Investigation of Relationship Between Vascular Functions, Exercise Capacity, and Respiratory Functions in CF

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a rare disease with congenital deterioration in mucociliary clearance that causes recurrent or chronic rhinosinusitis, airway infection and bronchiectasis in pediatric age. There are pulmonary genetic disorders associated with inflammation. Children with CF have been shown to have vascular endothelial dysfunction compared to healthy children. Very young children with CF have been reported to have increased arterial stiffness and some decrease in right-left ventricular function. In another study on the subject, it was found that stiffness of the great arteries increased in children with CF; The change in arterial compliancy has been shown to be significant in childhood. The increase in arterial stiffness is associated with systemic inflammation, regardless of blood pressure or diabetes. Hemodynamic changes have been reported in the presence of systemic inflammation in children with CF. Exercise peak workload in children with CF is known to be associated with endothelial dysfunction. It is not known how exercise capacity is affected by endothelial dysfunction and arterial stiffness in CF patients of varying severity. In the literature, there are no studies comparing endothelial function, arterial stiffness and its effect on exercise capacity and pulmonary functions in CF children; this subject is open to research. The aim of this study was to investigate and compare microvascular (peripheral endothelial), macrovascular (arterial stiffness) functions in children with CF and to investigate the relationship of micro and macrovascular functions with exercise capacity and pulmonary functions in children with CF of different obstruction severities.

Inclusion criteria

• Being clinically stable
• To be cooperated in evaluations to be made
• Forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1)> 40%
• No exacerbation in the past three months
• Regular medication for the past 12 months
• No medication changes for at least three weeks

Exclusion criteria

• Cardiovascular disease
• Hypertension
• Diabetes
• Pulmonary hypertension
• Smoking
• Resting oxygen saturation (SpO2) <92%
• Using vasoactive drugs (nitrates, b-blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, etc.)
• Using oral steroids
• Undergoing lung surgery
• Being a highly orthopedic, neurological disease
• Injury to the lower extremity such as injury, sprain, or fracture in the past six months