Access this content:
April 13, 2021 / in Scientific Article

Abstract

Background

Small airways appear to have an important role in asthma. Hydrofluoroalkane-134a beclomethasone dipropionate (HFA-BDP) has ultrafine particles and accordingly greater deposition in the small airways than chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)-BDP. Impulse oscillometry systems (IOS), a new and non-invasive measure of pulmonary function, can examine the resistance of total (R5), large (R20), and small airways (R5–R20) separately, and low-frequency reactance area (AX), also considered a measure of small airways dysfunction.

Methods

Mild-to-moderate asthmatics who were inhaled corticosteroid naïve were randomized to receive 200 mcg HFA-BDP bid (n = 26) or 400 mcg CFC-BDP bid (n = 12) for 12 weeks in an open-label manner. Following baseline measurements, IOS and spirometry were repeated every 4 weeks, and methacholine challenge to separately assess airway sensitivity and airway reactivity and lung volumes at 12 weeks.

Results

Moderate correlations were found between R5–R20 or AX and spirometry and lung volume indices of small airways, and between R20 and peak expiratory flow at baseline. The two groups did not significantly differ in baseline clinical or functional parameters. At 12 weeks, all IOS indices improved in the HFA-BDP group, whereas all but R5–R20 improved with CFC-BDP. R5–R20 and AX progressively improved with HFA-BDP; these changes achieved statistical significance at 12 weeks versus the CFC-BDP group. Other IOS and spirometry indices failed to show such trends. HFA-BDP significantly attenuated methacholine airway sensitivity; the degree of this attenuation strongly correlated with R5–R20 and AX baseline values, and with improvement of AX with treatment.

Conclusion

HFA-BDP is an effective treatment of small airways in asthma. Prolonged treatment provides a progressive effect over time, which is associated with an attenuation of airway responsiveness.

The articles include uses of tremoflo products or describes research devices that may not have been cleared by FDA
Keywords
Asthma, Small airways, Large airways, Impulse oscillometry system, Hydrofluoroalkane-134a beclomethasone, dipropionate (HFA-BDP), Chlorofluorocarbon-11/12 beclomethasone, hyperresponsiveness, spirometry, lung volume
Source

Masafumi Yamaguchi 1, Akio Niimi, Tetsuya Ueda, Masaya Takemura, Hirofumi Matsuoka, Makiko Jinnai, Kojiro Otsuka, Tsuyoshi Oguma, Tomoshi Takeda, Isao Ito, Hisako Matsumoto, Toyohiro Hirai, Kazuo Chin, Michiaki Mishima, Effect of inhaled corticosteroids on small airways in asthma: investigation using impulse oscillometry, 2009 Aug;22(4):326-32.

Other resources of interest

June 9, 2022
Longitudinal monitoring of asthma in the clinic using respiratory oscillometry
Asthma guidelines emphasize the importance of assessing lung function and symptoms. The forced oscillation technique (FOT) and its longitudinal relationship with spirometry and symptoms are unresolved. We examined concordance between longitudinal spirometry, FOT and symptom control, and determined FOT limits of agreement in stable asthma.
June 9, 2022
Criteria for Airway Oscillometry Reversibility in Asthma
We read with interest the article in the June 2020 issue of CHEST from Cottee et al,1 examining 52 patients with asthma, which concluded that bronchodilator response to albuterol 400 mg using forced oscillation technique (airway oscillometry [AO]) with Thorasys Tremoflo was more sensitive than spirometry at identifying poor disease control with the asthma control test.1 This pattern was observed for reactance area (AX) and reactance at 5Hz but not for resistance at 5Hz (R5).
May 2, 2022
Airwave oscillometry to measure lung function in children with Down syndrome
Children with Down syndrome are at risk for significant pulmonary co-morbidities, including recurrent respiratory infections, dysphagia, obstructive sleep apnea, and pulmonary vascular disease. Because the gold standard metric of lung function, spirometry, may not be feasible in children with intellectual disabilities, we sought to assess the feasibility of both airwave oscillometry and spirometry in children with Down syndrome.
June 9, 2022
Longitudinal monitoring of asthma in the clinic using respiratory oscillometry
Asthma guidelines emphasize the importance of assessing lung function and symptoms. The forced oscillation technique (FOT) and its longitudinal relationship with spirometry and symptoms are unresolved. We examined concordance between longitudinal spirometry, FOT and symptom control, and determined FOT limits of agreement in stable asthma.
June 9, 2022
Criteria for Airway Oscillometry Reversibility in Asthma
We read with interest the article in the June 2020 issue of CHEST from Cottee et al,1 examining 52 patients with asthma, which concluded that bronchodilator response to albuterol 400 mg using forced oscillation technique (airway oscillometry [AO]) with Thorasys Tremoflo was more sensitive than spirometry at identifying poor disease control with the asthma control test.1 This pattern was observed for reactance area (AX) and reactance at 5Hz but not for resistance at 5Hz (R5).
May 2, 2022
Airwave oscillometry to measure lung function in children with Down syndrome
Children with Down syndrome are at risk for significant pulmonary co-morbidities, including recurrent respiratory infections, dysphagia, obstructive sleep apnea, and pulmonary vascular disease. Because the gold standard metric of lung function, spirometry, may not be feasible in children with intellectual disabilities, we sought to assess the feasibility of both airwave oscillometry and spirometry in children with Down syndrome.
Contact us
Interested in THORASYS products? Contact us to get a personalized quote.
Let us know how we can assist. We would love to hear from you.
Form submitted successfully!
We'll get back to you shortly.