{
  "abstract": "Background Benralizumab improves outcomes in severe eosinophilic asthma (SEA). We aimed to evaluate early effects of benralizumab on airway pathophysiology using functional respiratory imaging (FRI).Methods In this prospective, single-arm study, 20 adults with SEA underwent CT at baseline, 4 and 12 weeks. Coprimary endpoints were changes in specific airway volume (siVaw) and resistance (siRaw) at functional residual capacity (FRC) and total lung capacity (TLC) at 12 weeks. Imaging outcomes included mucus score/volume and air-trapping.Results At week 12, siVaw increased at FRC by 0.16 mL/L (27%; 95% CI 0.01% to 0.31%; p = 0.02) and at TLC by 0.14 mL/L (14%; 95% CI 0.03% to 0.25%; p = 0.02); siRaw at TLC decreased by −0.41 kPa·s/L (−24%; 95% CI −0.80% to −0.01%; p = 0.04). siRaw at FRC increased (2.99 kPa·s/L; 95% CI −4.57 to 10.54; p=0.42), with a significant relative change (293%; p=0.03) that lost significance after excluding outliers. siVaw at FRC increased early (week 4: 0.19 mL/L; 33%; 95% CI 0.03% to 0.34%; p = 0.01). At week 12, the mucus score decreased by 0.41 (95% CI −0.67 to −0.14; p<0.01), and air-trapping by 5.5% (95% CI −8.8 to −2.1; p < 0.01). Changes in siVaw and mucus correlated with improvements in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (r = 0.66 and −0.77; both p<0.01) and Saint George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (mucus: r = 0.45; p = 0.05).Conclusions Benralizumab treatment in SEA was associated with early improvements in airway volume, resistance, mucus and air-trapping, correlating with better lung function and quality of life. These findings support FRI to monitor early treatment effects.Trial registration number NL-OMON26915.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Institute of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands",
        "Department of Respiratory Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Centre+, Maastricht, The Netherlands"
      ],
      "name": "Lennart Conemans"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Institute of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands",
        "Department of Respiratory Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Centre+, Maastricht, The Netherlands"
      ],
      "name": "Qichen Deng"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Institute of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands",
        "Department of Respiratory Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Centre+, Maastricht, The Netherlands"
      ],
      "name": "Sami O Simons"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Institute of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands",
        "Department of Respiratory Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Centre+, Maastricht, The Netherlands"
      ],
      "name": "Frits M E Franssen"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Institute of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands",
        "Department of Research and Development, CIRO, Horn, The Netherlands"
      ],
      "name": "Martijn A Spruit"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Pulmonology, St Jansdal Hospital, Harderwijk, The Netherlands"
      ],
      "name": "Bita Hajian"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Functional respiratory imaging reveals early structural and functional airway responses to benralizumab in severe eosinophilic asthma",
  "uid": "aee7bad6-84b1-5e4e-ada6-a56ae5db2cfd"
}