Lung function assessment and inflammatory biomarkers of the airways [NI-SERV-2020-02]

High quality services in the area of lung function tests and assessment of airways inflammation.

OPPORTUNITY TO BE PROMOTED

Service Provision / Expertise

OVERVIEW

Our pathophysiology lab is equipped with all the techniques needed to provide a thorough characterization of the patients with chronic respiratory diseases. Assessing lung function and airway inflammation is important for investigating the underlying mechanisms of diseases like asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchiectasis, primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) and cystic fibrosis. Our staff could provide expertise and non-invasive methods for these evaluations, as:

• Spirometry (with bronchodilatation)
• Body plethysmography (with bronchodilatation)
• Bronchoprovocation tests
• Electronic Peak Expiratory Flow (PEF)
• Diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide
• Measurement of functional residual capacity by helium dilution
• Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) collection and analysis
• Exhaled breath temperature
• Induced sputum analysis
• Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FENO)

COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES

Our team has a large experience performing these assessments in clinical settings and large epidemiological studies. Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FENO) and exhaled breath condensate (EBC) were introduced in Portugal by the first time at our lab.

APPLICATIONS

Our services could be useful for patients, health care providers and investigators needing expertise in airways assessments.