Respiratory Microbiota, Infection Characteristics and Imaging Manifestations in Patients With Chronic Airway Inflammation

Launched by FIRST AFFILIATED HOSPITAL OF NINGBO UNIVERSITY · Apr 14, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is investigating how the bacteria and other microorganisms in the lungs, along with infections and imaging tests, affect the health and quality of life of people with chronic airway inflammation. This includes conditions like asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and bronchiectasis. The study will look at different factors, such as how well patients respond to treatments and how infections impact their symptoms. Researchers will enroll about 1,000 participants who are between 18 and 80 years old, and who have stable forms of these conditions without recent flare-ups.

To participate, individuals must meet specific criteria based on their diagnosis and health status. For example, asthma patients need to show evidence of wheezing and shortness of breath, while COPD patients must meet certain lung function standards. Participants will undergo various tests, including breathing tests and imaging scans, to help researchers gather important data. Importantly, all participants will need to give their consent to join the study, ensuring they understand what it involves and their rights regarding privacy and safety.

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Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • (1) Age: 18 to 80 years old (inclusive), without restrictions on gender or ethnicity.
• (2) Disease Diagnosis:
• • 1. COPD patients must meet the GOLD diagnostic criteria, with post-bronchodilator FEV1/FVC \< 70% and FEV1 \< 80% of the predicted value.
• • 2. Asthma patients must meet clinical diagnostic criteria, including recurrent wheezing, shortness of breath symptoms, frequently occurring at night; during attacks, wheezing sounds can be heard in both lungs; effective treatment with bronchodilators or corticosteroids, or symptoms can be relieved spontaneously, and at least one of the following tests must be positive: positive bronchial provocation test; positive bronchodilator test with FEV1 increase ≥12%, and FEV1 increase absolute value ≥200ml; daily peak expiratory flow (PEF) variability ≥10% within one week.
• • 3. Bronchiectasis patients must meet the diagnostic criteria based on CT imaging, including: bronchial diameter/accompanying pulmonary artery diameter ratio \>1; high-resolution CT (HRCT) showing dilated cystic, columnar, or cystic bronchial shadows.
• (3) Disease Status:
• • 1. Patients with chronic airway inflammation must be in a stable phase, defined as no acute exacerbations, hospitalizations, or use of other treatments for at least 4 weeks.
• • 2. COPD patients with acute exacerbations must meet the definition of acute exacerbation: at least two major symptoms (dyspnea, increased sputum, and purulent sputum) worsen, or at least one major symptom and one minor symptom (wheezing, sore throat, cough without other causes, and fever) worsen.
• • 3. Asthma patients in the acute attack phase must meet the definition of acute attack: sudden worsening of symptoms (including wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, cough, etc.), decreased lung function, poor response to routine treatment, other clinically diagnosed acute attacks.
• • 4. Bronchiectasis patients with acute exacerbations must meet the definition of acute exacerbation: increased cough, increased sputum or sputum viscosity, purulent sputum, dyspnea or decreased exercise tolerance, fatigue or discomfort, hemoptysis, at least three of the above six symptoms occur newly or significantly worsen, lasting ≥48 hours.
• (4) Treatment Status:
• • 1. In the chronic airway inflammation patient ICS treatment study, patients must require ICS treatment under routine care, i.e., have been recommended to use ICS and are currently using ICS treatment.
• • 2. In other studies, patients must maintain unchanged long-term medication during the follow-up period, but may be appropriately adjusted according to the attending physician's clinical decision.
• (5) Others:
• • 1. All participants must voluntarily participate in the study and sign the informed consent form.
• • 2. Patients must be able to communicate in language or writing, understand and sign the content of the informed consent form, and be able to complete the required pulmonary function and other auxiliary examinations for the trial.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• (1) Recent Medication Use:
• • 1. In the chronic airway inflammation patient ICS study, exclude patients who have used corticosteroid-related treatment within the last 3 months, exclude patients who have received antibiotic treatment within the last 3 months.
• • 2. In other studies, exclude patients who have used antibiotics, immunosuppressants, cytotoxic agents, or hormones systemically within the last 4 weeks.
• (2) Other Significant Diseases:
• • 1. Clinically significant pulmonary diseases other than the study disease, such as active tuberculosis, pulmonary embolism, pneumothorax, pneumothorax, pulmonary hypertension, interstitial lung disease, lung cancer, pulmonary fibrosis, tuberculosis, etc.
• • 2. Severe other systemic diseases, such as myocardial infarction, severe arrhythmia, liver dysfunction, renal insufficiency, rheumatic immune system diseases, hematological diseases, active malignant tumors, etc.
• (3) Disease Status:
• • \[1\] Patients who have experienced any degree of acute exacerbation within the last 4 weeks before screening for the stable phase study.
• (4) Special Populations:
• • 1. Female patients who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
• • 2. Patients with poor compliance.
• • 3. Patients who cannot complete sample collection due to physical or psychological factors, especially those who need to collect multiple samples.
• 4. Patients who are participating in other clinical trials. (5) Related Contraindications:
• • \[1\] Patients with contraindications to pulmonary function tests and chest CT, such as chest metal, history of myocardial infarction, stroke, aortic aneurysm, or ocular surgery or retinal detachment within the last 3 months.