Authors:
Ramsey KA, Ranganathan S, Park J, Skoric B, Adams AM, Simpson SJ, Robins-Browne RM, Franklin PJ, de Klerk NH, Sly PD, Stick SM, Hall GL
Authors notes:
American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine. 2014;190(10):1111-1116
Keywords:
Longitudinal, lung function, infant, pulmonary infection, bronchoalveolar lavage
Abstract:
Pulmonary inflammation, infection, and structural lung disease occur early in life in children with cystic fibrosis.
We hypothesized that the presence of these markers of cystic fibrosis lung disease in the first 2 years of life would be associated with reduced lung function in childhood.
Children with cystic fibrosis (n = 56) had 8.3% lower FEV0.75 compared with healthy subjects (n = 18).
Detection of proinflammatory bacterial pathogens (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Haemophilus influenzae, Aspergillus species, Streptococcus pneumoniae) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was associated with clinically significant reductions in FEV0.75.
The onset of lung disease in infancy, specifically the occurrence of lower respiratory tract infection, is associated with low lung function in young children with cystic fibrosis.
Deficits in lung function measured in infancy persist into childhood, emphasizing the need for targeted therapeutic interventions in infancy to maximize functional outcomes later in life.