MUlti-nuclear MR Imaging Investigation of Respiratory Disease-associated CHanges in Lung Physiology

Plain-language summary

Lung magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with proton and inhaled inert gases has demonstrated a clinical ability to provide valuable structural and functional information in lung disease. Advances in lung MRI methods have led to the STH department handling clinical imaging referrals from local and national respiratory units. Hyperpolarised Xenon-129 gas MRI is now the gold-standard MRI modality used in clinical practice for asthma and COPD in Sheffield. In this new study, the investigators will use Xenon gas MR imaging and 19F gas MR imaging to obtain physiological, structural, and functional information about patients with known respiratory disease, namely asthma and COPD. Up to 20 patients with asthma and up to 20 patients with COPD will be recruited. Study visits will involve lung function tests and imaging using proton MRI, hyperpolarised xenon gas MRI, and 19F perfluoropropane MRI. After initial baseline assessments, patients will be followed up after 3 and 6 years to investigate the utility of MRI and lung function measurements in tracking disease progression over time. In addition, during the COVID-19 pandemic will also be studying the long term effects of this novel disease. The investigators will use Xenon gas MR imaging and pulmonary vascular 1H MR imaging to obtain physiological, structural, and functional information about patients with COVID-19, including hospitalised patients and mild, non-hospitalised COVID-19 patients. Participants may be invited for baseline assessments during the symptomatic phase of the disease and/or be followed up after 6, 12, 24 and 52 weeks (in line with clinical follow up for hospitalised patients) to investigate long term effects of this novel disease. This novel approach will provide mechanistic insight in to clinical observations such as : (i) why previously healthy patients can respond so poorly to oxygen/ventilation therapy, (ii) why patients respond to proning, and (iii) whether this is caused by alveolar-capillary interstitial changes and /or microvascular clotting in the pulmonary vasculature (leading to V/Q mismatch), and (iv) whether these acute changes lead to long term interstitial lung disease.

Who can participate

What they're measuring

Trial details