Sputum Cytometry Guided Management for the Elimination of Chronic Cough in Patients With ILD

Recruiting now · Not applicable

Conditions studied: ILD

In brief

In Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) there is thickening of lung tissue, which makes it difficult for patients to breathe and get enough oxygen into their bodies. In addition to shortness of breath, daily cough is very common, with 4 out of 5 patients experiencing this symptom. Cough in particular has a major impact on the ability to exercise, be active, and to simply enjoy life. There are many reasons for cough in ILD, and very often there are multiple overlapping causes. It is hard to improve cough in these patients, with available medicines providing limited relief. One explanation for this gap is an incomplete understanding of cough in ILD. To improve patients' cough there is a need to better understand its cause. In other lung diseases, such as asthma, doctors and scientists have used phlegm tests to measure inflammation in the lung, which helps them choose the right medicine for the right patient. This has not been done for ILD, even though it has recently been found that many patients with ILD and everyday cough have abnormal phlegm tests. Using this strategy in ILD could improve patients' cough and quality of life, and possibly even slow progression of the disease.

Key facts

Study ID: NCT05086432
Run by: McMaster University
People needed: 120
Starts: 2025-05-22
Expected to finish: 2027-03-01
Last updated by the study team: 2025-09-29

Who can join

Age: 18 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

Written informed consent consistent with ICH-GCP and local laws, signed prior to any study procedures being performed
Age >18 years
A clinical diagnosis of ILD with accepted specific diagnoses including:
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF)
Chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis associated ILD (CHP-ILD)
Connective tissue disease associated ILD (CTD-ILD)
Pneumoconiosis
Daily Cough for at least 8 weeks
Able to produce an adequate sample with sputum induction

You may not qualify if…

Patients with a diagnosis of systemic sclerosis associated ILD (SSc-ILD) or sarcoidosis
Cause of cough attributed to a known etiology (ex. ACE-inhibitor, uncontrolled gastroesophageal reflux or upper airway cough syndrome, acute viral illness)
Current use of inhaled corticosteroids
Current use of systemic corticosteroids (prednisone equivalent > 20mg/day)
Current use of chronic antibiotics
Airflow obstruction (ie. pre-bronchodilator FEV1/FVC ratio < 0.7)
History of physician-diagnosed asthma
History of emphysema
A history of cholestatic jaundice or hepatic dysfunction associated with prior use of azithromycin
Moderate to severe hepatic dysfunction with a Child Pugh score >10
Known allergy or hypersensitivity to inhaled corticosteroids or macrolide antibiotics
Corrected QT-interval (QTc) on screening electrocardiogram (ECG) of > 450ms
An established history of untreated atypical mycobacterial infection
A history of hearing impairment, tinnitus, or vertigo
Medication use likely to suppress cough (ex: morphine, gabapentin, amitriptyline)

Where it is running

St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton — Hamilton, Ontario, Canada (enrolling)

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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