A Northwestern University-led research team has developed a novel skin-mounted sticker that absorbs sweat and then changes color to provide an accurate, easy-to-read diagnosis of cystic fibrosis within minutes.
While measuring chloride levels in sweat to diagnose cystic fibrosis is standard, the soft, flexible, skin-like “sweat sticker” offers a stark contrast to current diagnostic technologies, which require a rigid, bulky, wrist-strapped device to collect sweat.
After developing the sweat sticker at Northwestern, the researchers validated it in clinical pilot studies involving cystic fibrosis patients and healthy volunteers at the Cystic Fibrosis Center at the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. The sticker showed enhanced performance in collected sweat volume and equivalent accuracy to traditional platforms.
Years ago, before we had the genetic option, sweat tests were the main diagnostic test, but are only really used to confirm the diagnosis these days after someone has already had a positive genetic screen. The sweat chloride level itself is mostly useful for research purposes, and has been measured to determine responses to new modulator therapies like Kaftrio. But we’ve also discovered that people with COPD, ncfb, and even asthma can have elevated sweat chloride levels, so a positive sweat test is not actually definitive for CF in any way, shape or form.
Have you never had a blood test for carrier screening? I was under the impression that anyone with idiopathic ncfbe was supposed to be tested.
So, I’ve just checked, and the BTS guidelines state that bronchiectasis patients with additional features of cf, and/or early onset of disease, and/or rapid progression should be considered for cf screening. They make the point that cf is more than ‘just’ bronchiectasis, and features like rapid progression, early onset (pre 50), issues with pancreatitis, malabsorption, infertility in men, and other frequent features of cf disease should all weight the decision, in line with the NICE guidelines for diagnosing CF. I’ve attached a picture of the list of NICE criteria as to when testing for cf should be considered.
My understanding is that ncfbe and cfb can sometimes be distinguished on ct based on radiological patterns of involvement. Are you under a respiratory team? If you ask them the question, they may be able to give you reasons as to why they haven’t done it to date: it could be your ct scan showed a pattern they consider definitive for non-cf bronch, or that you have other health problems regularly associated with ncfbe. Do you have RA or anything like that?Although people with cf can also get RA, the autoimmune arthritis that occurs as a feature of having cf has a distinctly different presentation. It could even possibly be that you’re ‘too stable’: from what I can work out, one of the primary reasons cf and ncfbe are managed so differently seems to be the morbidity and life expectancy. Fifty percent of all people with cf still won’t see 45, although the figures are likely to improve dramatically in the next few decades. I suspect there won’t be much between the two conditions in years to come.
NICE criteria for screening for CF in adults and children outside of newborns
Thanks for the reply Charlie G, you are a mine of information. I really dont think I have cfb but do think people should be tested when first diagnosed and I do have r.a.
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