Evaluating Non-ciliary Mechanisms of Airway Clearance in Muco-obstructive Lung Disease
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Summary
Understanding mechanisms of mucus clearance from the airways may lead to treatments in muco-obstructive lung conditions. Mucociliary clearance (MCC) scans are a way to measure the rate at which a person's lungs can clear inhaled particles. Through a single-arm pilot study in participants with primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), the investigators will evaluate the effect of exercise as a way to increase clearance through a mechanism called gas liquid transport (GLT) where the faster flow of air through the lungs during exercise is able to clear more particles. The investigators will repeat MCC measures with exercise after administering hypertonic saline (HS) to evaluate the effects of mucus hydration on both GLT and cough clearance (CC). Aim 1. To quantify non-ciliary, non-cough mechanisms of mucus clearance (i.e., GLT) in PCD through an MCC protocol that introduces a standardized exercise intervention after isotope delivery. Aim 2. To evaluate whether exercise-induced GLT and/or CC are responsive to hydrator intervention, using a short acting bronchodilator with 7% HS prior to isotope delivery followed by MCC with exercise intervention.
Description
The investigators will perform an open label, single-arm interventional pilot study with all participants undergoing the interventions (exercise, and exercise with HS pretreatment) and serving as their own control to evaluate the effects of exercise on non-ciliary mucus clearance mechanisms in PCD to better identify role of GLT and CC. The investigators will also evaluate the effect of pretreatment with HS on GLT (if present) and CC, to determine if these mechanisms of mucus clearance are modifiable by future therapies in PCD and other muco-obstructive lung diseases. Patients will be asked to…