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Vitamin D deficiency is common in children with asthma, and it associates with poor asthma control, reduced forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV 1 ) and increased requirement for inhaled corticosteroids (ICS). Cross-sectional studies investigating the prevalence, determinants and clinical correlates of vitamin D deficiency in adults with asthma are lacking. We conducted a multi-centre cross-sectional study in 297 adults with a medical record diagnosis of ICS-treated asthma living in London, UK. Details of potential environmental determinants of vitamin D status, asthma control and medication use were collected by questionnaire; blood samples were taken for analysis of serum 25(OH)D concentration and DNA extraction, and participants underwent measurement of weight, height and fractional exhaled nitric oxide concentration (FeNO), spirometry and sputum induction for determination of lower airway eosinophil counts (n=35 sub-group). Thirty-five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in 11 vitamin D pathway genes (DBP, DHCR7, RXRA, CYP2R1, CYP27B1, CYP24A1, CYP3A4 CYP27A1, LRP2, CUBN, VDR) were typed using Taqman allelic discrimination assays. Linear regression was used to identify environmental and genetic factors independently associated with serum 25(OH)D concentration, and to determine whether vitamin D status was independently associated with Asthma Control Test (ACT) score, ICS dose, FeNO, forced vital capacity (FVC), FEV 1 or lower airway eosinophilia. Mean serum 25(OH)D concentration was 50.6nmol/L (SD 24.9); 162/297 (54.5%) participants were vitamin D deficient (serum 25(OH)D concentration <50nmol/L). Lower vitamin D status was associated with higher body mass index (P=0.014), non-White ethnicity (P=0.036), unemployment (P for trend=0.012), lack of vitamin D supplement use (P<0.001), sampling in Winter or Spring (P for trend <0.001) and lack of a recent sunny holiday abroad (P=0.030), but not with potential genetic determinants. Vitamin D status was not found to associate with any marker of asthma control investigated. Vitamin D deficiency is common among UK adults with ICS-treated asthma, and classical environmental determinants of serum 25(OH)D operate in this population. However, in contrast to studies conducted in children, we found no association between vitamin D status and markers of asthma severity or control., (Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Vitamin D deficiency is common in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), yet a comprehensive analysis of environmental and genetic determinants of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) concentration in patients with this condition is lacking. We conducted a multi-centre cross-sectional study in 278 COPD patients aged 41-92 years in London, UK. Details of potential environmental determinants of vitamin D status and COPD symptom control and severity were collected by questionnaire, and blood samples were taken for analysis of serum 25(OH)D concentration and DNA extraction. All participants performed spirometry and underwent measurement of weight and height. Quadriceps muscle strength (QS) was measured in 134 participants, and sputum induction with enumeration of lower airway eosinophil and neutrophil counts was performed for 44 participants. Thirty-seven single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in 11 genes in the vitamin D pathway (DBP, DHCR7, CYP2R1, CYP27B1, CYP24A1, CYP27A1, CYP3A4, LRP2, CUBN, RXRA, and VDR) were typed using Taqman allelic discrimination assays. Linear regression was used to identify environmental and genetic factors independently associated with serum 25(OH)D concentration and to determine whether vitamin D status or genetic factors independently associated with % predicted forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV 1 ), % predicted forced vital capacity (FVC), the ratio of FEV 1 to FVC (FEV 1 :FVC), daily inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) dose, respiratory quality of life (QoL), QS, and the percentage of eosinophils and neutrophils in induced sputum. Mean serum 25(OH)D concentration was 45.4nmol/L (SD 25.3); 171/278 (61.5%) participants were vitamin D deficient (serum 25[OH]D concentration <50nmol/L). Lower vitamin