Current status of childhood interstitial lung disease in Turkiye: 5-year data from ChILD-TR

@article{kekec2026current,
  title = {{Current status of childhood interstitial lung disease in Turkiye: 5-year data from ChILD-TR}},
  author = {Handan Kekeç and Ayse Tana Aslan and Tugba Sismanlar Eyuboglu and Tuğçe Ünlü and Sinem Can Oksay and Yasemin Mocan Çağlar and Özge Ülgen and Fatma Nur Ayman and Fatih Ercan and Gökçen Ünal and Çiğdem Korkmaz and Azer Kılıç Başkan and Abdulhamit Çollak and Ugur Ozcelik and Deniz Dogru and Raziye Atan and Figen Gülen and Bahar Girgin Dindar and Ece Halis and Esin Gizem Olgun and Fazılcan Zirek and Suat Fitöz and Meltem Kürtül Çakar and Sanem Eryilmaz Polat and Dilber Ademhan Tural and Ayşen Bingöl and Abdurrahman Erdem Başaran and Betül Bankoğlu Parlak and Ela Erdem Eralp and Bulent Karadag and Pınar Ergenekon and Mehmet Köse and Ali Ersoy and Melih Hangül and Pelin Asfuroğlu and Erkan Cakir and Hakan Yazan and Beste Ozesen and Erdem Gönüllü and Zeynep Seda Uyan and Ece Ocak and Aslı İmran Yılmaz and Cansu Yılmaz Yegit and Halime Nayır Büyükşahin and Gökçen Kartal Öztürk and Mahir Serbes and Tugba Ramasli Gursoy and Mina Gharibzadeh Hizal and Gözde Cavıldak Karaaslan and Gizem Özcan and Ali Özdemir and Sevgi Pekcan and Ayşe Ayzıt Kılınç Sakallı and Yasemin Gökdemir and Güzin Cinel and Nazan Cobanoglu and Saniye Girit and Nagehan Emiralioğlu and Ebru Yalcin and Berna Oğuz},
  journal = {BMJ Open Respiratory Research},
  year = {2026},
  month = nov,
  doi = {10.1136/bmjresp-2026-004626},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjresp-2026-004626},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}

TY  - JOUR
TI  - Current status of childhood interstitial lung disease in Turkiye: 5-year data from ChILD-TR
AU  - Handan Kekeç
AU  - Ayse Tana Aslan
AU  - Tugba Sismanlar Eyuboglu
AU  - Tuğçe Ünlü
AU  - Sinem Can Oksay
AU  - Yasemin Mocan Çağlar
AU  - Özge Ülgen
AU  - Fatma Nur Ayman
AU  - Fatih Ercan
AU  - Gökçen Ünal
AU  - Çiğdem Korkmaz
AU  - Azer Kılıç Başkan
AU  - Abdulhamit Çollak
AU  - Ugur Ozcelik
AU  - Deniz Dogru
AU  - Raziye Atan
AU  - Figen Gülen
AU  - Bahar Girgin Dindar
AU  - Ece Halis
AU  - Esin Gizem Olgun
AU  - Fazılcan Zirek
AU  - Suat Fitöz
AU  - Meltem Kürtül Çakar
AU  - Sanem Eryilmaz Polat
AU  - Dilber Ademhan Tural
AU  - Ayşen Bingöl
AU  - Abdurrahman Erdem Başaran
AU  - Betül Bankoğlu Parlak
AU  - Ela Erdem Eralp
AU  - Bulent Karadag
AU  - Pınar Ergenekon
AU  - Mehmet Köse
AU  - Ali Ersoy
AU  - Melih Hangül
AU  - Pelin Asfuroğlu
AU  - Erkan Cakir
AU  - Hakan Yazan
AU  - Beste Ozesen
AU  - Erdem Gönüllü
AU  - Zeynep Seda Uyan
AU  - Ece Ocak
AU  - Aslı İmran Yılmaz
AU  - Cansu Yılmaz Yegit
AU  - Halime Nayır Büyükşahin
AU  - Gökçen Kartal Öztürk
AU  - Mahir Serbes
AU  - Tugba Ramasli Gursoy
AU  - Mina Gharibzadeh Hizal
AU  - Gözde Cavıldak Karaaslan
AU  - Gizem Özcan
AU  - Ali Özdemir
AU  - Sevgi Pekcan
AU  - Ayşe Ayzıt Kılınç Sakallı
AU  - Yasemin Gökdemir
AU  - Güzin Cinel
AU  - Nazan Cobanoglu
AU  - Saniye Girit
AU  - Nagehan Emiralioğlu
AU  - Ebru Yalcin
AU  - Berna Oğuz
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/11/02
JO  - BMJ Open Respiratory Research
DO  - 10.1136/bmjresp-2026-004626
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjresp-2026-004626
AB  - Introduction: Childhood interstitial lung disease (chILD) encompasses various diffuse parenchymal lung diseases (DPLDs) in children. We aimed to assess the current status and temporal changes of chILD in Türkiye using updated data from the chILD-Türkiye (chILD-TR) registry.  Method: By May 2025, all patients registered in the chILD-TR were included in the study. Patients with missing data were excluded. Patients were divided into two groups: disorders primarily appearing in infancy (DPLD-A) and disorders that can occur at any age (DPLD-B). Clinical and demographic data were compared between the groups.  Results: 711 patients (44.7% female) were included. The registry-based prevalence estimate of chILD in Türkiye was approximately 30–35 cases per million children. The current age was 135 (16-383) months. The time from first symptoms to admission was 3 (0–217) months. Age at diagnosis was 59 (11-273) months. Common symptoms were cough (59.5%) and dyspnoea (35.4%). 136 patients (19.1%) required oxygen. 25 patients (3.5%) died. Among patients, 126 (17.7%) had DPLD-A, 549 (77.2%) had DPLD-B and 36 (5.1%) had uncategorised disorders. The DPLD-A group was younger and had earlier symptom onset and older diagnosis age (p<0.05). Growth z-scores were lower in the DPLD-A group (p<0.05). Parental consanguinity and mechanical ventilation use were higher in the DPLD-A group (p<0.05). No differences in spirometry and diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide were found between DPLD-A and DPLD-B (p>0.05). Chest CT features varied: rates of ground-glass opacity and pectus excavatum were higher in the DPLD-A group, whereas nodules, peribronchial thickening, mosaic perfusion and bronchiectasis were more predominant in the DPLD-B group (p<0.05).  Conclusion: This study shows that children with DPLD-A are diagnosed later despite earlier symptoms and growth issues, revealing a recognition gap and highlighting the need for early genetic screening and support. In DPLD-B, airway findings emphasise the need for long-term monitoring. These insights support phenotype-based diagnosis and treatment to improve outcomes in children with chILD.
SN  - 2052-4439
ER  -