Coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP), as part of the spectrum of coal mine dust lung disease (CMDLD), is a preventable but incurable lung disease that can be complicated by respiratory failure and death. Recent increases in coal production from the financial incentive of economic growth lead to higher respirable coal and quartz dust levels, often associated with mechanization of longwall coal mining. In Australia, the observed increase in the number of new CWP diagnoses since the year 2000 has necessitated a review of recommended respirable dust exposure limits, where exposure limits and monitoring protocols should ideally be standardized. Evidence that considers the regulation of engineering dust controls in the mines is lacking even in high-income countries, despite this being the primary preventative measure. Also, it is a global public health priority for at-risk miners to be systemically screened to detect early changes of CWP and to include confirmed patients within a central registry; a task limited by financial constraints in less developed countries. Characteristic X-ray changes are usually categorized using the International Labour Office classification, although future evaluation by low-dose HRCT) chest scanning may allow for CWP detection and thus avoidance of further exposure, at an earlier stage. Preclinical animal and human organoid-based models are required to explore potential re-purposing of anti-fibrotic and related agents with potential efficacy. Epidemiological patterns and the assessment of molecular and genetic biomarkers may further enhance our capacity to identify susceptible individuals to the inhalation of coal dust in the modern era.

The complexity of asthma is underscored by the number of cell types and mediators implicated in the pathogenesis of this heterogeneous syndrome. Type 2 CD4+ T-cells (Th2) and more recently, type 2 innate lymphoid cells dominate current descriptions of asthma pathogenesis. However, another important source of these type 2 cytokines, especially interleukin (IL)-5 and IL-13, are CD8+ T-cells, which are increasingly proposed to play an important role in asthma pathogenesis, because they are abundant and are comparatively insensitive to corticosteroids. Many common triggers of asthma exacerbations are mediated via corticosteroid-resistant pathways involving neutrophils and CD8+ T-cells. Extensive murine data reveal the plasticity of CD8+ T-cells and their capacity to enhance airway inflammation and airway dysfunction. In humans, Tc2 cells are predominant in fatal asthma, while in stable state, severe eosinophilic asthma is associated with greater numbers of Tc2 than Th2 cells in blood, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and bronchial biopsies. Tc2 cells strongly express CRTH2, the receptor for prostaglandin D2, the cysteinyl leukotriene receptor 1 and the leukotriene B4 receptor. When activated, these elicit Tc2 cell chemotaxis and production of chemokines and type 2 and other cytokines, resulting directly or indirectly in eosinophil recruitment and survival. These factors position CD8+ Tc2 cells as important and underappreciated effector cells contributing to asthma pathogenesis. Here, we review recent advances and new insights in understanding the pro-asthmatic functions of CD8+ T-cells in eosinophilic asthma, especially corticosteroid-resistant asthma, and the molecular mechanisms underlying their pathologic effector function.

RATIONALE: Mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells are a recently described abundant, proinflammatory T-cell subset with unknown roles in pulmonary immunity. Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) is the leading bacterial pathogen during chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations and is a plausible target for MAIT cells. OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether MAIT cells respond to NTHi and the effects of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) on their frequency and function in COPD. METHODS: Eleven subjects with COPD receiving ICS, 8 steroid-naive subjects with COPD, and 21 healthy control subjects underwent phlebotomy, sputum induction, bronchoalveolar lavage, and endobronchial biopsy. Pulmonary and monocyte-derived macrophages were cultured in vitro with NTHi. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Frequencies of Vα7.2(+)CD161(+) MAIT cells, surface expression of the major histocompatibility complex-related protein 1 (MR1), and intracellular IFN-γ expression were measured by flow cytometry. MAIT-cell frequencies were reduced in peripheral blood of ICS-treated subjects with COPD (median 0.38%; interquartile range [IQR], 0.25-0.96) compared with healthy control subjects (1.8%; IQR, 1.4-2.5; P = 0.001) or steroid-naive patients with COPD (1.8%; IQR, 1.2-2.3; P = 0.04). MAIT cells were reduced in bronchial biopsies from subjects with COPD treated with steroids (0.73%; IQR, 0.46-1.3) compared with healthy control subjects (4.0%; IQR, 1.6-5.0; P = 0.02). Coculture of live NTHi increased macrophage surface expression of MR1 and induced IFN-γ from CD4 cells and CD8 cells, but most potently from MAIT cells (median IFN-γ-positive frequencies, 2.9, 8.6, and 27.6%, respectively). In vitro fluticasone and budesonide reduced MR1 surface expression twofold and decreased NTHi-induced IFN-γ secretion eightfold. CONCLUSIONS: MAIT cells are deficient in blood and bronchial tissue in steroid-treated, but not steroid-naive, COPD. NTHi constitutes a target for pulmonary MAIT-cell immune responses, which are significantly impaired by corticosteroids.

