Lung function in early childhood with diagnosis of post-infectious non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis

<bold>Introduction:</bold> Non-cystic fibrosis (non-CF) bronchiectasis (BE) is defined as a clinical syndrome of recurrent, persistent wet cough and abnormal bronchial dilatation on chest computed tomography scans. <bold>Aims and objectives:</bold> The aims of this study were to characterize the trajectories of lung function parameters and to consider the relationship between the lung function and radiological severity according to the Reiff score. <bold>Methods:</bold> The study retrospectively evaluated the records of 86 children (46.5% male, median age of 4 years) with non-CF BE, who had been consecutively referred to the Pulmonology Unit of Buzzi Children's Hospital from January 2011 to December 2022. The Reiff score was adapted to quantify the severity of BE. Spirometry was performed at median age of 5.78 years (T₀) and after 1 and 2 years from the baseline (T₁ and T₂ respectively). <bold>Results:</bold> The general trends of lung function parameters showed a statistically significant variation of forced vital capacity (FVC%) and forced expiratory volume in 1s (FEV₁%) from T₀ to T₁ (p=0.0062, 0.0009) and no significant change for FVC%, FEV₁% and forced expiratory flow 25-75% of VC (FEF_25/75%) from T₁ to T₂ (p=0.145, 0.21, 0.6, respectively). Notably, we found no correlation between the age at diagnosis and the lung function parameters at T₀ (r=0.149, 0.103 and 0.042 for FVC%, FEV₁% and FEF_25/75%, respectively). Instead, a poor negative correlation resulted between the Reiff score and FVC%, FEV1% e FEF25/75% at baseline (Spearman coefficients: rho=-0.156, -0.204, -0.103, respectively). <bold>Conclusions:</bold> A recovery of pulmonary function is detectable within 1 year from baseline spirometry assuming that an early diagnosis and appropriate management likely improves the clinical outcome in post-infectious non-CF BE.