title: Impact of liposomal amphotericin B therapy on chronic pulmonary aspergillosis.
abstract: To assess the clinical response and renal toxicity observed in chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) patients receiving ≥1 short-courses of liposomal amphotericin (LAmB) (AmBisome®) therapy.
  
  
  
  A retrospective audit of clinical response and renal function was undertaken in 71 CPA patients (41 male) treated with LAmB at the National Aspergillosis Centre, including 20 patients receiving repeated treatment courses or long-term therapy (n = 5).
  
  
  
  Median age was 64 years (range 29-86 years). Treatment indications included respiratory symptoms (n = 33; 46.5%), constitutional symptoms (n = 2; 2.8%) or both (n = 36; 50.7%). 48 patients (73.8%) responded to their first LAmB course. Quality of life (QOL) improvements occurred in 37 (92.5%) of 40 patients with sufficient data available. Response rates for repeated short-courses of LAmB were 76.6%; QOL improvements were observed in 91.7% of treatment courses. All patients on long-term therapy demonstrated a response. 34 (50%) and 17 (25%) patients respectively developed an increased risk of acute kidney injury (AKI) or actual AKI with their first treatment; a significant reduction in geometric mean eGFR was observed and a similar pattern occurred following their second treatment course.
  
  
  
  Whilst CPA is responsive to LAmB, caution should be exercised with repeated courses, if other treatments are available.
authors.affiliation: The National Aspergillosis Centre, University Hospital of South Manchester, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK. Electronic address: pippa.newton@uhsm.nhs.uk.
authors.forename: Pippa J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Newton
authors.affiliation: The National Aspergillosis Centre, University Hospital of South Manchester, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Statistics, University Hospital of South Manchester, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.affiliation: The National Aspergillosis Centre, University Hospital of South Manchester, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK.
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Denning
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000666:Amphotericin B / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055732:Pulmonary Aspergillosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D006113:United Kingdom
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; C068538:liposomal amphotericin B; D000666:Amphotericin B
keywords: Acute kidney injury; Aspergillus; Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis; Liposomal amphotericin B; Quality of life