title: Detection and monitoring of early airway injury effects of half-mustard (2-chloroethylethylsulfide) exposure using high-resolution optical coherence tomography.
abstract: Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a noninvasive, high-resolution imaging technology capable of delivering real-time, near-histologic images of tissues. Mustard gas is a vesicant-blistering agent that can cause severe and lethal damage to airway and lungs. The ability to detect and assess airway injury in the clinical setting of mustard exposure is currently limited. The purpose of this study is to assess the ability to detect and monitor progression of half-mustard [2-chloroethylethylsulfide (CEES)] airway injuries with OCT techniques. A ventilated rabbit mustard exposure airway injury model is developed. A flexible fiber optic OCT probe is introduced into the distal trachea to image airway epithelium and mucosa in vivo. Progression of airway injury is observed over eight hours with OCT using a prototype time-domain superluminescent diode OCT system. OCT tracheal images from CEES exposed animals are compared to control rabbits for airway mucosal thickening and other changes. OCT detects the early occurrence and progression of dramatic changes in the experimental group after exposure to CEES. Histology and immunofluorescence staining confirms this finding. OCT has the potential to be a high resolution imaging modality capable of detecting, assessing, and monitoring treatment for airway injury following mustard vesicant agent exposures.
authors.affiliation: University of California, Irvine, Beckman Laser Institute, Irvine, California 92612, USA.
authors.forename: Kelly A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Kreuter
authors.forename: Sari B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Mahon
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Mukai
authors.forename: Jianping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Woong-Gyu
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Navneet
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Narula
authors.forename: Shuguang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wakida
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Raub
authors.forename: Michael W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Berns
authors.forename: Steven C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: George
authors.forename: Zhongping
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brenner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D055370:Lung Injury / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology*; D009151:Mustard Gas / Q000506:poisoning*; D011817:Rabbits; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D009151:Mustard Gas