TY - JOUR T1 - Lebrikizumab reduces serum periostin in asthma patients with elevated baseline periostin JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J VL - 40 IS - Suppl 56 SP - P2167 AU - Heleen Scheerens AU - Joseph Arron AU - David Choy AU - Sofia Mosesova AU - Preeti Lal AU - John Matthews Y1 - 2012/09/01 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/40/Suppl_56/P2167.abstract N2 - Background: Periostin is a matricellular protein induced in airway epithelia by interleukin-13 (IL13) and a good systemic biomarker for IL13 activity. Lebrikizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody, binds IL13 and improved lung function in moderate-to-severe asthma patients (pts) with elevated baseline serum periostin in a Phase II study.Aims: To examine the effect of blocking IL13 on systemic periostin levels in pts with uncontrolled asthma, despite inhaled corticosteriods.Methods: Pts (n=218) were randomized to lebrikizumab 250 mg (n=106) or placebo (PB) (n=112) SC every 4 weeks for 6 doses, with 12 weeks follow-up (NCT00930163). Serum periostin was measured at baseline and throughout the study. Pts were classified as periostin-high (≥median) or periostin-low (<median) based on baseline serum levels.Results: PB-corrected reductions in periostin were evident after 1 week of lebrikizumab treatment: 5.4% baseline reduction across all pts and 7.3% baseline reduction in periostin-high pts (p<0.001). At 12 weeks, periostin reductions were 9.7% (p<0.001) for all lebrikizumab-treated pts vs PB and 14.4% (p<0.001) in periostin-high pts. Periostin-low pts had no significant reduction in periostin (2.9%; p=0.3). This effect was sustained at Week 32. Most pts (>90%) who were periostin-low at baseline maintained the periostin levels <median, whereas 72% of periostin-high pts treated with PB and only 40% treated with lebrikizumab maintained periostin levels ≥median at Week 12.Conclusions: Lebrikizumab reduced serum periostin in periostin-high, but not periostin-low pts, vs placebo. These data suggest that in asthma pts, elevated serum periostin levels are dependent on IL13 activity. ER -