The REACT study

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    The REACT study: Establishing what relationship exists between fungal colonisation and allergy and the clinical, radiological and pathological characteristics of lung disease.

  • IRAS ID

    159074

  • Contact name

    Wendy Gamble

  • Contact email

    uolsponsor@le.ac.uk

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    5 years, 0 months, 2 days

  • Research summary

    Several studies have described the role of fungal allergy in diseases of the lungs. This study will be looking at the immune system, imaging (such as CT scans) and the sciences of the causes and effects of lung disease in patients who are affected by fungal allergy or who grow fungi in their sputum (phlegm). This has not been comprehensively examined in the full spectrum of asthmatics (from the mild to the severe), nor in people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and sarcoidosis. This study proposes to do this.

    This will be a cross-sectional study. Participants will be recruited through respiratory clinics, local advertising and recruitment databases. Participants may also be recruited from General Practice.

    Participants will be asked to attend for a clinical visit at the NIHR Leicester Respiratory Biomedical Research Unit at Glenfield Hospital. Clinical data will then be collected by the research team. This will include demographic details, medical and medication history. Asthmatics will be asked to fill in disease specific questionnaires. A blood sample will then be taken from participants, breathing tests and skin prick test (to look for allergy) will be performed. An optional research CT scan and bronchoscopy may also be undertaken. A CT scan will only be requested in those that have not had a previous satisfactory scan of the chest.
    Funding for the study has been obtained from an Asthma UK Grant and a Action Medical Research grant. Infrastructure support will also be provided by the NIHR Leicester Respiratory Biomedical Research Unit.

  • REC name

    West Midlands - Edgbaston Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    14/WM/1099

  • Date of REC Opinion

    17 Sep 2014

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion