Novel PET imaging in obliterative bronchiolitis
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Use of novel PET imaging to distinguish obliterative bronchiolitis from infection in the transplanted lung
IRAS ID
231268
Contact name
Joanna Porter
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University College London
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Z6364106/2018/4/117 health research., UCL Data protection
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 4 days
Research summary
Lung transplantation is the last option for patients with end-stage lung disease. Post-transplant patients may develop progressive small airway scarring called bronchiolitis obliterans (BO) due to a complication called graft-versus-host disease where the donated lung sees your body cells as foreign and attacks them. The term BO syndrome (BOS) is used to identify patients after a transplant based on worsening lung function and specific signs on x-rays, with no evidence of infection or acute rejection. At 5 years post-transplant ~ 50% of all lung recipients meet the criteria for BOS. Our aim is to identify patients earlier, so treatment may be started before BOS becomes severe and irreversible.
We have already shown that a special scanner called PET/CT (positron emission tomography/computed tomography) can be used to identify inflammation in the lung in patients with lung scarring. This uses radioactive sugars called fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) and gallium-Dotatate (also known as Tracers).
The aim of this study is to perform PET/CT scans using both FDG and Dotatate in patients with declining lung function following a lung transplant, to see if the different types of tracers can tell the difference between infection and BOS. If this was the case this would be a useful test which would help identify BOS early and guide treatment decisions.
REC name
London - Queen Square Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/LO/1964
Date of REC Opinion
18 Mar 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion