Clearance in Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia

Official title

Evaluating Non-ciliary Mechanisms of Airway Clearance in Muco-obstructive Lung Disease

Overview

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.

Detailed 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 attend a total of 3 study visits: screening visit 1 (V1), baseline exercise MCC (visit 2 (V2) or visit 3 (V3)), and HS pretreatment MCC (V2 or V3). Patients will be randomized to perform their baseline exercise MCC scan first or their HS pretreatment MCC scan first to minimize introduction of bias. The time between V1 and V2 will be 3 days to 28 days to allow for flexibility of scheduling, but participants already prescribed HS will be required to undergo a washout period of at least 3 days. V3 will take place at least 3 days after V2 to allow for remaining MCC isotope washout. At V1, tolerability and change in airway caliber in response to HS will be assessed by symptom assessment and spirometry, along with the performance of an exercise assessment to inform the exercise protocol in V2 and V3. From the baseline exercise MCC visit, the primary outcome of Whole Lung Total GLT will be measured. Through comparing the data from the exercise MCC visit and the HS pretreatment MCC visit, change in Whole Lung Total GLT and CC will be determined.

Interventions

• Behavioral Exercise
  At either V2 or V3, after 16 minutes of baseline MCC data collection, participants will perform 20 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise based on the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale, on a cycle ergometer. The goal through this moderate intensity exercise is to increase respiratory rate and airflow velocity, thereby potentially inducing GLT. Participants will then resume MCC scan data collection post-exercise to continue to measure the effects induced by exercise on clearance from
• Other HS pretreatment with Exercise
  At either V2 or V3, prior to the start of baseline MCC scanning, participants will undergo pretreatment with 4 puffs of inhaled levalbuterol (90 mcg per actuation, via spacer) followed by 4 ml of 7% HS via nebulizer. Participants will then start MCC scan data collection, and after 16 minutes of baseline MCC collection they will then complete 20 minutes of moderate intensity exercise according to the Borg RPE on a cycle ergometer. After 20 minutes, MCC scan will resume to continue to measure rate

Primary outcome measures

• Whole Lung Total GLT [Time frame: Either Day 1 (Visit 2) or up to Day 28 (Visit 3) depending on randomization to sequence intervention]
• Change in Whole Lung Total GLT after HS pretreatment [Time frame: Day 3 to 28, depending on timing of Visit 3]
• Change in Cough Clearance (CC) after HS Pretreatment [Time frame: Day 3 to 28, depending on timing of Visit 3]

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion criteria

• 18 years old or older
• Diagnosis of PCD with supporting genetics
• Lung function with forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) percent predicted >30%
• Ability to exercise for 20 minutes (Exercise Assessment performed at screening visit)

Exclusion criteria

• Intolerance to 7% HS
• Failure of HS tolerance test (HSTT) at visit 1 (V1), defined as a decline of 10% in FEV1 from baseline pre-bronchodilator (BD) FEV1 after 7% HS
• Intolerance to levalbuterol
• Exercise-induced asthma
• Complex congenital heart disease or other exercise limitation
• Lung transplantation or listed for lung transplantation
• History of lung resection of the lung analyzed by MCC (depending on situs status)
• Pregnancy or unwillingness to use approved birth control during study period
• Recent hemoptysis (>60 ml in the last 3 months)
• Pulmonary exacerbation in preceding 4 weeks
• Change in pulmonary therapies within preceding 4 weeks
• Resting or exertional O2 requirement (nocturnal acceptable)
• Tobacco / smoking history (any within last year, and >10 pack year history in past)
• More than 2 chest computed tomography (CT) scans in the past year or a combination of procedures believed to have exposed the lungs to >150 millisieverts (mSv), including from other research studies
• Participation in another interventional trial within 30 days

Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.

Healthy volunteers: No

Study design

Allocation

N/A

Model

Single group

Masking

Open label

Primary purpose

Treatment

Study locations

United States · 1 center

• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill — Chapel Hill

Identifiers

NCT: NCT07699302 · 25-1650

Primary sources (government registries)

• ClinicalTrials.gov (US NIH)

View this study on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