Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 22, 2025
02:09
Multi-modal Pulmonary Imaging: Using Complementary Information from CT and Hyperpolarized 129Xe MRI to Evaluate Lung Structure-Function
Published on: April 12, 2024
861
Structural airway imaging metrics are differentially associated with persistent chronic bronchitis.
Surya P Bhatt1,2, Sandeep Bodduluri3,2, Abhilash S Kizhakke Puliyakote4
1Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA sbhatt@uabmc.edu.
Thorax
|January 7, 2021
Summary
Measures of airway wall thickness (WA% and Pi10) are linked to developing chronic bronchitis (CB), while airway fractal dimension (AFD) and total airway count (TAC) may indicate a lower risk.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonary Medicine
- Radiology
- Respiratory Health
Background:
- Chronic bronchitis (CB) is strongly linked to cigarette smoking, yet not all smokers develop the condition.
- Investigating structural airway disease on CT scans may reveal factors differentiating smokers who develop CB.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate if computed tomography (CT) measures of structural airway disease are differentially associated with chronic bronchitis (CB).
Main Methods:
- Smokers aged 45-80 (GOLD stages 0-4) had CB assessed via classic definition and CT-quantified airway measures: wall area percent (WA%), Pi10, total airway count (TAC), and airway fractal dimension (AFD).
- CB was reassessed at a 5-year follow-up.
Main Results:
- At baseline, 19.4% of 8917 participants had CB, with significantly worse airway measures (WA%, Pi10, TAC, AFD) compared to those without CB.
- At 5-year follow-up, greater WA% and Pi10 were associated with persistent CB (ORs 1.75 and 1.66, respectively).
- Higher AFD and TAC were associated with lower odds of persistent CB (ORs 0.76 and 0.69, respectively), adjusted for smoking status and lung function changes.
Conclusions:
- Higher baseline airway fractal dimension (AFD) and total airway count (TAC) correlate with a reduced risk of persistent chronic bronchitis.
- Preserved airway structure, indicated by higher AFD and TAC, may offer a protective reserve against developing CB, independent of smoking status changes.
Keywords:
COPD pathology
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