Variability of tracheobronchial clearance in healthy non-smoking subjects.
Tracheobronchial clearance was measured twice in 10 healthy non-smoking volunteers to evaluate inter- and intrasubject variability, using a radio-aerosol technique (5 microns 99mTc-labelled polystyrene particles). By means of two detectors radioactivity in the lungs was measured at regular intervals for 6 h and once more 24 h after inhalation. The decrease in radioactivity after correction for background activity, isotope decay and 24-hour retention was assumed to reflect tracheobronchial clearance. Among other parameters to quantitate the results of these tests, the area under the retention curve up to 6 h after inhalation (AUC-6) was calculated. The intersubject coefficient of variation (COV) using the AUC-6 was 31%. The intrasubject COV of the AUC-6 was 11%. These results compare favourably with those reported by others using different techniques. It is concluded that the intrasubject variability of tracheobronchial clearance as measured by this technique is small.
van Hengstum
M
M
Department of Pulmonary Diseases, University Hospital Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Festen
J
J
Buijs
W
W
van den Broek
W
W
Corstens
F
F
D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001980:Bronchi / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009079:Mucociliary Clearance; D015588:Observer Variation; D011137:Polystyrenes / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012907:Smoking / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014132:Trachea / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014915:Whole-Body Counting
D011137:Polystyrenes