Individuals with self-healed tuberculosis from the preantibiotic era offer a unique insight into the natural history of and protective immunity to tuberculosis. In 27 such persons whose tuberculosis self-healed >50 years earlier, circulating Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigen-specific interferon γ (IFN-γ)- and interleukin 2 (IL-2)-secreting T cells were detected ex vivo in 16 and 19 individuals, respectively. The M. tuberculosis-specific T cell cytokine profile was dominated by effector memory T cells that secrete both IFN-γ and IL-2 and included T cells that secrete only IFN-γ or IL-2, suggesting persistence of antigen secreted by viable bacilli. Of 10 individuals with no M. tuberculosis antigen-specific IFN-γ-secreting T cells detectable ex vivo, 7 had evidence of central memory T cells, consistent with clearance of infection.

The majority of individuals infected withMycobacterium tuberculosisachieve lifelong immune containment of the bacillus. What constitutes this effective host immune response is poorly understood. We compared the frequencies of gamma interferon (IFN-γ)-secreting T cells specific for five region of difference 1 (RD1)-encoded antigens and one DosR-encoded antigen in 205 individuals either with active disease (n= 167), whose immune responses had failed to contain the bacillus, or with remotely acquired latent infection (n= 38), who had successfully achieved immune control, and a further 149 individuals with recently acquired asymptomatic infection. When subjects with an IFN-γ enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISpot) assay response to one or more RD1-encoded antigens were analyzed, T cells from subjects with active disease recognized more pools of peptides from these antigens than T cells from subjects with nonrecent latent infection (P= 0.002). The T-cell frequencies for peptide pools were greater for subjects with active infection than for subjects with nonrecent latent infection for summed RD1 peptide pools (P≤ 0.006) and culture filtrate protein 10 (CFP-10) antigen (P= 0.029). Individuals with recently acquired (6 months) latent infection did not differ in numbers of peptide pools recognized, proportions recognizing any individual antigen or peptide pool, or antigen-specific T-cell frequencies (P≥ 0.11). The hierarchy of immunodominance for different antigens was purified protein derivative (PPD) > CFP-10 > early secretory antigenic target 6 > Rv3879c > Rv3878 > Rv3873 > Acr1, and the hierarchies were very similar for active and remotely acquired latent infections. Responses to the DosR antigen α-crystallin were not associated with latency (P= 0.373). In contrast to the RD1-specific responses, the responses to PPD were not associated with clinical status (P> 0.17) but were strongly associated with positive tuberculin skin test results (≥15-mm induration;P≤ 0.01). Our results suggest that RD1-specific IFN-γ-secreting T-cell frequencies correlate with the presence of disease rather than with protective immunity inM. tuberculosis-infected individuals and do not distinguish recently acquired asymptomatic infection from remotely acquired latent infection.