D status was independently associated with higher body mass index (P=0.001), lower socio-economic position (P=0.037), lack of vitamin D supplement consumption (P<0.001), sampling in Winter or Spring (P for trend=0.006) and lack of a recent sunny holiday (P=0.002). Vitamin D deficiency associated with reduced % predicted FEV 1 (P for trend=0.060) and % predicted FVC (P for trend=0.003), but it did not associate with FEV 1 :FVC, ICS dose, QoL, QS, or the percentage of eosinophils or neutrophils in induced sputum. After correction for multiple comparisons testing, genetic variation in the vitamin D pathway was not found to associate with serum 25(OH)D concentration or clinical correlates of COPD severity. Vitamin D deficiency was common in this group of COPD patients in the UK, and it associated independently with reduced % predicted FEV1 and FVC. However, genetic variation in the vitamin D pathway was not associated with vitamin D status or severity of COPD., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Omalizumab therapy of non-atopic asthmatics reduces bronchial mucosal IgE and inflammation and preserves/improves lung function when disease is destabilised by staged withdrawal of therapy.18 symptomatic, non-atopic asthmatics were randomised (1:1) to receive omalizumab or identical placebo treatment in addition to existing therapy for 20 weeks. Bronchial biopsies were collected before and after 12-14 weeks of treatment, then the patients destabilised by substantial, supervised reduction of their regular therapy. Primary outcome measures were changes in bronchial mucosal IgE + cells at 12-14 weeks, prior to regular therapy reduction, and changes in lung function (forced expiratory volume in 1 s) after destabilisation at 20 weeks. Quality of life was also monitored.Omalizumab but not placebo therapy significantly reduced median total bronchial mucosal IgE + cells (p<0.01) but did not significantly alter median total mast cells, plasma cells, B lymphocytes, eosinophils and plasmablasts, although the latter were difficult to enumerate, being distributed as disperse clusters. By 20 weeks, lung function declined in the placebo-treated patients but improved in the omalizumab treated patients, with significant differences in absolute (p=0.04) and % predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 s (p=0.015).Omalizumab therapy of non-atopic asthmatics reduces bronchial mucosal IgE + mast cells and improves lung function despite withdrawal of conventional therapy., (Copyright ©ERS 2016.)

Rationale: Asthma exacerbations are commonly precipitated by viral upper respiratory infections (URIs). Vitamin D insufficiency associates with susceptibility to URI in patients with asthma. Trials of vitamin D in adults with asthma with incidence of exacerbation and URI as primary outcome are lacking., Objective: To conduct a randomised controlled trial of vitamin D3 supplementation for the prevention of asthma exacerbation and URI (coprimary outcomes)., Measurements and Methods: 250 adults with asthma in London, UK were allocated to receive six 2-monthly oral doses of 3 mg vitamin D3 (n=125) or placebo (n=125) over 1 year. Secondary outcomes included asthma control test and St George's Respiratory Questionnaire scores, fractional exhaled nitric oxide and concentrations of inflammatory markers in induced sputum. Subgroup analyses were performed to determine whether effects of supplementation were modified by baseline vitamin D status or genotype for 34 single nucleotide polymorphisms in 11 vitamin D pathway genes., Main Results: 206/250 participants (82%) were vitamin D insufficient at baseline. Vitamin D3 did not influence time to first severe exacerbation (adjusted HR 1.02, 95% CI 0.69 to 1.53, p=0.91) or first URI (adjusted HR 0.87, 95% CI 0.64 to 1.16, p=0.34). No clinically important effect of vitamin D3 was seen on any of the secondary outcomes listed above. The influence of vitamin D3 on coprimary outcomes was not modified by baseline vitamin D status or genotype., Conclusions: Bolus-dose vitamin D3 supplementation did not influence time to exacerbation or URI in a population of adults with asthma with a high prevalence of baseline vitamin D insufficiency., Trial Registration Number: NCT00978315 (ClinicalTrials.gov)., (Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.)

