Role of Tris-CaEDTA as an adjuvant with nebulised tobramycin in cystic fibrosis patients with Pseudomonas aeruginosa lung infections: A randomised controlled trial

Background: We tested if disrupting iron utilisation by P. aeruginosa by adding the Tris-buffered chelating agent CaEDTA to nebulised tobramycin would enhance bacterial clearance and improve lung function in CF patients. Methods: In this double-blind, randomised controlled trial, 26 episodes (25 patients) with P. aeruginosa infection admitted to two CF centres for treatment of an acute pulmonary exacerbation were randomly assigned to receive either 75 mg CaEDTA in Tris-buffered saline or placebo (Tris-buffered saline) nebulised in combination with 250 mg tobramycin twice daily for six weeks followed with four week safety follow-up. Primary endpoints were safety, tolerability, and bacterial density of P. aeruginosa. A secondary endpoint was lung function. Results: The study drug was well tolerated with adverse events comparable in both groups. The mean (SD) reduction in sputum P. aeruginosa count (log 10 CFU/g) in the CaEDTA vs placebo group was 2.05 (2.57) vs 0.82 (2.71) at two weeks relative to admission (p = 0.39). The mean improvement in ppFEV(1) was 16 vs 5 (p = 0.16); 11 vs 2 (p = 0.28); and 6 vs 2 percentage points (p = 0.47) at two, six, and ten weeks in CaEDTA and placebo groups, respectively. Conclusions: In this pilot study in CF patients, an increase in the reduction of sputum density of P. aeruginosa and an increase in ppFEV(1) was observed in the group of patients who received Tris-CaEDTA added to inhaled tobramycin compared to the group who received inhaled tobramycin alone, although these differences were not statistically significant. The treatment was also shown to be safe. (c) 2020 European Cystic Fibrosis Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This study found that adding Tris-CaEDTA to nebulised tobramycin could increase P. aeruginosa clearance and improve lung function in CF patients, although the differences were not statistically significant. The treatment was also shown to be safe and well-tolerated.