Publications by authors named "Claudia Crimi"

Introduction: Flexible bronchoscopy (FB) is widely used for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in pulmonary medicine. However, FB can cause respiratory and haemodynamic complications, especially in patients with pre-existing lung and/or cardiovascular comorbidities. Despite the range of oxygenation and ventilatory approaches available to prevent these risks, evidence regarding their real-world application and clinical impact is limited.

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Background: Tezepelumab is a fully human monoclonal antibody which specifically binds to thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), thus effectively inhibiting its pleiotropic pathogenic actions. Tezepelumab has been licensed for add-on biologic therapy of severe asthma, regardless of biomarker levels or phenotype expression.

Objective: The aim of this real-life, retrospective, single-centre investigation has been to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of tezepelumab in different phenotypes of severe asthma.

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Background: With the increasing prevalence of patients on home mechanical ventilation (HMV), changing indications, shortage of hospital resources, and rapidly evolving technology, there is an urgent need for evaluating the added value of telemedicine in initiation and follow-up of HMV. This European Respiratory Society (ERS) clinical practice guideline provides evidence-based recommendations on the use of telemedicine in HMV.

Methods: The ERS Task Force consisted of 20 members, including a patient representative and her caregiver.

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Background: Inhaled steroids dose reduction is a relevant goal in severe asthma management.

Research Question: We aimed to investigate ICS use trajectories and their clinical impact in severe asthma patients on benralizumab over 36 months.

Study Design And Methods: We conducted a retrospective real-life observational study including clinical and inflammatory parameters.

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Background: Following the results of the MANDARA trial, this real-life study aimed at comparing the effectiveness and safety profile of mepolizumab versus benralizumab in a European EGPA cohort.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational comparative study including EGPA patients, who received mepolizumab or benralizumab at the asthma dose. Patients were matched 1:1 by sex, age, BVAS and oral corticosteroid (OCS) dosage at the treatment initiation (T0).

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Background: A transient and usually asymptomatic increase in blood eosinophil count (BEC) associated with dupilumab treatment has been described. Predicting factors related to the increase in BEC and the occurrence of symptoms are still poorly investigated.

Objective: To investigate frequency, timing, duration, clinical relevance, and potential predictors of the increase in BEC in a real-life multicenter cohort of patients affected by asthma and/or chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) treated with dupilumab.

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Introduction: Benralizumab, a monoclonal IgG antibody, has emerged as a key therapeutic agent in severe asthma by specifically targeting eosinophils, pivotal cells that drive inflammation and tissue damage. Over the past two decades, the availability of such targeted therapies has allowed patients to achieve better disease control. Real-world evidence has consistently demonstrated the effectiveness of benralizumab in managing severe asthma.

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Depemokimab, the first ultra-long-acting anti-IL-5 monoclonal antibody, significantly reduced exacerbation rates in patients with severe eosinophilic asthma when administered biannually. While it offers potential benefits for patient adherence and convenience, the trials showed no improvement in symptoms and lung function. Further research is needed to determine its optimal place in therapy and identify patients who will benefit the most.

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Background: Inhaled drug therapy is an essential treatment in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) patients as it reduces symptoms, exacerbation rate and mortality risk. Errors in inhaler use can affect drug delivery to the lungs and minimize treatment benefits. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of a nurse-lead educational intervention on inhaler use in a group of patients with COPD during a Respiratory Rehabilitation Program.

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: High-flow nasal therapy (HFNT) has been shown to reduce exacerbations of COPD and some evidence displays benefits in non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (NCFB) patients. The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of 12 months of home HFNT on the annual exacerbation rate between mild/moderate and severe NCFB patients, classified by the bronchiectasis severity index (BSI). Secondary outcomes were the evaluation of the dyspnea, pulmonary function, and sputum cultures in both groups.

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Article Synopsis
  • - This study found two types of patients with severe eosinophilic asthma who respond differently to the medication mepolizumab.
  • - Patients with a family history of asthma, positive skin tests, and higher lung function showed better responses to treatment.
  • - The findings emphasize the importance of tailoring treatment plans to individual patient characteristics for improved outcomes.
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Bronchiectasis (BE) has been traditionally associated with neutrophilic inflammation, but eosinophilic bronchiectasis (EB) has recently emerged. Data about prevalence, clinical features, and disease severity are lacking. This study aimed to assess the EB prevalence, compare EB with non-EB, evaluate the Type-2 (T2) high endotype in BE (T2-high EB) versus non-T2-high EB, and identify EB predictors.

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Background: Biological therapies, such as mepolizumab, have transformed the treatment of severe eosinophilic asthma. Although mepolizumab's short-term effectiveness is established, there is limited evidence on its ability to achieve long-term clinical remission.

Objective: To evaluate the long-term effectiveness and safety of mepolizumab, explore its potential to induce clinical and sustained remission, and identify baseline factors associated with the likelihood of achieving remission over 24 months.

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Background: Asthma is a common chronic respiratory disease affecting 1-29% of the population in different countries. Exacerbations represent a change in symptoms and lung function from the patient's usual condition that requires emergency department (ED) admission. Recently, the use of a High-Flow Nasal Cannula (HFNC) plus an in-line vibrating mesh nebulizer (VMN) for aerosol drug delivery has been advocated in clinical practice.

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Introduction: Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) frequently have cardiovascular comorbidities, increasing the risk of hospitalised COPD exacerbations (H-ECOPDs) or death. This pragmatic study examined the effects of adding an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) to long-acting bronchodilator(s) (LABDs) in patients with COPD and cardiac comorbidities who had a recent H-ECOPD.

Methods: Patients >60 years of age with COPD and ≥1 cardiac comorbidity, within 6 months after discharge following an H-ECOPD, were randomised to receive LABD(s) with or without ICS, and were followed for 1 year.

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Background: High-flow nasal therapy is widely used in patients with respiratory failure in different clinical settings, but the effect of high-flow nasal therapy on respiratory-swallow coordination is unknown. Understanding this relationship is crucial, considering the necessity for patients to maintain adequate nutrition during daytime high-flow nasal therapy. This scoping review aims to synthesise available data on the effects of high-flow nasal therapy flow rates on swallowing function and the possible risk of aspiration during treatment, focusing on knowledge and evidence gaps.

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Background And Objective: Several randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have shown that benralizumab is characterized by a good profile of efficacy and safety, thereby being potentially able to elicit clinical remission on-treatment of severe eosinophilic asthma (SEA). The main goal of this multicentre observational study was to verify the effectiveness of benralizumab in inducing a sustained remission on-treatment of SEA in patients with or without comorbid chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP).

Methods: Throughout 2 years of treatment with benralizumab, a four-component evaluation of sustained remission of SEA was performed, including the assessment of SEA exacerbations, use of oral corticosteroids (OCSs), symptom control and lung function.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Benralizumab effectively manages severe eosinophilic asthma (SEA), showing a significant 89% reduction in exacerbation rates and a 440 mL increase in forced expiratory volume (FEV) over 36 months in a study of 108 Italian patients.
  • - The treatment led to notable improvements in asthma control and sinonasal symptoms for patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis, with 84.31% achieving partial or complete clinical remission.
  • - Results indicate benralizumab may act as a long-term disease-modifying drug for SEA, with most patients able to reduce or stop their oral corticosteroids, but further research is needed to evaluate its long-term safety and effectiveness.
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