Background: Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) often have vitamin D deficiency, which is associated with increased susceptibility to upper respiratory infection-a major precipitant of exacerbation. Multicentre trials of vitamin D supplementation for prevention of exacerbation and upper respiratory infection in patients with COPD are lacking. We therefore investigated whether vitamin D3 (colecalciferol) supplementation would reduce the incidence of moderate or severe COPD exacerbations and upper respiratory infections., Methods: We did a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of vitamin D3 supplementation in adults with COPD in 60 general practices and four Acute National Health Service Trust clinics in London, UK. Patients were allocated to receive six 2-monthly oral doses of 3 mg vitamin D3 or placebo over 1 year in a 1:1 ratio using computer-generated permuted block randomisation. Participants and study staff were masked to treatment assignment. Coprimary outcomes were time to first moderate or severe exacerbation and first upper respiratory infection. Analysis was by intention to treat. A prespecified subgroup analysis was done to assess whether effects of the intervention on the coprimary outcomes were modified by baseline vitamin D status. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00977873., Findings: 240 patients were randomly allocated to the vitamin D3 group (n=122) and placebo group (n=118). Vitamin D3 compared with placebo did not affect time to first moderate or severe exacerbation (adjusted hazard ratio 0·86, 95% CI 0·60-1·24, p=0·42) or time to first upper respiratory infection (0·95, 0·69-1·31, p=0·75). Prespecified subgroup analysis showed that vitamin D3 was protective against moderate or severe exacerbation in participants with baseline serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations of less than 50 nmol/L (0·57, 0·35-0·92, p=0·021), but not in those with baseline 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels of at least 50 nmol/L (1·45, 0·81-2·62, p=0·21; p=0·021 for interaction between allocation and baseline serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D status). Baseline vitamin D status did not modify the effect of the intervention on risk of upper respiratory infection (pinteraction=0·41)., Interpretation: Vitamin D3 supplementation protected against moderate or severe exacerbation, but not upper respiratory infection, in patients with COPD with baseline 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels of less than 50 nmol/L. Our findings suggest that correction of vitamin D deficiency in patients with COPD reduces the risk of moderate or severe exacerbation., Funding: UK National Institute for Health Research., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A Caucasian woman in her late 20s was referred to the allergy/chest clinic by her general practitioner with an 8-month history of recurrent facial angio-oedema. She had no history of urticaria or airways symptoms and denied any similar problems previously. She had no family history of similar illness and was not on any regular medications. There was no history of atopy. Initially, a clinical diagnosis of idiopathic angio-oedema was made. Despite being treated with several antihistamines with doses equivalent to 40 mg of cetirizine/day, her problem had failed to respond satisfactorily. Later on, she also revealed history of intermittent gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain and diarrhoea. Routine investigations were unremarkable. The patient was referred to a dermatology clinic and a diagnosis of orofacial granulomatosis was suggested: a rare granulomatous disease presenting with lip enlargement, which may or may not be associated with Crohn's disease. A biopsy of the oral mucosa was consistent with this diagnosis., (2014 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.)

There is little data about the use of different oxygen sources during assessment for long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) and how this impacts upon blood oxygen tensions and prescribed flow rates. Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), n=30, had assessments for LTOT using both an oxygen-concentrator and piped hospital oxygen (wall-oxygen) as supply sources. In addition, a random survey of 64 hospitals was conducted to determine what source of oxygen supply was used during assessments. Wall-oxygen was used by 89% of hospitals to perform assessments. During assessments, the median oxygen flow required to achieve an arterial oxygen tension (Pa,O2) >8 kPa was significantly greater for an oxygen-concentrator than for wall-oxygen, with a median difference (range) in flow of 1 (0-3) L. This difference was most likely in those with an forced expiratory volume <30% of predicted. At an oxygen flow of 1 L.min(-1), the mean P(a,O2) using an oxygen-concentrator was significantly lower than that of the wall-oxygen value, with a difference of 1.32+/-1.19 kPa (mean+/-SD). The common practice of using wall-oxygen to perform assessments significantly underestimates the required oxygen-concentrator flow rate. This may have implications for the long-term effect of domiciliary oxygen therapy.