# CT-based Characterization of Lung Volume-determined Airway and Chest Wall Deformation Interdependences in COPD

> **NIH NIH R21** · UNIVERSITY OF IOWA · 2024 · $116,625

## Abstract

Abstract
Overview: This research study will leverage established datasets from nationwide longitudinal lung studies to characterize
multi-volume mechanical changes affecting airway and chest wall pathophysiology in chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease (COPD) in the presence of emphysema, small airway disease, low bone density, and sarcopenia. Emphysema, air
trapping, airway counts and geometry, and multi-volume determined metrics of functional small airway disease (fSAD)
have been well investigated. However, changes in airway and chest wall deformation between two lung volumes in COPD
and their interactions in the presence of different comorbidities have not been explored. This study will characterize
unique subtypes of COPD-related abnormalities in airway and chest wall deformation between inspiratory and
expiratory lung volumes, identify their associations in COPD and comorbidities, and assess their impacts on disease
progression and clinical outcomes. Methods: Inspiratory and expiratory chest CT scans will be used to define metrics of
transverse (Δair-T) and longitudinal (Δair-L) airway deformation and caudocranial (Δwall-CC) and mediolateral (Δwall-ML)
chest wall deformation between two lung volumes. Data of healthy never-smokers in the Multi-Ethnic Study of
Atherosclerosis Lung (MESALung) will be used to build normative models of different deformation metrics. Genetic
Epidemiology of COPD (COPDGene) study data will be used to characterize different subtypes of abnormalities in multi-
volume airway and chest wall deformation in COPD. This project will achieve three aims. Aim 1 develops normative
models of airway and chest wall deformation metrics, computes participant- and metric-specific standardized scores of
deviations from expected values and identifies unique subtypes of lung volume associated airway and chest wall
deformation in COPD. Aim 2 characterizes the associations of airway and chest wall subtypes in COPD with demographics,
disease severity, radiographic markers, physical activity, smoking status and history, low bone density, and sarcopenia.
Aim 3 investigates the associations of 5-year lung function change and clinical outcome metrics with different airway and
chest wall subtypes. Novelty: (i) Characterization of novel subtypes of abnormalities in multi-volume airway and chest
wall deformation in COPD and assessment of their clinical relevance. (ii) Automation of multi-volume CT-based airway
and chest wall deformation metrics. (iii) Normative models of airway and chest wall deformation metrics. Strengths:
Established longitudinal data repositories, multi-disciplinary expertise of the research team, and strong preliminary data.
Deliverables and Significance: (i) CT-based characterization of new airway and chest wall deformation subtypes will
facilitate understanding mechanical changes affecting airway and chest wall pathophysiology and their associations with
COPD comorbidities and assessment of their impacts on disease progres...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10985337
- **Project number:** 1R21HL175750-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF IOWA
- **Principal Investigator:** ALEJANDRO Pierre COMELLAS
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $116,625
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-09-01 → 2026-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10985337

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10985337, CT-based Characterization of Lung Volume-determined Airway and Chest Wall Deformation Interdependences in COPD (1R21HL175750-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10985337. Licensed CC0.

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