Frederik Hermans

Dr. Frederik Hermans

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Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

11Years (2016-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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21 December 2018 in Journal of Clinical Medicine
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
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LSLaurens De Sadeleer
Laurens De Sadeleer
FHFrederik Hermans
Frederik Hermans
EDEls De Dycker
Els De Dycker
JYJonas Yserbyt
Jonas Yserbyt
JVJohny Verschakelen
Johny Verschakelen
WWWim Wuyts
Wim Wuyts
Background: Although the third most frequent interstitial lung disease, hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) remains an enigmatic disease without clear diagnostic and therapeutic guidelines. We assessed the effect of the commonly used therapeutic interventions (i.e. exposure avoidance and corticosteroid treatment) in an HP cohort. Methods: We collected clinical data of all HP patients followed at our centre between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2016. HP patients were stratified according to the presence of fibrosis on chest CT. Survival was analysed using the multivariate Cox proportional hazards model. Forced vital capacity (percent predicted, FVC%) and diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (percent predicted, DLCO%) evolution were analysed using linear mixed-effect models. Results: Two hundred and two HP patients were identified: 93 non-fibrotic HP (nfHP) and 109 fibrotic HP (fHP), experiencing a monthly FVC% decline before treatment of 0.93% and 0.56%, respectively. While nfHP had an excellent survival, fHP patients experienced a median survival of 9.2 years. Corticosteroid treatment and exposure avoidance did not result in survival differences. Although nfHP patients showed FVC% and DLCO% increase after corticosteroid initiation, no therapeutic effect was seen in fHP patients. FVC% and DLCO% increased in nfHP patients after exposure avoidance, while a positive numerical trend was seen for FVC% after exposure avoidance in fHP patients (p = 0.15). Conclusions: nfHP patients experienced an excellent survival with good therapeutic effect on pulmonary function tests with both corticosteroid initiation as well as antigen avoidance. In contrast, fHP patients experienced a dismal prognosis (median survival of 9.2 years) without any therapeutic effect of corticosteroid treatment. Whether antigen avoidance is useful in fHP patients is still unclear.

1 January 2016 in American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
CBClifton O. Brock
Clifton O. Brock
LMLeslie Moroz
Leslie Moroz
FHFrederik Hermans
Frederik Hermans
CGCynthia Gyamfi-Bannerman
Cynthia Gyamfi-Bannerman