The researchers used a colorless, odorless, tasteless and chemically inactive gas, xenon, to investigate possible lung damage in patients who had not been admitted to the hospital but continued to experience shortness of breath. Xenon allowed the discovery of abnormalities that were not visible even during computed tomography.
- Patients participating in the study undergo an MRI, in which they inhale one liter of hyperpolarised xenon
- During the examination, radiologists watch the gas move from the lungs into the bloodstream
- Preliminary results show that in the case of patients with the so-called long covid the transfer of xenon from the lungs into the bloodstream is clearly disturbed, while other tests are normal
- A total of nearly 400 people will participate in the full Explain study funded by the National Institute for Health Research
- More information can be found on the Onet homepage.
Long covid is otherwise “long tail covid”. This affliction concerns people who, despite defeating the coronavirus, have not fully recovered. The most common symptoms of long covid include, but are not limited to, brain fog, chronic fatigue, loss of sense of smell, problems with the circulatory system, as well as shortness of breath and cough.
Researchers from Sheffield, Oxford, Cardiff and Manchester therefore set out to investigate possible lung damage in patients who, although not admitted to hospital, continue to experience shortness of breath. Additionally, in these patients, other tests, including computed tomography, turned out to be normal. That is why, to conduct the Explain study, scientists used MRI (magnetic resonance) scans with hyperpolarised xenon.
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Long covid — testing with xenon
According to «The University of Sheffield», the method, development and clinical applications of hyperpolarised xenon MRI were initiated by Professor Jim Wild and the Pulmonary, Lung and Respiratory Imaging Sheffield (POLARIS) research group at the University of Sheffield. The team conducted the first clinical trials in the UK and the world’s first clinical diagnostic scans using this technology.
The hyperpolarised xenon test is a safe scanning test performed in the same way as regular MRI. The main difference is that the patient inhales one liter of xenon when he finds himself in the scanner. However, this element undergoes hyperpolarization in advance so that it can be seen by MRI. During the examination, radiologists watch the gas move from the lungs into the bloodstream.
Xenon tracks the path of oxygen taken up through the lungs and can tell us where the abnormalities lie between the airways, gas exchange membranes, and capillaries in the lungs. This multicentre study is very exciting and I look forward to seeing it help translate our lung MRI methods into clinical use in the UK
– prof. Jim Wild quoted by «The University of Sheffield»
The scan takes only a few minutes and as it requires no exposure to radiation, it can be repeated.
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Long COVID – Explain Study
36 people participated in the initial pilot study. They belonged to one of three groups:
- Patients diagnosed with long covid, but have normal CT scans (computed tomography)
- Patients who were hospitalized for COVID-19 and were discharged more than three months earlier. However, these people have normal or nearly normal CT scans and do not exhibit long covid symptoms
- The control group was matched for age and gender. People who do not have long covid symptoms and have not been hospitalized for COVID-19
Preliminary results show that in patients with long covid, gas (xenon) transfer from the lungs to the bloodstream is clearly impaired, while other tests are normal.
A total of nearly 400 people will be recruited for the full Explain study. Half of them (200 people) are apnea patients suffering from long covid. Another 50 people are patients who have had COVID-19 but now have no symptoms, and another 50 are patients who do not have apnea but have other long covid symptoms. 50 people who have never had long covid will also take part in the study, this group will be the control part.
The Explain study is one of 19 studies that have received nearly £ 40m in investment from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) to improve long covid understanding, from diagnosis and treatment to rehabilitation and recovery.
Do you want to test your COVID-19 immunity after vaccination? Have you been infected and want to check your antibody levels? See the COVID-19 immunity test package, which you will perform at Diagnostics network points.
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