PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Vincent Geudens
AU  - Celine Aelbrecht
AU  - Janne Kaes
AU  - Jan Van Slambrouck
AU  - Tinne Goos
AU  - Arno Vanstapel
AU  - Gitte Aerts
AU  - Iwein Gyselinck
AU  - Laurens J. De Sadeleer
AU  - Stijn E. Verleden
AU  - Geert M. Verleden
AU  - Wim Janssens
AU  - Robin Vos
AU  - Laurens J. Ceulemans
AU  - Ghislaine Gayan-Ramirez
AU  - Bart M. Vanaudenaerde
AU  - Wim A. Wuyts
TI  - The impact of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis on the airway length per generation in the human lung
AID  - 10.1183/13993003.congress-2021.PA3284
DP  - 2021 Sep 05
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - PA3284
VI  - 58
IP  - suppl 65
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/58/suppl_65/PA3284.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/58/suppl_65/PA3284.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2021 Sep 05; 58
AB  - In IPF, interstitial fibrosis restrains the secondary pulmonary unit to fully expand leading to a decrease in volume. The impact of this reduced lung volume on airway length is unknown.We assessed differences in airway length in air-inflated (TLC) control and end-stage IPF lungs using whole lung microCT (155µM resolution). Our analysis was restricted to the longest airway from the main bronchus to the basal segment of the lower lobe as uniform simplified conceptual design. We hypothesized that decreased lung volume alters and reduces the airway length.We measured lower lobe volume, length of the longest airway branch and airway length per generation in 6 control (non-used donors) and 6 IPF (end-stage) explant lungs, matched for age, gender and length.In IPF, lower lobe volume decreased with 70% (p<0.0001, fig. 1.a), while total airway branch length did not change (p=0.53, fig. 1.b). Linear regression showed that consecutive branching length progressively decreases with increasing generation almost equally in normal and IPF lungs (-0.54 mm/generation, p=0.98, fig. 1.c). However, the (mainly small) airways in IPF appeared not straight but folded (fig. 1.e, f compared to control fig 1.d).Our results show that the airways in IPF are bended in a “meandering” pattern to fit in the reduced lung volume, which will most certainly impact the airflow and pulmonary function.FootnotesCite this article as: European Respiratory Journal 2021; 58: Suppl. 65, PA3284.This abstract was presented at the 2021 ERS International Congress, in session “Prediction of exacerbations in patients with COPD”.This is an ERS International Congress abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this abstract may be available at www.ers-education.org (ERS member access only).