Improving Detection of Early Lung Disease and Decline in AATD
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Improving Detection of Early Lung Disease and Decline in Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency
IRAS ID
160211
Contact name
Elizabeth Sapey
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Birmingham
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Currently we detect emphysema by CT scanning but identify and monitor lung disease in AATD using simple lung function tests (most commonly, spirometry). Repeated testing allows assessment of whether lung disease is getting worse. Due to the considerable range of normal values for traditional lung function tests, significant damage has to occur before the result becomes recognised as abnormal, making them insensitive at detecting early lung damage.
Recent studies have suggested that the small airways of the lung may be the first to be damaged in AATD (before the development of emphysema and COPD). If this is true, lung function tests that assess these small airways are likely to change first in AATD. This would provide a test to detect lung disease in AATD earlier than tests in current use. There are also “effort independent” tests of lung function which show less variability than traditional lung function measurements. These tests could be better at identifying decline in lung health and assessing response to treatment over shorter periods of time. Although these tests have been validated in healthy controls, asthma and usual COPD, they have not been evaluated in AATD. We will assess measures of small airways and effort independent lung function tests in patients with AATD, using the UK AATD Registry of over 600 untreated patients.
This could help us identify patients who would be more suitable for expensive treatments (such as infusions of AAT) at a much earlier stage.
REC name
West Midlands - Solihull Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/WM/1243
Date of REC Opinion
18 Dec 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion