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Thorax doi:10.1136/thoraxjnl-2011-200137
  • Respiratory research
  • Original article

Evaluation of pulmonary disease using static lung volumes in primary ciliary dyskinesia

  1. Attilio Boner5
  1. 1Department of Paediatrics, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
  2. 2Imperial School of Medicine at the National Heart and Lung Institute, London, UK
  3. 3Institute of Clinical Physiology, CNR, Pisa, Italy
  4. 4Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
  5. 5Department of Paediatrics, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
  6. 6Department of Experimental Pathology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
  1. Correspondence to Dr Massimo Pifferi, University of Pisa, Department of Pediatrics, Via Roma 67, Pisa 56126, Italy; m.pifferi{at}med.unipi.it
  1. Contributors M Pifferi: contributed to study design, data evaluation and drafting and revising the submitted manuscript. He had full access to all of the data in the study and he takes full responsibility for the integrity of all of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis. A Bush: contributed to data evaluation and drafting and revising the submitted manuscript. G Pioggia: contributed to data analysis and drafting the submitted manuscript. D Caramella: contributed to data analysis and drafting the submitted manuscript. G Tartarisco: contributed to data analysis and drafting the submitted manuscript. M Di Cicco: contributed to collecting data. M Zangani: contributed to collecting data. I Chinellato: contributed to collecting data. F Maggi performed the statistical analysis. G Tezza: contributed to the reevaluation of all data after reviewers' comments. P Macchia: contributed to study design. A L Boner: contributed to study design, data evaluation and drafting and revising the submitted manuscript.

  • Received 5 March 2011
  • Revised 1 June 2012
  • Accepted 15 June 2012
  • Published Online First 7 July 2012

Abstract

Background In primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) lung damage is usually evaluated by high-resolution CT (HRCT).

Objective To evaluate whether HRCT abnormalities and Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection were better predicted by spirometry or plethysmography.

Methods A cross-sectional study performed in consecutive patients with PCD who underwent sputum culture, spirometry, plethysmography and HRCT within 48 h. Principal component analysis and soft computing were used for data evaluation.

Results Fifty patients (26 children) were studied. P aeruginosa infection was found in 40% of the patients and bronchiectasis in 88%. There was a correlation between infection with P aeruginosa and extent of bronchiectasis (p=0.009; r =0.367) and air-trapping (p=0.03; r =0.315). Moreover, there was an association between infection with P aeruginosa and residual volume (RV) values >150% (p=0.04) and RV/total lung capacity (TLC) ratio >140% (p=0.001), but not between infection with P aeruginosa and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1)<80%, or forced expiratory flow between 25% and 75% of forced vital capacity (FVC) (FEF25–75%)<70% or FEV1/FVC<70% (<80% in children). Severity of the total lung impairment on chest HRCT directly correlated with RV when expressed as per cent predicted (p=0.003; r =0.423), and RV/TLC (p<0.001; r =0.513) or when expressed as z scores (p=0.002, r =0.451 and p<0.001, r =0.536 respectively). Principal component analysis on plethysmographic but not on spirometry data allowed recognition of different severities of focal air trapping, atelectasis and extent of bronchiectasis.

Conclusions Plethysmography better predicts HRCT abnormalities than spirometry. Whether it might be a useful test to define populations of patients with PCD who should or should not have HRCT scans requires further longitudinal studies.

Footnotes

  • Funding This research was supported by the Fondazione Carlo Laviosa, Italy.

  • Competing interests None declared.

  • Patient consent Obtained.

  • Ethics approval Ethics approval was provided by Hospital Ethical Committee of Pisa.

  • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.


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