Utility of Lung Clearance Index Score as a Noninvasive Marker of Small Airways Disease

April 10, 2026 updated by: Cecile Rose Professor of Medicine, National Jewish Health
To determine the utility and sensitivity of the lung clearance index (LCI) technique as a marker of small airways disease in adults with chronic lung conditions compared to healthy adults, adjusting for age, sex and smoking status.

Study Overview

Status

Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Target Population and Enrollment. The study will recruit and consent 300 patients from our Occupational Medicine and Interstitial Lung/Rheumatology Clinics at National Jewish Health who have been referred for evaluation of chronic lung conditions. The healthy control group will comprise 300 volunteers who are at least 18 years of age, have no history of pre-existing lung disease, and report no respiratory illness in the four weeks preceding enrollment. Inclusion criteria for the group with chronic lung disease will include physician diagnosis of a chronic lung condition (e.g. bronchiolitis, pulmonary fibrosis, asthma, coal mine dust lung disease, asbestosis), and age ≥18 years. Exclusion criteria will include recent myocardial infarction, stroke, eye surgery, chest/abdominal surgery (within past month), known thoracic, aortic, or cerebral aneurysm, or uncontrolled hypertension. Study participation will consist of one visit that will last between 90-120 minutes. The chronic lung disease group will fill out the informed consent and complete both LCI testing and spirometry. The healthy control group will complete informed consent, a brief questionnaire, LCI testing, and spirometry.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

600

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

    • Colorado
      • Denver, Colorado, United States, 80206
        • National Jewish Health

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Symptomatic military deployers with deployment-related lung disease seen at National Jewish Health and healthy controls subjects.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • physician diagnosis of a chronic lung condition (e.g. bronchiolitis, pulmonary fibrosis, asthma, coal mine dust lung disease, asbestosis), and age ≥18 years.

The healthy control group will comprise 300 volunteers who are at least 18 years of age, have no history of pre-existing lung disease, and report no respiratory illness in the four weeks preceding enrollment

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Exclusion criteria will include recent myocardial infarction, stroke, eye surgery, chest/abdominal surgery (within past month), known thoracic, aortic, or cerebral aneurysm, or uncontrolled hypertension.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Observational Models: Case-Control
  • Time Perspectives: Cross-Sectional

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Intervention / Treatment
Chronic Lung conditions
Study participation will consist of one visit: Informed consent, complete both Lung Clearance Index (LCI) testing and spirometry.
Determine the utility and sensitivity of the lung clearance index (LCI) technique as a marker of lung injury/small airways disease in adults with chronic lung conditions compared to health adults, adjusting for age, sex, and smoking status.
Healthy control group
Study participation will consist of one visit: Informed consent, brief questionnaire, LCI testing and spirometry.
Determine the utility and sensitivity of the lung clearance index (LCI) technique as a marker of lung injury/small airways disease in adults with chronic lung conditions compared to health adults, adjusting for age, sex, and smoking status.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Lung Clearance Index (LCI) technique can be used as a marker of small airways disease in adults with chronic lung conditions
Time Frame: Up to 12 months
Average of three acceptable trials.
Up to 12 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

April 24, 2017

Primary Completion (Estimated)

December 1, 2030

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 1, 2030

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

July 24, 2017

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 2, 2017

First Posted (Actual)

August 7, 2017

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

April 15, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 10, 2026

Last Verified

April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • HS-2985

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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