IMAGING REGIONAL PHYSIOLOGIC AND STRUCTURAL PARAMETERS OF AIRWAY REMODELING

这个子项目是利用资源的许多研究子项目之一。 由NIH/NCRR资助的中心拨款提供。对子项目的主要支持 子项目的首席调查员可能是由其他来源提供的， 包括美国国立卫生研究院的其他来源。为子项目列出的总成本可能 表示该子项目使用的中心基础设施的估计数量， 不是由NCRR赠款提供给次级项目或次级项目工作人员的直接资金。 哮喘是一种炎症性呼吸道疾病，其特征类似于慢性阻塞性呼吸道。 疾病(COPD)。除了急性炎症反应外，长期的气道重塑是 这是哮喘患者的典型症状。最近的研究表明，这些永久性变化不可逆转地影响肺部。 功能。目前，哮喘的诊断主要依据临床症状。全球肺部疾病的检测 肺活量测定等功能可能有助于诊断。然而，基于以下方面的诊断和监测 临床症状和肺功能检测有明显的局限性。此外，临床诊断是 根据定义，除非患者已经表现出明显的疾病症状，否则是不可能的。这 该项目旨在显示定量的区域肺标志物对这两个指标都高度敏感 急性炎症反应和永久性呼吸道重塑是哮喘的特征。 此外，鉴于最近的证据表明，呼吸道改变先于临床综合征，肺功能和结构的定量区域标记物可以在呼吸功能明显受损之前进行准确诊断，从而帮助适当调整治疗。这 该项目旨在使用几种定量超极化(HP)气体磁共振技术开发来 测量肺结构和功能的区域性方面，包括明显弥散 氦系数(ADC，作为衡量肺微结构的一种指标)、肺泡分压 氧气(PAO2，作为肺泡肺氧合或肺灌注度的量度)和区域肺 呼吸机(VA)以评估对急性和慢性疾病阶段的敏感性。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. Primary support for the subproject and the subproject's principal investigator may have been provided by other sources, including other NIH sources. The Total Cost listed for the subproject likely represents the estimated amount of Center infrastructure utilized by the subproject, not direct funding provided by the NCRR grant to the subproject or subproject staff. Asthma is an inflammatory airway disease with characteristics similar to chronic obstructive airway diseases (COPD). In addition to the acute inflammatory response, long-term airway remodeling is typical in asthmatics. Recent work suggests that these permanent changes irreversibly affect lung function. Presently, diagnosis of asthma is based on clinical symptoms. Tests of global pulmonary function such as spirometry may assist in diagnosis. However, diagnosis and monitoring based on clinical symptoms and lung function testing has obvious limitations. Moreover, clinical diagnosis is  by definition  impossible until the patient already exhibits significant symptoms of disease. This project aims to show that quantitative regional pulmonary markers are highly sensitive to both the acute inflammatory responses and permanent airway remodeling that characterize asthma. Moreover, in light of recent evidence suggesting that airway changes precede the clinical syndrome, quantitative regional markers of lung function and structure can allow for accurate diagnosis before noticeable impairment of respiratory function thereby aiding proper adjustment of therapy. This project aims at using several quantitative hyperpolarized (HP) gas MRI techniques developed to measure regional aspects of both lung structure and function  including of apparent diffusion coefficient of helium (ADC, as a measure of lung microstructure), alveolar partial pressure of oxygen (PAO2, as a measure of alveolar lung oxygenation or perfusion), and regional pulmonary ventilation (VA)  to assess the sensitivity to acute and chronic disease stages.