Pulmonary Diseases in WTC Workers: Symptoms, Function, and Chest CT Correlates

The goal of this proposal is to characterize WTC-related lower airway disorders, and use novel imaging approaches to the investigation of obesity, one of their most important risk factors for poor clinical outcome and chronicity. To that end, the clinical team will utilize the WTC Pulmonary Evaluation Unit Chest CT Imaging Archive, an already established large imaging database, linked to extensive related databases that include disease symptoms, both pre-WTC and WTC-related occupational exposures, detailed pulmonary function and longitudinal spirometry measurements, visual imaging classification and grading, and quantitative computer assisted method (QCAM) measurements of airway, pulmonary parenchymal, pleural, and cardiovascular abnormalities. During the course of the proposed research project, the clinical team will continue to enrich most sources of data with periodic updates, in order to accrue information on the trajectories of the different clinical, functional, and imaging abnormalities observed in this population, and investigate the role of key adverse risk factors directly, and in collaboration with other investigators. In a related project, the research team will focus on COPD, classifying its severity, investigating its diagnostic stability, progression, and transitions, characterize structural abnormalities as assessed by chest CT imaging, and examine the interaction of WTC-related exposure levels with tobacco smoking on increasing the risk of for the disease.

Grant U01 OH010401 was renewed to 6/30/2026.

Grant U01 OH011697 proposes (1) to establish the quantitative computed tomography (QCT) characteristics that may differentiate WTC-related from non-WTC-related COPD, (2) investigate characteristics and longitudinal lung function trajectories of WTC patients with pre-COPD, and (3) investigate lung mechanical strain (LMS) as an early QCT marker of lung injury associated with chronic disease and accelerated longitudinal lung function decline.

Grant U01 OH012782-01-00 proposes (1) to test the use of added respiratory surveillance tools (diffusion capacity and forced oscillometry) and explore functional markers of disease progression, (2) explore alternate methods to investigate longitudinal functional trajectories, and (3) novel spirometry calibration methods that might facilitate the implementation of spirometry in nonspecialized settings.