Project: The impact of pulmonary tuberculosis and other lower respiratory tract pathogens on lung function in young South African children

Acronym	TB Lung FACT (Reference Number: TMA 2015 CDF - 1012)
Duration	01/07/2017 - 30/06/2020
Project Topic	Tuberculosis (TB) and acute pneumonia are important causes of morbidity and mortality in children in the developing world. Viral and bacterial infections play a key role in acute lower respiratory tract illnesses in childhood, with respiratory pathogens identified in up to 90% of cases. Although the importance of viral and bacterial infections, including pulmonary TB (PTB) during respiratory illnesses is well recognized, key questions regarding the long-term sequellae of these infections remain unclear. These are especially relevant in developing country settings where the burden of these diseases is high. Limited data are available on lung function measurements in young children living in low and middle-income countries. It is well known that early lung function is a predictor of lung function and possible chronic respiratory disease later in life. Clinical and epidemiological research in young children with PTB and other respiratory pathogens may benefit substantially from lung function measurements to assess the functional impact of these infections. Improved knowledge on PTB and lung function impairment will allow for the development and implementation of possible preventative and therapeutic strategies in high-risk children, including tailored antituberculosis treatment approaches, target vaccination for influenza or respiratory syncytial virus and immunemodulating antibiotics. Although several infant lung function techniques have been developed over the last decades, most of these require sophisticated equipment and sedation, limiting their application to specialized research laboratories. A major recent advance has been the development and validation of a portable device to measure lung function in infants and young children: the Whistler LFMi (MediSpirit, Nuenen, the Netherlands). This device includes measurements using the single occlusion technique (SOT) and the interrupter resistance technique (Rint). Both measure airway resistance while the SOT also measures airway compliance during tidal breathing. The Whistler LFMi is the first handheld device in the world for performing pulmonary function tests on babies and young children, which can readily be used in clinical settings. Both techniques have been shown to be feasible and reliable in infants and young children in studies conducted in Europe. Our proposed study aims to investigate the impact of M. tuberculosis and other common bacterial and viral pathogens in young South African children by using pratical and novel lung function measurements. Children will be classified into bacteriologically confirmed, clinically diagnosed TB and not TB (PTB excluded) with or without other respiratory pathogens. We will assess both baseline and long-term lung function in these children after 6 months.
Network	EDCTP2
Call	Training and Mobility Awards: Career Development Fellowships

Project partner

Number	Name	Role	Country
1	Stellenbosch University	Coordinator	South Africa