PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Anders Lindblad
AU  - Fatma Aljassim
AU  - Per Gustafsson
TI  - Lung clearance index (LCI) at age 1-4 years vs lung function and chest X-ray (CXR) scores at age 7 years in children with CF
DP  - 2011 Sep 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - p4558
VI  - 38
IP  - Suppl 55
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/p4558.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/p4558.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2011 Sep 01; 38
AB  - Background: LCI from SF6 multiple breath washout (MBW) is more sensitive than spirometry to detect early CF lung disease and correlates closely to CT lung changes in older CF subjects [1].Aim: To see if increased LCI during the preschool period correlates to elevated LCI, CXR abnormalities (Northern score) and reduced FEV1.0 at age seven.Methods: All CF patients born between 1995 and 2002, attending our center, and who had done at least one MBW at an annual review between age 0.6 to 4.0 years and retested at age seven with MBW, spirometry and CXR evaluated with Northern score [2] were included.Results: Out of 24 children included (17M, median age at dx 0.4, range 0.0-2.6 yrs) four had one, six had two and 14 three MBW done, before age seven. For mean age and LCI at each age period see table 1. Median (range) FEV1 at age 7 was 94% pred, (73;116).View this table:Table 1Mean LCI at age 1-3 yrs did not correlate to LCI (rs=0.26, p=0.228) or FEV1 (rs=0.09, p=0.702) at age 7 but correlated to Northern score (rs=0.52, p=0.010).Conclusion: Increased LCI in the preschool years correlates with the degree of structural lung changes at age 7.References:1. Gustafsson et al. Thorax. 2008;63:129-34.2. Conway et al. Thorax. 1994;49:860-2