Skip to main content

Main menu

  • Home
  • Current issue
  • ERJ Early View
  • Past issues
  • ERS Guidelines
  • Authors/reviewers
    • Instructions for authors
    • Submit a manuscript
    • Open access
    • Peer reviewer login
  • Alerts
  • Subscriptions
  • ERS Publications
    • European Respiratory Journal
    • ERJ Open Research
    • European Respiratory Review
    • Breathe
    • ERS Books
    • ERS publications home

User menu

  • Log in
  • Subscribe
  • Contact Us
  • My Cart

Search

  • Advanced search
  • ERS Publications
    • European Respiratory Journal
    • ERJ Open Research
    • European Respiratory Review
    • Breathe
    • ERS Books
    • ERS publications home

Login

European Respiratory Society

Advanced Search

  • Home
  • Current issue
  • ERJ Early View
  • Past issues
  • ERS Guidelines
  • Authors/reviewers
    • Instructions for authors
    • Submit a manuscript
    • Open access
    • Peer reviewer login
  • Alerts
  • Subscriptions

Feasibility of measuring sputum rheology in COPD

Chris Nettles, Lucy Jenkins, Rob Daniels, Rhodri Williams, Keir Lewis
European Respiratory Journal 2014 44: P3959; DOI:
Chris Nettles
1College of Engineering, Swansea University, Swansea, United Kingdom
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Lucy Jenkins
2Respiratory Medicine, Prince Philip Hospital, Hywel Dda University Health Board, Llanelli, United Kingdom
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Rob Daniels
1College of Engineering, Swansea University, Swansea, United Kingdom
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Rhodri Williams
1College of Engineering, Swansea University, Swansea, United Kingdom
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Keir Lewis
2Respiratory Medicine, Prince Philip Hospital, Hywel Dda University Health Board, Llanelli, United Kingdom
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • Article
  • Info & Metrics
Loading

Abstract

Introduction:

Sputum has the capacity to stretch into long thin thread-like shapes, from which the measurement of its core-central diameter can in turn provide its dynamic extensional properties.Viscosity of sputum from patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) changes when they have exacerbations.

Measuring viscoelastic properties of sputum may lead to biomarkers for type of infection (e.g. viral versus bacterial) or response to treatment. We wanted to see if it is feasible to objectively measure viscoelastic properties of sputum using rheological techniques.

Methods:

Spontaneous sputum was collected from 18 patients during an exacerbation of known COPD, then analysed using an AR-2000G2 rheometer (TA Instruments, UK) . Oscillatory rheology was performed between 0.01Hz and 100Hz with a strain of 2% which ensured that the sample was within the linear viscoelastic region.

Results: As a whole, the elastic modulus was greater than the viscous modulus at all frequencies which highlights that sputum has a predominantly viscoelastic solid-like behaviour. The magnitude of G', G'' (a measure of the energy stored in a material in which a deformation / shear has been imposed) varied between samples but the phase angles for all samples were in a relatively narrow range between 9 and 17 and were repeatable.

Conclusion: Rheology is a reliable method for quantifying viscoelastic properties of sputum from patients with COPD which have been successfully modelled with an approximate power law behaviour. Other studies are now comparing core rheological properties of sputum in the stable versus exacerbating state and in frequent exacerbators versus stable patients, with similar lung function.

  • Physiology
  • Biomarkers
  • COPD - mechanism
  • © 2014 ERS
Previous
Back to top
Vol 44 Issue Suppl 58 Table of Contents
  • Table of Contents
  • Index by author
Email

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word on European Respiratory Society .

NOTE: We only request your email address so that the person you are recommending the page to knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail. We do not capture any email address.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
Feasibility of measuring sputum rheology in COPD
(Your Name) has sent you a message from European Respiratory Society
(Your Name) thought you would like to see the European Respiratory Society web site.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Citation Tools
Feasibility of measuring sputum rheology in COPD
Chris Nettles, Lucy Jenkins, Rob Daniels, Rhodri Williams, Keir Lewis
European Respiratory Journal Sep 2014, 44 (Suppl 58) P3959;

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero

Share
Feasibility of measuring sputum rheology in COPD
Chris Nettles, Lucy Jenkins, Rob Daniels, Rhodri Williams, Keir Lewis
European Respiratory Journal Sep 2014, 44 (Suppl 58) P3959;
del.icio.us logo Digg logo Reddit logo Technorati logo Twitter logo CiteULike logo Connotea logo Facebook logo Google logo Mendeley logo

Jump To

  • Article
  • Info & Metrics
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One

More in this TOC Section

  • Long-term survivalaccording to Czech clinical phenotypes of COPD- Czech multicentre research database of severe COPD
  • Assessment of lung volumes and capacities in bronchodilator reversibility changes of hyperinflation of COPD
  • Prevalence and clinical correlates of patient-reported autonomic symptoms among subjects with COPD
Show more 1.12 Clinical Problems - COPD

Related Articles

Navigate

  • Home
  • Current issue
  • Archive

About the ERJ

  • Journal information
  • Editorial board
  • Press
  • Permissions and reprints
  • Advertising

The European Respiratory Society

  • Society home
  • myERS
  • Privacy policy
  • Accessibility

ERS publications

  • European Respiratory Journal
  • ERJ Open Research
  • European Respiratory Review
  • Breathe
  • ERS books online
  • ERS Bookshop

Help

  • Feedback

For authors

  • Instructions for authors
  • Publication ethics and malpractice
  • Submit a manuscript

For readers

  • Alerts
  • Subjects
  • Podcasts
  • RSS

Subscriptions

  • Accessing the ERS publications

Contact us

European Respiratory Society
442 Glossop Road
Sheffield S10 2PX
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 114 2672860
Email: journals@ersnet.org

ISSN

Print ISSN:  0903-1936
Online ISSN: 1399-3003

Copyright © 2023 by the European Respiratory Society