Summary New T cell-based blood tests for tuberculosis infection could improve diagnosis of tuberculosis but their clinical utility remains unknown. We describe the role of the ELISpot test in the diagnostic work-up of 13 patients presenting with suspected tuberculosis in routine practice. Of the seven patients with a final diagnosis of active tuberculosis, all were positive by ELISpot including three with false-negative tuberculin skin test results. Rapid determination of tuberculosis infection by ELISpot accelerated the diagnosis of tuberculosis, enabling early treatment initiation.

Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder with complex symptoms dominated by progressive motor dysfunction. Skeletal muscle atrophy is common in HD patients. Because the HD mutation is expressed in skeletal muscle as well as brain, we wondered whether the muscle changes arise from primary pathology. We used R6/2 transgenic mice for our studies. Unlike denervation atrophy, skeletal muscle atrophy in R6/2 mice occurs uniformly. Paradoxically however, skeletal muscles show age-dependent denervation-like abnormalities, including supersensitivity to acetylcholine, decreased sensitivity to mu-conotoxin, and anode-break action potentials. Morphological abnormalities of neuromuscular junctions are also present, particularly in older R6/2 mice. Severely affected R6/2 mice show a progressive increase in the number of motor endplates that fail to respond to nerve stimulation. Surprisingly, there was no constitutive sprouting of motor neurons in R6/2 muscles, even in severely atrophic muscles that showed other denervation-like characteristics. In fact, there was an age-dependent loss of regenerative capacity of motor neurons in R6/2 mice. Because muscle fibers appear to be released from the activity-dependent cues that regulate membrane properties and muscle size, and motor axons and nerve terminals become impaired in their capacity to release neurotransmitter and to respond to stimuli that normally evoke sprouting and adaptive reinnervation, we speculate that in these mice there is a progressive dissociation of trophic signalling between motor neurons and skeletal muscle. However, irrespective of the cause, the abnormalities at neuromuscular junctions we report here are likely to contribute to the pathological phenotype in R6/2 mice, particularly in late stages of the disease.

Background: studies with monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) and animal models have suggested a role for alternatively activated (M2) macrophages in asthmatic inflammation, but in vivo evidence for this phenotype in human asthma is lacking.Objective: to characterize the phenotype of lung macrophages from asthmatic patients in relation to disease severity and treatment.Methods: M2 biomarkers were first identified by using MDMs exposed to T(H)2 cytokines and then used to phenotype sputum and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) macrophages from 12 healthy control subjects, 12 patients with mild asthma, and 14 patients with moderate asthma and to assess the effects of corticosteroids and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitors.Results: sputum macrophages from asthmatic patients expressed significantly more CCL17 mRNA but less CD163 than macrophages from healthy subjects. However, none of the other M2 biomarkers were differentially expressed in asthmatic patients, and ex vivo BAL cells spontaneously produced similar amounts of M2 cytokines/chemokines (IL-10, CCL17, and CCL22). CCL17 mRNA overexpression correlated weakly but significantly with sputum eosinophilia (P = .0252) and was also observed in macrophages from patients with moderate asthma treated with inhaled steroids, suggesting relative insensitivity to inhibition by corticosteroids. The PI3K inhibitor LY294002 inhibited basal CCL17 release from BAL cells and IL-4-stimulated release from MDMs.Conclusions: this study does not support the existence in human asthma of the full M2 phenotype described to date but points to upregulation of CCL17 in both patients with mild and those with moderate asthma, providing a further source for this ligand of CCR4(+) cells that contributes to airways inflammation. CCL17 expression is corticosteroid resistant but suppressed by PI3K enzyme inhibitors

Central nervous system tuberculosis remains a clinical diagnostic challenge. The ex vivo Mycobacterium tuberculosis-specific enzyme-linked immunospot assay (ELISPOT) is a novel assay for the rapid detection of M. tuberculosis-specific T-lymphocytes in the peripheral blood. However, when performed on peripheral blood, this assay cannot distinguish between active tuberculosis or latent tuberculosis infection. On the assumption that M. tuberculosis-specific T-lymphocytes migrate to sites of infection, we were able to demonstrate high levels of M. tuberculosis-specific cells by ELISPOT in the cerebrospinal fluid of a patient with tuberculous meningitis and intracerebral tuberculoma four weeks before cerebrospinal fluid culture became positive for M. tuberculosis by culture.

