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Systematic Approach for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Obstructive Lung Diseases

Conditions
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Asthma
Overlap Syndrome
Interventions
Drug: LABA + LAMA
Drug: ICS
Drug: LABA + LAMA + ICS
Drug: LABA + ICS
Drug: other
Registration Number
NCT02488590
Lead Sponsor
KU Leuven
Brief Summary

The differential diagnosis of asthma and COPD is sometimes difficult. Recently, an overlap syndrome has been defined based on the concurrence of asthma and COPD characteristics. These characteristics are based on expert opinions and have never been investigated nor validated prospectively.

The investigators assume that the management strategy, the symptom burden and disease progression will differ between asthma, COPD and ACOS. Therefore, the study wants to establish baseline criteria for an appropriate disease definition and evaluate the potential impact on treatment and symptom control.

Detailed Description

This study aims to test a diagnostic algorithm for obstructive airways diseases that may be used in daily practice to obtain a correct differential diagnosis and, hence, initiate an adequate therapy according to the current guidelines. The proposed algorithm will be used to categorize patients in 4 different diagnoses with specific treatment choices: asthma, obstructive asthma, overlap asthma with COPD, and COPD. The study will evaluate which tests and criteria contribute most to the diagnostic work-up and final diagnosis.

Test battery for diagnosis

* spirometry with bronchodilator reversibility testing

* bodyplethysmography: spirometry, volumes, resistance, diffusing capacity

* exhaled NO

* blood sample

* CT scan of thorax (only when obstructive spirometry)

* histamine challenge (only when spirometry is not obstructive)

* induced sputum (not for protocol interpretation)

Definition of endpoints

1. Physician based diagnosis:

diagnosis based on clinical exam and spirometry

2. Algorithm based diagnosis:

diagnosis based on clinical exam and test battery

3. Final standard diagnosis diagnosis based on clinical exam, test battery and clinical evolution of 1 year.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
UNKNOWN
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
180
Inclusion Criteria
  • Subjects with respiratory symptoms suggestive of chronic airway disease
Exclusion Criteria
  • Subjects with an immediate need for hospitalization or a treatment of systemic glucocorticoid or long-term antibiotics
  • Subjects with pregnancy
  • Subjects with clinically significant cardiovascular disease that warrants intervention
  • Subject with concomitant pulmonary diseases (pulmonary embolism, interstitial lung disease etc..).

Study & Design

Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Study Design
Not specified
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASELABA + LAMAPatients with an obstructive spirometry and characteristics of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Clinical intervention: Long acting B agonist (LABA) + Long acting muscarinic receptor antagonist (LAMA) inhaled therapy
ASTHMAICSpatients with asthma and a normal spirometry Clinical intervention: Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS)
ASTHMA COPD OVERLAP SYNDROMELABA + LAMA + ICSpatients with an obstructive spirometry and characteristics of both COPD and Asthma Clinical Intervention: LABA + LAMA + ICS
OBSTRUCTIVE ASTHMALABA + ICSpatients with an obstructive spirometry and characteristics of asthma Clinical Intervention: LABA + ICS inhaled therapy
OTHERotherpatients with another diagnosis or healthy persons clinical Intervention: undefined - according to diagnosis
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Accuracy of the proposed diagnostic algorithmafter work-up at inclusion (at baseline)

% changes of algorithm diagnosis compared to physician based diagnosis (based on spirometry only)

Accuracy of the proposed diagnostic algorithm (at one year follow-up)at one year

% changes of algorithm diagnosis compared to final diagnosis (based on all tests with clinical evolution for 1 year))

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Difference in ACT/CAT-scores1 year

Difference of ACT/CAT-scores between arms at 1 year

Difference in Delta ACT/CAT scores (0 - 1 year)1 year

Difference of delta ACT/CAT-scores (0 - 1 year) between arms

Difference in Delta ACT/CAT scores (0 - 3 months)3 months

Difference of delta ACT/CAT-scores (0 - 3 months) between arms

specificity and sensitivity of individual criteria for final diagnosis1 year

ROC curve analysis for individual criteria in predicting final diagnosis

independency of criteria for final diagnosis1 year

Logistic regression analysis for criteria in predicting final diagnosis

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

UZ Gasthuisberg

🇧🇪

Leuven, Vlaanderen, Belgium

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