Extract
Asthma is a chronic disease, characterised by variable airflow obstruction and airway inflammation [1]. Small airways are thought to be a major site of pathology in asthma [2, 3]. There are different tools to assess small airways dysfunction (SAD), such as spirometry, body plethysmography, impulse oscillometry (IOS), multiple-breath nitrogen washout (MBNW), alveolar fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (FENO) and gas trapping assessed by high-resolution computed tomography (CT). However, there is no golden standard and some tests are difficult to perform [2, 3].
Abstract
PExA mass can distinguish asthmatics from healthy individuals. Subjects with complete, but not clinical, asthma remission exhale more PExA mass compared to asthma. Higher PExA mass was associated with better function of both the small and large airways. http://bit.ly/2znHABg
Footnotes
Author contributions: O.A. Carpaij, S. Muiser, M. van den Berge and A-C. Olin interpreted the subjects’ data and PExA results. O.A. Carpaij, S. Muiser and M. van den Berge were involved in drafting the manuscript. H.A.M. Kerstjens, M.C. Nawijn, S. Siddiqui and A.J. Bell were involved in conception and design of the study, and interpretation of the data, and contributed to writing the manuscript. S. Siddiqui and A.J. Bell conducted the image analysis of the CT scans. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Conflict of interest: O.A. Carpaij has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: S. Muiser has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: A.J. Bell has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: H.A.M. Kerstjens reports an unrestricted research grant and fees for participation in advisory boards from GlaxoSmithKline (the sponsor of this study), as well as from Boehringer Ingelheim and Novartis. He also reports fees for advisory board participation from AstraZeneca and Chiesi, board membership fees from Almirall, and fees per patient for recruitment in trials from GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis and Fluidda. All the above were paid to his institution.
Conflict of interest: C.J. Galban reports that Parametric Response Mapping, of which he is a coinventor, is licenced to Imbio, LLC, by the University of Michigan.
Conflict of interest: A.B. Fortuna has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: S. Siddiqui reports grants from the Chiesi Onulus Foundation, Midlands Asthma and Allergy Research Association, the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, the Sir Jules Thorne Trust and the Medical Research Council, and personal fees from Chiesi, GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca, Novartis, Owlstone Medical, Napp, Mundipharma, Boehringer Ingelheim and ERT Medical, outside the submitted work.
Conflict of interest: A-C. Olin reports that she has patent WO2009045163 (Collection and measurement of exhaled particles) issued and patent WO2013117747 l (A device and method for non-invasive analysis of particles during medical ventilation) pending.
Conflict of interest: M.C. Nawijn reports grants from GlaxoSmithKline Ltd and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy during the conduct of the study.
Conflict of interest: M. van den Berge reports grants paid to his institution from GlaxoSmithKline, TEVA, AstraZeneca, Chiesi and Genentech, outside the submitted work.
Support statement: This project was sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline, supported by grants from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Leicester (Biomedical Research Centre: Respiratory Theme; grant agreement number RM65G0113), and is co-financed by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy by means of the PPP Allowance made available by the Top Sector Life Sciences and Health to stimulate public–private partnerships. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the National Health Service, the NIHR or the Dept of Health. Funding information for this article has been deposited with the Crossref Funder Registry.
- Received August 15, 2019.
- Accepted August 19, 2019.
- Copyright ©ERS 2019
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