Editorial
The BEAT-PCD (Better Experimental Approaches to Treat Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia) Clinical Research Collaboration
Myrofora Goutaki, Suzanne Crowley, Eleonora Dehlink, René Gaupmann, Katie L Horton, Panayiotis Kouis, Yin Ting Lam, Niki T Loges, Jane S Lucas, Jobst F Roehmel, Amelia Shoemark, BEAT-PCD Clinical Research Collaboration
This editorial, published in the European Respiratory Journal features the new BEAT-PCD Clinical Research Collaboration supported by the European Respiratory Society. The editorial provides an overview of the BEAT-PCD network and summarizes its main objectives and planned actions.
BEAT-PCD ERS CRC aims to showcase all PCD related research, published from members of the network. To acknowledge the participation to BEAT-PCD, authors are invited to include the following statement in the declarations section of their manuscript:
“Study authors and data contributors participate in the BEAT-PCD clinical research collaboration, supported by the European Respiratory Society.”
Featured publications
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Using data from the Living with PCD study, the authors quantified a high risk of infertility in women and men with primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), showed the utility and efficacy of fertility treatments in PCD and - for the first time - the increased risk of ectopic pregnancy among women with PCD. Close monitoring and support from fertility specialists may be required to increase the chances of successful conception for adults with PCD.
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Using EPIC-PCD data, we studied associations of several reported ENT symptoms and chronic rhinosinusitis (defined using patient-reported information and examination findings) with reported sputum production and shortness of breath. Reported upper airway symptoms and signs of chronic rhinosinusitis associated with reported pulmonary symptoms, but not with lung function. Our results emphasise the assessment and management of upper and lower respiratory disease as a common, interdependent entity among patients with PCD. Lam YT, Papon J-F, Alexandru M, et al. Association between upper and lower respiratory disease among patients with primary ciliary dyskinesia: an international study. ERJ Open Res 2024; 10: 00932-2023 [DOI: 10.1183/23120541.00932-2023].
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This manuscript has recently been accepted for publication in the ERJ Open Research. A multidisciplinary international PCD expert panel was set up to list reliable and clinically appropriate outcome measures for clinical trials based on published literature. This expert consensus resulted in a Core Outcome Set (COS) for clinical trials on pulmonary health among people with primary ciliary dyskinesia.
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Using questionnaire data from the COVID-PCD study, the study team described fertility care in PCD involving 384 participants. Findings reveal that only half of adult participants received care from fertility specialists, with a median age of 30, often years after PCD diagnosis. The study suggests the need for standardized fertility care in routine PCD management, emphasizing early provision of fertility information by PCD physicians.
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The aim of this study was to identify ear and upper airway outcome measures that could be used for longitudinal follow-up of individuals with PCD. There is a lack of data and a high heterogeneity in definitions and measures of ENT outcomes in PCD. Based on suggestions from this scoping review, future PCD research should homogenise ENT outcome definitions to improve follow-up and treatments.
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In this cross-sectional study, many people with PCD experienced ear problems, yet frequency varied, highlighting disease expression differences and possible clinical phenotypes. Understanding differences in otologic disease expression and progression during lifetime may inform clinical decisions about follow-up and medical care. Multidisciplinary PCD management should be recommended, including regular otologic assessments for all ages, even without specific complaints.
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Using baseline data from the Ear, nose and throat (ENT) Prospective International Cohort of PCD patients, the EPIC-PCD team describe sinonasal disease in PCD. Based on their findings, regular sinonasal examinations are relevant for patients with PCD of all ages. There is a need for improved management of sinonasal disease supported by evidence-based guidelines.
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The European Respiratory Society (ERS) technical standard titled “Nasal nitric oxide measurement in children for the diagnosis of primary ciliary dyskinesia” was developed by an international and multidisciplinary ERS Task Force as the first step towards standardising sampling, analysis, and reporting of nasal Nitric Oxide (nNO) measured as part of the diagnostic testing for Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia in all age groups including preschool-age children.
