PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Merola, Pietro
AU  - