Better Tests- Improving Diagnostic Accuracy and Prognostication in Interstitial Lung Diseases

Patients with interstitial lung diseases (ILD) suffer significant delays in obtaining a diagnosis, and objective evidence of support for immunosuppressive therapies, due to weaknesses in the diagnostic tests available in ILD clinics.

This project will assess several non-invasive assessments, focusing on blood and breath based sampling, to identify candidate tests that may translate through to routine clinical use. The tests being assessed will be initially employed in Pigeon Fanciers, a group recognised to be at high risk of developing ILD compared to age matched controls, due to their regular exposure to a known cause of ILD. Candidate tests will also be assessed for change over time in this group. Tests which show promise will then be utilised in patients with ILD diagnoses, including those with severe respiratory failure, to assess their acceptability to patients and their ability to provide useful prognostic information, to allow powering of future definitive clinical trials.