The technical standard relied on evidence collected through a systematic literature review and considered chemiluminescence and electrochemical analysers that are in use worldwide. It includes considerations for devices and consumables, calibration, maintenance requirements and environmental nitric oxide, as well as considerations for personnel training, patient preparation, standard operating procedures (SOP) for nNO measurement and reporting and interpretation of results. In addition, the technical standard highlights the main gaps in our current knowledge, primarily regarding the use of electrochemical analysers, and the role of nNO measurements in the diagnostic work-up of PCD in pre-school children and presents potential directions for future research.
The technical standard is expected to facilitate standardization of nNO measurement for PCD diagnosis internationally.
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In this editorial, authors shows that PCD as a cause of bronchiectasis has a higher prevalence than previously thought. The diagnostic process will need to be adapted to the ongoing research. The treatment of PCD and bronchiectasis is exclusively symptomatic but with new studies for personalised and disease specific treatment, this will hopefully change in the future making treatment more effective
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Airway ciliary function analysis underpins PCD diagnostics and ex vivo/in vitro mucociliary clearance studies. It is an important measure of airway culture model integrity in health and after microbial/viral infections or airway drug therapies.
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Disease-specific, well-defined and validated clinical outcome measures are essential in designing research studies. Poorly defined outcome measures hamper pooling of data and comparisons between studies. Authors aimed to identify and describe pulmonary outcome measures that could be used for follow-up of patients with primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD). This review highlights the need for standardisation of measurements and reporting of outcome measures to enable comparisons between studies. Defining a core set of clinical outcome measures is necessary to ensure reproducibility of results and for use in future trials and prospective cohorts.
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The BEAT-PCD TEM consensus statement was published in the European Respiratory Journal in April this year. This is an internationally agreed ultrastructural classification for PCD diagnosis by transmission electron microscopy. The consensus statement was developed through the BEAT-PCD network by specialists from 21 centers across 14 different countries.
The BEAT-PCD consensus provides guidance on agreed terminology and a definition of Class 1 defects which are diagnostic for PCD (outer dynein arm, inner and outer dynein arm and microtubular disorganization plus inner dynein arm defects). In addition the consensus identifies Class 2 defects which are indicative of a PCD diagnosis in combination with other supporting evidence, for example central complex defects. The consensus also defines the features which should be included in a ciliary ultrastructure report to assist multidisciplinary diagnosis of PCD along with the adequacy of a diagnostic sample.
This consensus statement is expected to facilitate standardization of diagnosis & research internationally.
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The manuscript describes in detail the first steps of the protocol and the resulting version 1.0 of FOLLOW-UP in English. In addition, it explains the next planned steps. FOLLOW-PCD is a standardised clinical PCD form and patient questionnaire, developped in the framework of the BEAT-PCD COST Action by a multidisciplenary group of experts. Data collected in FOLLOW-PCD version 1.0 is available in real-time for national and international monitoring and research. The form will be adapted in the future after extensive piloting in different settings and we encourage the translation of the patient questionnaires to multiple languages. FOLLOW-PCD will facilitate quality research based on prospective standardised data from routine care, which can be pooled between centres, to provide first-line and real-time evidence for clinical decision-making.
Publications from the BEAT-PCD CRC network
2024
Schreck LD, Pedersen ESL, Dexter K, Manion M, Living with PCD Study Advisory Group, Massin N, Maitre B, Goutaki M, Kuehni CE, Infertility and pregnancy outcomes among adults with primary ciliary dyskinesia, Human Reproduction Open, Volume 2024, Issue 3, 2024, hoae039, https://doi.org/10.1093/hropen/hoae039
Schreck LD, Pedersen ESL, Cizeau I, Müller L, Kruljac C, Lucas JS, et al. (2023) Diagnostic testing in people with primary ciliary dyskinesia: An international participatory study. PLOS Glob Public Health 3(9): e0001522. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0001522
Goutaki M, Lam YT, Rubbo B, Chalmers JD, Kouis P, Marsh G, Papon JF, Raidt J, Robinson P, Behan L, Lucas JS. Priorities and barriers for research related to primary ciliary dyskinesia medRxiv 2024.01.08.24300986; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.01.08.24300986
Kos R, Goutaki M, Kobbernagel HE, Rubbo B, Shoemark A, Aliberti S, Altenburg J, Anagnostopoulou P, Athanazio RA, Beydon N, Dell SD, Emiralioglu N, Ferkol TW, Loebinger MR, Lorent N, Maître B, Marthin J, Morgan LC, Nielsen KG, Ringshausen FC, Shteinberg M, Tiddens HAWM, Maitland-Van der Zee AH, Chalmers JD, Lucas JSA, Haarman EG. A BEAT-PCD consensus statement: a core outcome set for pulmonary disease interventions in primary ciliary dyskinesia. ERJ Open Res. 2024 Jan 8;10(1):00115-2023. doi: 10.1183/23120541.00115-2023. PMID: 38196895; PMCID: PMC10772902.
2023
Schreck LD, Goutaki M, Jörger P, Dexter K, Manion M, Christin-Maitre S, Maitre B; COVID-PCD Patient Advisory Group; Kuehni CE, Pedersen ESL. Fertility care among people with primary ciliary dyskinesia. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2024 Feb;59(2):281-290.
Alexandru M, Veil R, Rubbo B, Goutaki M, Kim S, Lam YT, Nevoux J, Lucas JS, Papon JF. Ear and upper airway clinical outcome measures for use in primary ciliary dyskinesia research: a scoping review. Eur Respir Rev. 2023 Jul 12;32(169):220200. doi: 10.1183/16000617.0200-2022. PMID: 37437912; PMCID: PMC10336562.
Goutaki M, Lam YT, Alexandru M, Anagiotos A, Armengot M, Boon M, Burgess A, Caversaccio N, Crowley S, Dheyauldeen SAD, Emiralioglu N, Erdem E, van Gogh C, Gunaydin O, Haarman EG, Harris A, Hayn I, Ismail-Koch H, Karadag B, Kempeneers C, Kim S, Lorent N, Ozcelik U, Pioch C, Poirrier AML, Reula A, Roehmel J, Yiallouros P, Yumusakhuylu AC, Papon JF. Characteristics of Otologic Disease Among Patients With Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia. JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2023 Jul 1;149(7):587-596. doi: 10.1001/jamaoto.2023.0841. PMID: 37166807; PMCID: PMC10176184.
Lam YT, Papon JF, Alexandru M, Anagiotos A, Armengot M, Boon M, Burgess A, Crowley S, Dheyauldeen SAD, Emiralioglu N, Erdem Eralp E, van Gogh C, Gokdemir Y, Gunaydın O, Haarman EG, Harris A, Hayn I, Ismail-Koch H, Karadag B, Kempeneers C, Kim S, Latzin P, Lorent N, Ozcelik U, Pioch C, Poirrier AML, Reula A, Roehmel J, Yiallouros P; EPIC-PCD team; Goutaki M; EPIC-PCD team:. Sinonasal disease among patients with primary ciliary dyskinesia: an international study. ERJ Open Res. 2023 May 22;9(3):00701-2022. doi: 10.1183/23120541.00701-2022. PMID: 37228283; PMCID: PMC10204851.
Beydon N, Kouis P, Marthin JK, Latzin P, Colas M, Davis SD, Haarman E, Harris AL, Hogg C, Kilbride E, Kuehni CE, Marangu D, Nielsen KG, Pendergrast C, Robinson P, Rumman N, Rutter M, Walker WT, Ferkol T, Lucas JS. Nasal nitric oxide measurement in children for the diagnosis of primary ciliary dyskinesia: European Respiratory Society technical standard. Eur Respir J. 2023 Apr 20;61(4):2202031. doi: 10.1183/13993003.02031-2022. PMID: 36822632.