ClinicalTrials.gg
CompletedNCT03747627BPF GILDUpdated May 27, 2026

BPF Genetics of ILD Study

An observational study in Lung; Disease, Interstitial, With Fibrosis, Alveolitis, Extrinsic Allergic and Bird Fancier's Lung, sponsored by University of Dundee. Completed at 2 sites in United Kingdom. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 80 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-05-27.

Primary conditionAlveolitis, Extrinsic AllergicRegistry: DiseaseReclassifiedWhy we changed it
Registry
Disease — the first condition term the registry derived for this study.
ClinicalTrials.gg
Alveolitis, Extrinsic Allergic
Why
  1. Disease describes something many studies share rather than a condition a study is about.
  2. The study's listed conditions name Alveolitis, Extrinsic Allergic.
Confidence
High: the new condition is named in the study's own listed conditions. Of 351 hand-checked studies reclassified this way, 68% were exactly right and 84% in the right disease family; the registry's first term was right for 5% (measured 2026-10-21). How we classify →
Wrong?
Tell us the study's main condition →

Sponsored by University of Dundee · Observational

Study type
Observational
Model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
475
Ages
18 Years to 80 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The investigators aim to examine the genetic determinants of interstitial lung disease in a cohort of subjects with regular exposure to pigeons, a known cause of one form of interstitial lung disease known as hypersensitivity pneumonitis. In addition we will examine immunological causes for hypersensitivity pneumonitis in this group.

We anticipate our work will provide insights of use to clinicians and patients with hypersensitivity pneumonitis and other interstitial lung diseases.

Read the detailed description

The investigators aim to recruit participants with regular racing pigeon exposure at national (UK) and regional pigeon fancier meetings.

Consenting subjects will complete questionnaires, provide blood samples for genetic analysis and immunological testing and undertake lung function measurements.

Subjects will be observed, and encouraged to report referral to specialist respiratory services, and following this information will be sought on diagnosis (including supporting evidence). Where interstitial lung disease is detected this will be linked to subsequent unbiased analysis to detect potential predisposing genetic associations.

02

Conditions studied

  • Lung; Disease, Interstitial, With Fibrosis
  • Alveolitis, Extrinsic Allergic
  • Bird Fancier's Lung
  • Idiopathic Interstitial Pneumonias
  • Lung Diseases, Interstitial
  • Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

Keywords

  • Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD)
  • Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis
  • Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF)
  • Extrinsic Allergic Alveolitis (EAA)
  • Bird Fancier's Lung
  • Genetics
03

In context

Alveolitis, Extrinsic Allergic Reclassified

34 studies on the registry are indexed under Alveolitis, Extrinsic Allergic; 11 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 475 is above the median of 147 across 16 observational studies indexed under Alveolitis, Extrinsic Allergic.

Browse Alveolitis, Extrinsic Allergic studies →

Lead sponsor

University of Dundee is the lead sponsor of 113 studies on the registry; 3 are open to participants now.

Of its 5 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 3 (60%) have results posted.

Compared within Alveolitis, Extrinsic Allergic, this study's primary condition as ClinicalTrials.gg classifies it; the registry's first condition term is Disease. The counts are of registry records indexed under each term, refreshed daily. How we classify →

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 80 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes
Sampling method
Non-probability sample

Study population

Participants in the sport of Pigeon racing

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • regular exposure to racing pigeons

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Unwilling to participate
05

Study design

Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
475 participants (actual)
Target follow-up
5 Years
Patient registry
Yes
Biospecimen retention
Samples with dna

Interventions

  • Diagnostic testGenetic profiling

    All participating subjects will undergo detailed genetic analysis, with the aim of detecting novel genetic drivers for the development of interstitial lung disease in the context of known sensitising agent (pigeon antigen)

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Relationship of specific genetic markers to development of interstitial lung disease

    Participants will be screened for MUC5B genetic profile to allow examination of MUC5B genetic profile relationship with risk of developing interstitial lung disease in this group

    Time frame: 5 years

07

Study locations

2 sites
  • Royal Pigeon Racing Association Meeting
    Blackpool, FY1 1HL, United Kingdom
  • Scottish Homing Union
    Lanark, ML11 9AX, United Kingdom
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: Undecided — Will be considered, dependent on potential for increased power

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reached

Ran from Jan 2019 to primary completion in Jan 2025, 72 months.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Nov 14, 2018
First posted
Nov 20, 2018
StartActual
Jan 19, 2019
Primary completionActual
Jan 19, 2025
CompletionActual
Jan 19, 2025
Last update
May 27, 2026
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on May 27, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT03747627
Collaborators
University of Leicester, University of Glasgow, Newcastle University, British Lung Foundation, British Pigeon Fanciers Medical Research
Responsible party
Mark Spears (Dr Mark Spears, Consultant in Respiratory Medicine, University of Dundee) — Principal investigator
First posted
Nov 20, 2018
Start date
Jan 19, 2019
Primary completion
Jan 19, 2025
Completion
Jan 19, 2025
Last update
May 27, 2026

Study contacts

Mark Spears, PhD, FRCP
principal investigator · NHS Tayside & University of Dundee
Louise Wain, PhD
principal investigator · University of Leicester

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in May 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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