Clearance in Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia

Summary

Understanding mechanisms of mucus clearance from the airways may lead to treatments in muco-obstructive lung conditions. Mucociliary clearance (MCC) scans are a way to measure the rate at which a person's lungs can clear inhaled particles. Through a single-arm pilot study in participants with primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), the investigators will evaluate the effect of exercise as a way to increase clearance through a mechanism called gas liquid transport (GLT) where the faster flow of air through the lungs during exercise is able to clear more particles. The investigators will repeat MCC measures with exercise after administering hypertonic saline (HS) to evaluate the effects of mucus hydration on both GLT and cough clearance (CC).

Aim 1. To quantify non-ciliary, non-cough mechanisms of mucus clearance (i.e., GLT) in PCD through an MCC protocol that introduces a standardized exercise intervention after isotope delivery.

Aim 2. To evaluate whether exercise-induced GLT and/or CC are responsive to hydrator intervention, using a short acting bronchodilator with 7% HS prior to isotope delivery followed by MCC with exercise intervention.

Conditions

• Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia
• PCD

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Exercise

At either V2 or V3, after 16 minutes of baseline MCC data collection, participants will perform 20 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise based on the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale, on a cycle ergometer. The goal through this moderate intensity exercise is to increase respiratory rate and airflow velocity, thereby potentially inducing GLT. Participants will then resume MCC scan data collection post-exercise to continue to measure the effects induced by exercise on clearance from the lungs.

OTHER

HS pretreatment with Exercise

At either V2 or V3, prior to the start of baseline MCC scanning, participants will undergo pretreatment with 4 puffs of inhaled levalbuterol (90 mcg per actuation, via spacer) followed by 4 ml of 7% HS via nebulizer. Participants will then start MCC scan data collection, and after 16 minutes of baseline MCC collection they will then complete 20 minutes of moderate intensity exercise according to the Borg RPE on a cycle ergometer. After 20 minutes, MCC scan will resume to continue to measure rates of clearance following HS pretreatment and exercise.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

  collaborator OTHER

• University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Katherine A Despotes, MD · University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Study Design

Allocation

NA

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-07-30

Primary Completion

2027-01-31

Completion

2027-01-31

Countries

• United States

Study Locations