Airspace Dimension Assessment for early detection of lung health in adults born with extremely low birth weight

<bold>Background and objectives:</bold> The survival of preterm infants has increased significantly in recent decades. Extremely low birth weight (ELBW <1000g) infants are at risk of developing chronic lung disease and lung function impairment in young adulthood predicts obstructive airways disease later in life. A new technique called Airspace Dimension Assessment (AiDA) with inhaled nanoparticles enables early detection of emphysema and gives data on small airways dimensions. The aim of this study was to compare lung health in adults born with ELBW to controls using the AiDA and dynamic spirometry methods. <bold>Methods:</bold> This study is part of a larger Swedish longitudinal cohort study with adults born with ELBW (n=35, 18 males and 17 females) and a group of matched term controls (n=38, 19 males and 19 females) and all born 1990-1992. The effective airspace radius (rAiDA) and zero-second recovery (R0) from AiDA method and FEV1/FVC ratio (forced expiratory volume in 1 s, FEV1, and forced vital capacity, FVC) were used to compare the two groups. <bold>Results:</bold> The studied group with ELBW had higher rAiDA than control group (mean±SD: 0.32±0.04 vs 0.28±0.03 mm, p-value < 0.0001) and lower FEV1/FVC ratio than control group (mean±SD: 0.76±0.06 vs 0.81±0.05, p-value = 0.0002). No significant differences were found in the R0 between the studied group born with ELBW and the term controls (mean±SD: 0.28±0.09 vs 0.25±0.11 arbitrary units, p-value = 0.19). <bold>Conclusion:</bold> This study shows changes in the periphery of the lungs in adults born with ELBW and indicates the potential to use this new AiDA method for identification of early structural changes in the lungs.