The aim of this proof-of-concept study is to obtain data that will contribute to the development of sensor devices (biosensor and environmental sensor) for patients with lung diseases (e.g. COPD). The study aims to validate our previous results from healthy subjects by joint testing of the biosensor and environmental device in a real-world setting. Healthy subjects and COPD subjects will be exposed to air of a traffic dense urban region ("urban" air) and to filtered indoor air ("clean" air) during activity and rest. Environmental and biomarker sensors will be used to measure several biomarkers and environmental conditions.
The EU-sponsored REMEDIA project (Impact of exposome on the course of lung diseases, Grant agreement ID 874753) contributes to the understanding of the influence of the exposome on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cystic fibrosis (CF). While COPD is considered to be mainly related to the external exposome (smoking, ambient particulate matter, household air pollution, occupational particulate matter, ozone and second-hand smoke) CF is the consequence of a genetic defect in the CFTR gene, which gives an essential role to factors outside of the exposome. However, COPD and CF share common characteristics such as high phenotypic variability of unknown origin, and similar progressive loss of lung function with small bronchi alterations. Given this high phenotypic variability it is clear that the overall picture must be supplemented by considering additional components of the exposome. The REMEDIA project investigates the specific exposome associated with particular COPD or CF phenotypes. Objective of work package 3 within the REMEDIA project is the development of a mobile environmental sensor toolbox that is capable to assess the external exposome (temperature, humidity, particulate matter (PM), volatile organic compounds (VOC), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), carbon-monoxide (CO), and sulfur dioxide (SO2)) and a mobile biosensor unit that can measure inflammatory biomarkers in exhaled breath. Currently specific sensors for the analysis of hexanal, nitrotyrosine and neutrophils elastase are included into the sensor tool kit. Other relevant molecules are evaluated and selected in other work packages and could be included into the tool kit. Our previous experimental exposure study focused on the major environmental air pollutant ozone and was supposed to test the biosensor unit under close to "real life conditions". Ozone is known to cause a temporary neutrophilic airway inflammation, which is also typical for patients with COPD and CF. This proof-of-concept study aims to validate our previous results from healthy subjects by joint testing of the biosensor and environmental device in a real-world setting. Healthy subjects and COPD subjects will be exposed to air of a traffic dense urban region ("urban" air) and to filtered indoor air ("clean" air) during activity and rest. The biosensor will measure the following biomarker: 3-Nitrotyrosin, Hexanal and Neutrophil Elastase. The environmental sensor will measure the following parameters: CO, O3, SO2, NO2, VOC, PM10, PM2.5, temperature, humidity, light and sound level. The collected data will be evaluated in terms of population and exposure.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Purpose
OTHER
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
25
Subjects will be exposed to filtered indoor air ("clean" air) for 4 hours in the Fraunhofer Environmental Exposure Chamber. The chamber can accommodate up to 18 subjects, is ventilated by HEPA-filtered and conditioned air, ensuring a constant humidity (40 ± 10%), temperature (22 ± 2°C), and airflow (1500 ± 100 m3/hr). During exposure they will perform an intermittent bicycle ergometer activity at 50 W for 10 minutes alternating with 20 minutes rest.
Subjects will be brought to a traffic dense urban region ("urban air") with high traffic density and increased levels of particulate matter and vehicle emissions. Subjects will stay in this area for 4 hours. During exposure, all subjects will walk together with study staff. Rest periods are only allowed outside. Intervals of activity and rest will be similar to the "clean air" regimen.
Fraunhofer ITEM
Hanover, Lower Saxony, Germany
Concentration of Biomarkers in exhaled breath condensate collected by biosensor
3-Nitrotyrosin
Time frame: On day 1,3,5,8,10, and 12 of the study
Concentration of Biomarkers in exhaled breath condensate collected by biosensor
Hexanal
Time frame: On day 1,3,5,8,10, and 12 of the study
Concentration of Biomarkers in exhaled breath condensate collected by biosensor
Neutrophil Elastase
Time frame: On day 1,3,5,8,10, and 12 of the study
Data collected by environmental sensor
Concentration of CO
Time frame: Through study completion (study days 1-12)
Data collected by environmental sensor
Concentration of O3
Time frame: Through study completion (study days 1-12)
Data collected by environmental sensor
Concentration of SO2
Time frame: Through study completion (study days 1-12)
Data collected by environmental sensor
Concentration of NO2
Time frame: Through study completion (study days 1-12)
Data collected by environmental sensor
Concentration of VOC
Time frame: Through study completion (study days 1-12)
Data collected by environmental sensor
Concentration of PM10
Time frame: Through study completion (study days 1-12)
Data collected by environmental sensor
Concentration of PM2.5
Time frame: Through study completion (study days 1-12)
Data collected by environmental sensor
temperature
Time frame: Through study completion (study days 1-12)
Data collected by environmental sensor
Humidity of the subject's ambient air within a range of 0 % to 100 % and with a resolution of 1 %
Time frame: Through study completion (study days 1-12)
Data collected by environmental sensor
Light level of the subject's environment within a range of 350 nm to 1100 nm
Time frame: Through study completion (study days 1-12)
Data collected by environmental sensor
Sound level of the subject's environment within a range of 20 Hz to 10 kHz and with a resolution of 1 Pa / 1 kHz
Time frame: Through study completion (study days 1-12)
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