Background: The role of new T-cell–based blood tests for tuberculosis in the diagnosis of active tuberculosis is unclear. Objective: To compare the performance of 2 interferon-? assays and tuberculin skin testing in adults with suspected tuberculosis. Design: Prospective study conducted in routine practice. Setting: 2 urban hospitals in the United Kingdom. Patients: 389 adults, predominantly of South Asian and black ethnicity, with moderate to high clinical suspicion of active tuberculosis. Intervention: Tuberculin skin testing, the enzyme-linked immunospot assay (ELISpot) incorporating early secretory antigenic target-6 and culture filtrate protein-10 (standard ELISpot), and ELISpot incorporating a novel antigen, Rv3879c (ELISpotPLUS) were performed during diagnostic assessment by independent persons who were blinded to results of the other test. Measurements: Sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, and likelihood ratios. Results: 194 patients had a final diagnosis of active tuberculosis, of which 79% were culture-confirmed. Sensitivity for culture confirmed and highly probable tuberculosis was 89% (95% CI, 84% to 93%) with ELISpotPLUS, 85% (CI, 79% to 90%) with standard ELISpot, 79% (CI, 72% to 85%) with 15-mm threshold tuberculin skin testing, and 83% (CI, 77% to 89%) with stratified thresholds of 15 and 10 mm in vaccinated and unvaccinated patients, respectively. The ELISpotPLUS assay was more sensitive than tuberculin skin testing with 15-mm cutoff points (P = 0.01) but not with stratified cutoff points (P = 0.10). The ELISpotPLUS assay had 4% higher diagnostic sensitivity than standard ELISpot (P = 0.02). Combined sensitivity of ELISpotPLUS and tuberculin skin testing was 99% (CI, 95% to 100%), conferring a negative likelihood ratio of 0.02 (CI, 0 to 0.06) when both test results were negative. Limitations: Local standards for tuberculin skin testing differed from others used internationally. The study sample included few immunosuppressed patients. Conclusion: The ELISpotPLUS assay is more sensitive than standard ELISpot and, when used in combination with tuberculin skin testing, enables rapid exclusion of active infection in patients with moderate to high pretest probability of tuberculosis.

Distinct IFN-γ and IL-2 profiles of Ag-specific CD4+ T cells have recently been associated with different clinical disease states and Ag loads in viral infections. We assessed the kinetics and functional profile of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Ag-specific T cells secreting IFN-γ and IL-2 in 23 patients with untreated active tuberculosis when bacterial and Ag loads are high and after curative treatment, when Ag load is reduced. The frequencies of M. tuberculosis Ag-specific IFN-γ-secreting T cells declined during 28 mo of follow-up with an average percentage decline of 5.8% per year (p = 0.005), while the frequencies of Ag-specific IL-2-secreting T cells increased during treatment (p = 0.02). These contrasting dynamics for the two cytokines led to a progressive convergence of the frequencies of IFN-γ- and IL-2-secreting cells over 28 mo. Simultaneous measurement of IFN-γ and IL-2 secretion at the single-cell level revealed a codominance of IFN-γ-only secreting and IFN-γ/IL-2 dual secreting CD4+ T cells in active disease that shifted to dominance of IFN-γ/IL-2-secreting CD4+ T cells and newly detectable IL-2-only secreting CD4+ T cells during and after treatment. These distinct T cell functional signatures before and after treatment suggest a novel immunological marker of mycobacterial load and clinical status in tuberculosis that now requires validation in larger prospective studies.

