Nonspecific Interstitial Pneumonia

Dyspnea (i.e. breathlessness) and exercise intolerance are common symptoms for patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD), yet it is not known why. It has been suggested that muscle dysfunction may contribute to dyspnea and exercise intolerance in ILD. Our study aims to: i) examine differences in the structure and function of the leg muscles in ILD patients, ii) determine if leg muscle fatigue contributes to dyspnea and exercise limitation in patients with ILD, and iii) determine the effects of breathing extra oxygen on leg muscle fatigue, as well as ability to exercise in ILD patients.

A complex interaction between demographic, environmental and genetic mechanisms impact the onset, severity and outcome of ILD-SARDs through dysregulation of the immune system and lung pro-biotic pathways. Comorbidity and genetic risk indicate that there are overlapping pathogenic mechanisms among SARDs, some of which underlie ILD in different SARDs. The purpose of this biobank is to study the clinical, pathological, laboratory, and imaging characteristics of SARDs patients with lung involvement. This will help identify as unique features underlying lung involvement in SARDs. In addition, this may lead to the discovery of novel mechanisms of disease and potentially novel targets of treatment for SARDs patients with lung disease.