Oscillation mechanics of the respiratory system in never-smoking patients with silicosis: pathophysiological study and evaluation of diagnostic accuracy

OBJECTIVES: Silicosis is a chronic and incurable occupational disease that can progress even after the cessation of exposure. Recent studies suggest that the forced oscillation technique may help to clarify the changes in lung mechanics resulting from silicosis as well as the detection of these changes. We investigated the effects of airway obstruction in silicosis on respiratory impedance and evaluated the diagnostic efficacy of the forced oscillation technique in these patients. METHODS: Spirometry was used to classify the airway obstruction, which resulted in four subject categories: controls (n=21), patients with a normal exam (n=12), patients with mild obstruction (n=22), and patients with moderate-to-severe obstruction (n=12). Resistive data were interpreted using the zero-intercept resistance (R0), the resistance at 4 Hz (Rrs4), and the mean resistance. We also analyzed the mean reactance (Xm) and the dynamic compliance. The total mechanical load was evaluated using the absolute value of the respiratory impedance (Z4Hz). The diagnostic potential was evaluated by investigating the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01725971. RESULTS: We observed significant (p<0.0002) increases in R0, Rrs4, Rm, and Z4Hz and significant reductions in Crs,dyn (p<0.0002) and Xm (p<0.0001). R0, Rrs4, Rm, and Z4Hz performed adequately in the diagnosis of mild obstruction (area under the curve>0.80) and highly accurately in the detection of moderate-to-severe obstruction (area under the curve>0.90). CONCLUSIONS: The forced oscillation technique may contribute to the study of the pathophysiology of silicosis and may improve the treatment offered to these patients, thus representing an alternative and/or complementary tool for evaluating respiratory mechanics. .

Técnica de oscilações forçadas monofrequência na análise em tempo real das alterações mecânicas ao longo do ciclo respiratório de asmáticos com diferentes níveis de obstrução ao fluxo aéreo / Forced oscillation technique monofrequency in real-time analysis of the mechanical changes along the respiratory cycle of asthmatic patients with different levels of airflow obstruction

A análise da mecânica respiratória em tempo real pela técnica de oscilações forçadas (FOT) monofrequência é de interesse nos estudos clínicos e diagnósticos de doenças respiratórias. Entretanto, ainda é escassa a análise de asmáticos com esta técnica. O presente trabalho avalia a contribuição da FOT monofrequência na análise das alterações mecânicas ao longo do ciclo respiratório e da dinâmica da impedância do sistema respiratório (Zrs) de asmáticos. Na primeira fase do estudo, 14 voluntários sadios (GC) e 70 asmáticos foram incluídos. Destes, 13 asmáticos apresentaram espirometria normal (NE), e o restante apresentava obstrução leve (OL; n=26), moderada (OM; n=18) e acentuada (OA; n=13). Através da FOT foram analisadas a impedância total do sistema respiratório (Zt), a impedância inspiratória e expiratória (Zi e Ze), a impedância no início da inspiração e da expiração (Zii e Zie), a impedância pico-a-pico (diferença entre Zii e Zie) e a variação média da impedância (diferença entre Zi e Ze). Na segunda fase do estudo, a dinâmica do sistema respiratório foi analisada através da variabilidade da impedância, traduzida pelo desvio padrão da Zrs (sdZrs), pelo desvio-padrão do logaritmo da Zrs (sdlnZrs) e pela sua complexidade, analisada através da entropia aproximada da Zrs(EnApZ). Foram analisados 62 pacientes asmáticos da mesma amostra, divididos em NE (n=12), OL (n=20), OM (n=18) e OA (n=12). O GC foi composto por 12 voluntários. Testes de diferenças entre médias, correlações entre os parâmetros da FOT e da espirometria, além de curvas ROC, foram usados para avaliar o potencial da FOT monofrequência na detecção das alterações mecânicas em tempo real na asma. A impedância foi maior nos asmáticos em relação ao GC, sendo progressivamente maior entre os asmáticos de acordo com o grau de obstrução: Zt (p<0,0001), Zi (p<0,0001), Ze (p<0,0001), Zii (p<0,0001), Zie (p<0,0001), Zpp (p<0,0001) e AZrs (p<0,0001). A dinâmica do sistema respiratório sofreu diferenças...

