Figures
- FIGURE 1
Comparison of volume of bronchial thermoplasty (BT)-treated airways in a, c, d and f) each patient as assessed by computed tomography (CT) (eight patients) and model predictions (20 simulations). CT measurements at a, d and g) functional residual capacity (FRC) and c, f and h) total lung capacity (TLC) are compared with b and e) model predictions. Model predictions are for fatal asthma at a low level of airway smooth muscle activation [5]. The response threshold is defined as an increase in airway volume that exceeds half of the interquartile range of the intervisit variability, as assessed on the untreated right side (∼8.5% at FRC and ∼17% at TLC). p-values reflect paired t-tests. The untreated right lung was not modelled. Subject characteristics were as follows. Males: seven out of 18 patients; mean±sd age 57.6±14.2 years; BMI: 32.1±7.2 kg·m−2; cigarettes: 10 never-smokers, eight ever-smokers; Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ) score (baseline): 3.5±0.9; oral steroids: 15/18 mg·day−1, mean 14.3±15.8 mg·day−1; forced expiratory volume in 1 s: 44.9±13.7% pred; ACQ score after one lung treated: 2.4±1.2. The protocol was prospectively reviewed and approved by the Peninsula Health Human Research Ethics Committee. LLL: left lower lobe; LUL: left upper lobe; RUL: right upper lobe; RLL: right lower lobe; RML: right middle lobe.