Incomplete understanding of mechanisms and clinicopathobiological heterogeneity in asthma hinders research progress. Pathogenic roles for T-helper-type 17 (Th17) cells and invariant T cells implied by murine data have yet to be assessed in man. We aimed to investigate the role of Th17 and mucosal associated invariant T (MAIT) cells in airway inflammation; to characterise associations between diverse clinical and immunological features of asthma; and to identify novel multidimensional asthma endotypes.In this single-centre, cross-sectional observational study in the UK, we assessed volunteers with mild-to-severe asthma and healthy non-atopic controls using clinical and physiological assessment and immunological sampling of blood, induced sputum, endobronchial biopsy, and bronchoalveolar lavage for flow cytometry and multiplex-electrochemiluminescence assays. Primary outcomes were changes in frequencies of Th17 and MAIT cells between health and asthma using Mann-Whitney U tests and the Jonckheere-Terpstra test (linear trend across ranked groups). The study had 80% power to detect 60% differences in T-cell frequencies at p0·05. Bayesian Network Analysis (BNA) was used to explore associations between parameters. Topological Data Analysis (TDA) was used to identify multidimensional endotypes. The study had local research ethics approval. All participants provided informed consent.Participants were 84 male and female volunteers (60 with mild-to-severe asthma and 24 healthy, non-atopic controls) aged 18-70 years recruited from clinics and research cohorts. Th17 cells and γδ17 cells were not associated with asthma, even in severe neutrophilic forms. MAIT-cell frequencies were strikingly reduced in asthma compared with health (median frequency in blood 0·9% of CD3+ cells [IQR 0·3-1·8] in asthma vs 1·6 [1·2-2·6] in health, p=0·005; in sputum 1·1 [0·7-2·0] vs 1·8 [1·6-2·3], p=0·002; and in biopsy samples 1·3 [0·7-2·3] vs 3·9% [1·3-5·3%], p=0·02), especially in severe asthma where BAL regulatory T cells were also reduced compared with those in health (4·4, 3·1-6·1, vs 8·1, 5·6-10; p=0·02). BNA and TDA identified six novel clinicopathobiological clusters of underlying disease mechanisms, with elevated mast cell mediators tryptase (p0·0001), chymase (p=0·02), and carboxypeptidase A3 (p=0·02) in severe asthma.This study suggests that Th17 cells do not have a major pathogenic role in human asthma. We describe a novel deficiency of MAIT cells in severe asthma. We also provide proof of concept for application of TDA to identification of multidimensional clinicopathobiological endotypes. Endotypes will require validation in further cohorts.Wellcome Trust.

T-cell responses during tuberculosis (TB) help contain Mycobacterium tuberculosis in vivo but also cause collateral damage to host tissues. Immune regulatory mechanisms may limit this immunopathology, and suppressed cellular immune responses in patients with TB suggest the presence of regulatory activity. CD4+CD25(high) regulatory T cells mediate suppressed cellular immunity in several chronic infections but have not been described in TB.To determine whether regulatory T cells are increased in patients with TB and whether they suppress cellular immune responses.We compared the frequency of circulating regulatory T cells in 27 untreated patients with TB and 23 healthy control subjects using two specific markers: cell-surface CD25 expression and FoxP3 mRNA expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells.We detected a threefold increase in the frequency of CD4 + CD25(high) T cells (p0.001) and a 2.2-fold increase in FoxP3 expression (p = 0.006) in patients with TB, and there was a positive correlation between these markers (r = 0.58, p0.001). Increased expression of interleukin-10 and transforming growth factor-beta1 mRNA was also detected in patients with TB but did not correlate with regulatory T-cell markers. Ex vivo depletion of CD4 + CD25(high) cells from peripheral blood mononuclear cells resulted in increased numbers of M. tuberculosis antigen-specific IFN-gamma-producing T cells in seven of eight patients with TB (p = 0.005). Finally, FoxP3 expression was increased 2.3-fold in patients with extrapulmonary TB compared with patients with purely pulmonary TB (p = 0.01) and was amplified 2.6-fold at disease sites relative to blood (p = 0.043).Regulatory T cells are expanded in patients with TB and may contribute to suppression of Th1-type immune responses.

(2004). Spinal cord infarction caused by malignant intramedullary glioma: the traps of epidemiology and travel history. British Journal of Neurosurgery: Vol. 18, No. 2, pp. 199-200.

Introduction The background rate of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in low prevalence regions of the UK is unknown. Interferon γ release assays (IGRAs) are sensitive and specific methods for detecting LTBI, and have accurately characterised the epidemiology of LTBI among high risk populations such as recent TB contacts or immigrants. However there are no current data on the incidence of IGRA positivity among the general adult population in the UK. Such data would be valuable for interpreting the significance of a positive IGRA result, and guiding cost-benefit analyses of new diagnostics. Methods A TB outbreak occurred within a rural DGH. 481 individuals were identified as potential contacts and were tested by IGRA (TSpot. TB ). Uniquely, for comparison, we recruited an additional large cohort of age matched controls from the same general wards but with no exposure to the outbreak. Results 456 staff and patients were tested including 148 unexposed age-matched patient controls. Rates of positivity were 22% (95%CI, 14 to 29), 11% (6.1 to 16), 8.8% (4.2 to 13) and 9.5% (3.0 to 22) among exposed patients, exposed staff, unexposed patients and unexposed staff respectively. 8 cases of active TB (identical VNTR profile) and an estimated 35 cases of recently acquired LTBI can be attributed to exposure to the index case, out of 481 contacts. Characteristics of the unexposed controls are in Abstract S40 table 1. IGRA positivity was associated in multivariate analyses with history of previous TB treatment (OR 11, p=0.04) and use of corticosteroids (OR 5.9, p=0.02), but not with age. The age specific prevalences of IGRA positivity were 0 (N/A) for ages Conclusions We observed a surprisingly high background rate of IGRA positivity among an unselected population typical of respiratory and general medical inpatients in a rural DGH. All controls were white-Caucasians, who comprise 92% of the UK population, and may represent a current minimum UK background rate. As rates were highest in the 5th and 6th decade, in the context of ageing populations and increasing iatrogenic immunosuppression, reactivation of LTBI may be a persistent hazard for several decades to come.

Background Background rates of latent tuberculosis infection in low prevalence regions of Britain are unknown. These would be valuable data for interpreting positive IGRA results, and guiding cost-benefit analyses. The management of a large outbreak of tuberculosis occurring in a rural district hospital provided an opportunity to determine the background rates and epidemiology of IGRA-positivity amongst unselected hospital patients in a low-prevalence region of U.K. Methods As part of a public health surveillance project we identified 445 individuals exposed to the index cases for clinical assessment and testing by a TB-specific interferon-γ release assay (IGRA): T-Spot.TB. Uniquely, an additional comparator group of 191 age-matched individuals without specific recent exposure, but with a similar age distribution and demographic, were recruited from the same wards where exposure had previously occurred, to undergo assessment by questionnaire and IGRA. Results Rates of IGRA positivity were 8.7% (95%CI, 4.2-13, n=149) amongst unexposed patients, 9.5%(3.0-22, n=21) amongst unexposed staff, 22%(14–29, n=130) amongst exposed patients, 11%(6.1-16, n=142) amongst exposed staff. Amongst the individuals without history of recent exposure to the outbreak, IGRA-positivity was associated with prior TB treatment (OR11, P.04) and corticosteroid use (OR5.9, P.02). Background age-specific prevalences of IGRA-positivity amongst unexposed individuals were: age Conclusions Background rates of IGRA-positivity remain high amongst unselected white-Caucasian hospital inpatients in U.K. These data will aid interpretation of future outbreak studies. As rates peak in the 5th and 6th decade, given an ageing population and increasing iatrogenic immunosuppression, reactivation of LTBI may be a persistent hazard in this population for several decades to come.