The analysis of respiratory mechanics in real time by monofrequency FOT is of great interest in clinical and dignosis studies of respiratory diseases. However, the use of this technique for the analysis of patients with asthma is still limited. The present study evaluates the contribution of the monofrequency FOT in the analysis of changes in respiratory mechanics during the breathing cycle and the dynamics of the respiratory system of asthmatics. In the first phase of the study, 14 healthy volunteers (CG) and 70 asthmatics were included. Among them, 13 patients with asthma had normal spirometry (NE), and the others showed mild obstruction (n=26), moderate (n=18) and severe (n=13). The parameters analyzed through FOT were the total impedance of the respiratory system (Zt), the inspiratory and expiratory impedance (Zi and Ze) and the impedance at the beginning of inspiration and expiration (Zii and Zie). The impedance peak-to-peak (Zii - Zie) and the mean of impedance (Zi - Ze) were also evaluated. In the second phase, the respiratory system dynamics was analyzed through the impedance variability, reflected by the standard deviation of Zrs (sdZrs), and the standard deviation of the Zrs logarithm (sdlnZrs), and an impedance complexity was analyzed through the approximated entropy of the Zrs (ApEnZ). 62 patients with asthma were analyzed, divided into NE (n=12), mild (n=20), moderate (n=18) and severe (n=12). The CG was composed by 12 volunteers. Tests of differences between means, correlations between the FOT parameters, spirometry, and ROC curves, were used to evaluate the potential of monofrequency FOT in the detection of asthma mechanical changes in real-time. The respiratory impedance was higher in asthmatics than in CG, being progressively bigger among asthmatics according to obstruction degree: Zt (p<0.0001), Zi (p<0.0001), Ze (p<0.0001), Zii (p<0.0001), Zie (p<0.0001) and AZrs (p<0.0001). The dynamics of the respiratory system suffered significant...

Within-breath analysis of respiratory mechanics in asthmatic patients by forced oscillation

INTRODUCTION: The within-breath analysis of respiratory mechanics by the monofrequency Forced Oscillation Technique (mFOT) is of great interest in both physiopathology studies and the diagnosis of respiratory diseases. However, there are limited data on the use of this technique in the analysis of asthma. This study evaluates within-breath mechanics of asthmatic individuals and the contribution of the mFOT in the asthma diagnosis. METHODS: Twenty-two healthy and twenty-two asthmatic subjects, including patients with mild (n=8), moderate (n=8), and severe (n=6) obstruction, were studied. Forced Oscillation Technique data were interpreted using the mean respiratory impedance (Zt), the impedance during inspiration (Zi), expiration (Ze), at the beginning of inspiration (Zii), and at expiration (Zie). The peakto-peak impedance (Zpp) was also calculated by the subtraction of Zii from Zie. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to determine the sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) of m Forced Oscillation Technique parameters in identifying asthma. RESULTS: Respiratory impedance values were significantly higher in asthmatics: Zt (p<0.001), Zi (p<0.001), Ze (p<0.001), Zii (p<0.001), Zie (p<0.001), and Zpp (p<0.003). The best parameters for detecting asthma were Zi, Zii, and Zie (Se=90.9%, Sp=90.9%), followed by Zt and Ze. These results are in close agreement with recently published theories and pathophysiological fundamentals. CONCLUSIONS: mFOT permits a non-invasive and detailed analysis in different phases of the respiratory cycle, providing parameters that are adequate for the diagnosis of asthma with high accuracy. These results confirm the high clinical and scientific potential of this methodology in the evaluation of asthmatic patients.