Detection and monitoring of early airway injury effects of half-mustard (2-chloroethylethylsulfide) exposure using high-resolution optical coherence tomography.

Abstract

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a noninvasive, high-resolution imaging technology capable of delivering real-time, near-histologic images of tissues. Mustard gas is a vesicant-blistering agent that can cause severe and lethal damage to airway and lungs. The ability to detect and assess airway injury in the clinical setting of mustard exposure is currently limited. The purpose of this study is to assess the ability to detect and monitor progression of half-mustard [2-chloroethylethylsulfide (CEES)] airway injuries with OCT techniques. A ventilated rabbit mustard exposure airway injury model is developed. A flexible fiber optic OCT probe is introduced into the distal trachea to image airway epithelium and mucosa in vivo. Progression of airway injury is observed over eight hours with OCT using a prototype time-domain superluminescent diode OCT system. OCT tracheal images from CEES exposed animals are compared to control rabbits for airway mucosal thickening and other changes. OCT detects the early occurrence and progression of dramatic changes in the experimental group after exposure to CEES. Histology and immunofluorescence staining confirms this finding. OCT has the potential to be a high resolution imaging modality capable of detecting, assessing, and monitoring treatment for airway injury following mustard vesicant agent exposures.

• Authors: Kelly A Kreuter, Sari B Mahon, David S Mukai, Jianping Su, Woong-Gyu Jung, Navneet Narula, Shuguang Guo, Nicole Wakida, Chris Raub, Michael W Berns, Steven C George, Zhongping Chen, Matthew Brenner
• Journal: Journal of biomedical optics (J Biomed Opt) 2009 Jul-Aug Vol. 14 Issue 4 Pg. 044037 ISSN: 1560-2281 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 19725748 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.)

Chemical References

• Mustard Gas

Topics

• Animals
• Disease Models, Animal
• Humans
• Image Enhancement (methods)
• Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted (methods)
• Lung Injury (chemically induced, pathology)
• Mustard Gas (poisoning)
• Rabbits
• Tomography, Optical Coherence (methods)