Establishment of imaging biomarkers to evaluate small airway dysfunction for asthma

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K16152
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 54020:Connective tissue disease and allergy-related
• Research Institution: Yamaguchi University
• Principal Investigator: Oishi Keiji 山口大学, 医学部附属病院, 診療助教(4日/週) (60771409)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 気管支喘息 / イメージングバイオマーカー / 末梢気道機能障害

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Small airways disease (SAD) may have an important role in asthma. However, imaging biomarkers of the SAD in asthmatics remains to be established. Parametric response mapping (PRM) is a novel radiographic technique, which is a voxel-based imaging technology using inspiratory and expiratory computed tomography (CT) imaging. PRM can quantitatively evaluate the functional SAD (fSAD) in patients with COPD. We evaluated PRMfSAD in asthmatics and examine its correlations with clinical and physiologic variables.
Regardless of the severity of asthma, there are some PRMfSAD lesion. Based on the negative correlation between PRMfSAD and BMI, PRMfSAD and PEF, PRMfSAD may be susceptible to respiratory muscle strength. Based on the positive correlation between PRMfSAD and RV/TLC, PRMfSAD may reflect peripheral airway obstruction. PRM-fSAD was also associated with some Type 2 airway inflammation. Our results suggest that PRM may be useful to evaluate the fSAD in patients with asthma.

Free Research Field

呼吸器内科

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究で使用した末梢気道機能障害を評価するイメージングバイオマーカーは、気管支喘息やCOPDなどの閉塞性肺疾患の管理向上に寄与する点で学術的意義がある。また、従来検査では抽出できないような発症早期や軽症時にも病変を検出できる可能性があり、様々な呼吸器疾患や他疾患の早期診断・治療につながるといった波及効果によって医療費の削減にも貢献できる点に社会的意義がある。