Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39687397›Full record

ArticleERJ open research2024

The effect of triple CFTR modulator therapy and azithromycin on ion channels and inflammation in cystic fibrosis.

Suhad Bani Melhim, Lisa E J Douglas, James A Reihill, Damian G Downey, S Lorraine Martin

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in ERJ open research, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Evaluation of ATP12A and NFKBIZ as potential markers of inflammatory status in cystic fibrosis airway epithelial cells.Inflammation research : official journal of the European Histamine Research Society ... [et al.] · 2026
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Suhad Bani MelhimSchool of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0939-3413
Lisa E J DouglasSchool of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9248-5409
James A ReihillSchool of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8599-5198
Damian G DowneyWellcome-Wolfson Institute of Experimental Medicine, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Science, Queen's University Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK.
S Lorraine MartinSchool of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1923-0610

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Inflammation in cystic fibrosis (CF) airways is difficult to treat with well-established regimens often including azithromycin (AZ) as an immunomodulatory drug. As AZ has been reported to require CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) to be able to reduce interleukin (IL)-8 and given the emergence of highly effective CFTR "triple" modulator therapy (elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor; ETI), the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of AZ and ETI, singly and in combination, on ion channel activity and to assess the potential anti-inflammatory effects. Methods: Electrophysiological assessment of ETI and AZ was performed on three-dimensional cultures of primary CF human bronchial epithelial (HBE) cells using a Multi Trans-Epithelial Current Clamp. IL-8 from NuLi-1 (non-CF) and CuFi-1 (CF) cells treated with AZ was measured by ELISA. Inflammatory mediators from primary CF HBE cells exposed to tumour necrosis factor-α in the presence of AZ, ETI and their combination, were screened using the Proteome Profiler™ Human Cytokine Array Kit, with selected targets validated by ELISA. Results: AZ did not alter CFTR chloride efflux, nor did it have any synergistic/antagonistic effect in combination with ETI. AZ reduced IL-8 in NuLi-1 but not CuFi-1 cells. The Proteome Profiler™ screen identified several disease-relevant cytokines that were modulated by treatment. Subsequent analysis by ELISA showed IL-8, IL-6, CXCL1 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor to be significantly reduced by treatment with ETI, but not by AZ. Conclusions: Incorporating ETI into the standard of CF care provides an opportunity to re-evaluate therapeutic regimens to reduce treatment burden and safely discontinue chronic treatments such as AZ, without loss of clinical benefit. Identification of redundant treatments in the era of CFTR modulation may improve medication adherence and overcome potential adverse effects associated with the chronic use AZ and other drugs.

Identifiers

PMID39687397
PMCPMC11647873

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.