Department of Aerospace Engineering, Institute of Fluid Mechanics and Aerodynamics, Universität der Bundeswehr München, 85577, Neubiberg, Germany.
Professorship of Exercise Biology, Department of Sport and Health Sciences, Technische Universität München, 80809, Munich, Germany.
Sci Rep. 2024 Feb 26;14(1):4644. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-55117-2.
Airborne transmission of pathogens plays a major role in the spread of infectious diseases. Aerosol particle production from the lung is thought to occur in the peripheral airways. In the present study we investigated eighty lung-healthy subjects of two age groups (20-39, 60-76 years) at rest and during exercise whether lung function parameters indicative of peripheral airway function were correlated with individual differences in aerosol particle emission. Lung function comprised spirometry and impulse oscillometry during quiet breathing and an expiratory vital capacity manoeuvre, using resistance (R5) and reactance at 5 Hz (X5) as indicators potentially related to peripheral airway function. The association between emission at different ventilation rates relative to maximum ventilation and lung function was assessed by regression analysis. In multiple regression analyses including age group, only vital capacity manoeuvre R5 at 15% to 50% of end-expiratory vital capacity as well as quiet breathing X5 were independently linked to particle emission at 20% to 50% of maximum ventilation, in addition to age group. The fact that age as predictive factor was still significant, although to a lower degree, points towards further effects of age, potentially involving surface properties not accounted for by impulse oscillometry parameters.
空气传播病原体在传染病传播中起着主要作用。人们认为肺部的气溶胶颗粒产生发生在外周气道中。在本研究中，我们在休息和运动时调查了两个年龄组（20-39 岁，60-76 岁）的 80 位肺部健康的受试者，以确定是否与个体差异有关的肺功能参数与气溶胶颗粒排放有关。肺功能包括在安静呼吸和呼气容量维持期间进行的肺活量测定和脉冲振荡测量，使用阻力（R5）和在 5 Hz 时的电抗（X5）作为可能与外周气道功能相关的指标。通过回归分析评估不同通气率相对于最大通气率与肺功能之间的排放关系。在包括年龄组的多元回归分析中，仅在呼气末肺活量的 15%至 50%时的肺活量维持测试中的 R5 和安静呼吸中的 X5 与最大通气量的 20%至 50%时的颗粒排放独立相关，此外还与年龄组相关。尽管年龄作为预测因素的程度较低，但仍然显著，这表明年龄可能会产生进一步的影响，这些影响可能涉及到脉冲振荡测量参数无法解释的表面特性。
