LVRC Microbiome Study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Studying the microbiome of the lung in patients treated with endobronchial lung volume reduction coils for emphysema
IRAS ID
215696
Contact name
Patrik Pettersson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust (RB&HFT)
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
Patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and hyperinflation can benefit from lung volume reduction techniques designed to reduce gas trapping and improve airflow and chest wall and lung mechanics. One method uses airway lung volume reduction coils, LVRCs, nitinol wires which when deployed in the lung take up their preformed shape similar to that of a tennis ball seam, and seem to work both by mechanical compression of lung tissue and by restoring some of the elastic recoil forces that are lost when there is emphysematous destruction of lung tissue. Treatment aims to place 10 coils in each upper lobe in 2 procedures separated by 1-3 months. A surveillance airway examination is performed 3 months following the second procedure.
The lung microbiome is the complete collection of microorganisms that inhabit the lung, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Studies have demonstrated the importance of microorganisms in the pathogenesis of COPD, driving exacerbations and loss of lung function. The lungs of patients with severe COPD contain a different community of bacteria to those of healthy people. Culture-independent molecular techniques are now available for precise cataloguing of the lung microbiome, with results that are far more detailed and informative than standard culture techniques.
We propose obtaining samples (airway swab, wash and brushes) for molecular analysis at three time points, each spaced approximately 3 months apart, to track changes in the lung microbiome that may be induced by LVRC implantation.
REC name
East Midlands - Derby Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/EM/0017
Date of REC Opinion
5 Jan 2017
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion