Criteria for progressive fibrotic hypersensitivity pneumonitis in a Portuguese patient cohort

Abstract


 
 
 
 Background. Hypersensitivity pneumonitis is a syndrome caused by sensitisation to inhaled antigens that leads to an abnormal immune response in the airways and lung parenchyma. Some patients previously diagnosed with certain types of fibrotic interstitial lung diseases, including fibrotic HP, are susceptible to develop a progressive fibrosing phenotype, despite initial state- of-the-art management.
 Objectives. To characterise a cohort of patients with a multidisciplinary diagnosis of chronic f-HP, who were followed up in an ILD outpatient clinic of a hospital in Portugal, and to assess the prevalence of PF-ILD criteria in these patients.Methods. Data were collected from all patients with a definite or provisional diagnosis of f-HP after a multidisciplinary team discussion. Patients were followed up between December 2014 and July 2019. Data included clinical characteristics, high-resolution chest tomography disease patterns, lung function tests, bronchoalveolar lavage and further immunological work-up, biopsy reports, all ILD multidisciplinary team records and diagnostic confidence levels. Patients were assessed according to PF-ILD criteria as defined in the INBUILD trial.
 Results. We identified 83 patients with an MTD of HP, who had been followed up for at least 12 months. Of these, 63 (75.9%) were diagnosed with f-HP. Of the 63 f-HP patients, 33.3% (n=21) fulfilled the predefined criteria for PF-HP: 66.7% had a relative decline of ≥10% forced vital capacity; 5% a relative decline of 5 - 9% FVC, with worsening symptoms or increased fibrosis on HRCT; and 23.8% had worsening respiratory symptoms with radiological progression.
 Conclusion. This single-centre cohort study demonstrated that a third of f-HP patients presented with PF-ILD, as determined by progression during initial standard-of-care treatment. A usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP)/UIP-like pattern was present in >70% of patients with f-HP, and two-thirds of these patients had an FVC decline of ≥10%. 
 
 
 

Diagnostic Approach to Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis: A Report of Two Cases

“…Based on the current study data, this group of patients can be considered viable candidates for anti-vibration therapy with a reasonable prospect of efficacy. Further efforts should focus on improving the longitudinal behavioral knowledge of multicenter groups of f-HP patients, establishing consistent definitions of progression for use in clinical practice, and developing prognostic tools to better inform (earlier) disease progression [ 7 ].…”

The Unveiled Triad: Clinical, Radiological and Pathological Insights into Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis

“…Disease susceptibility is regulated by host-related factors, including genetic variations influencing immune response, as well as antigen properties and exposure-related factors. A cluster of patients with fibrotic ILDs, particularly those with FHP and those with CTD-ILDs, show a susceptibility to developing a progressive fibrosing phenotype despite proper therapeutic management: "Progressive Pulmonary Fibrosis" (PPF-ILD) [24,25]. Literature data estimate that approximately 18-32% of patients diagnosed with non-idiopathic fibrotic ILD (non-IPF) may progress towards a progressive phenotype with unfavorable outcomes [26].…”

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis: An infrequent cause of chronic lung fibrosis in Africa?

“…In this issue of AJTCCM, Seixas et al [5] report the findings of a cross-sectional retrospective study of outpatients with chronic fibrotic hypersensitivity pneumonitis (f-HP) attending a district ILD clinic in Portugal. All patients were assessed by a multidisciplinary team and were followed up for a minimum of 1 year.…”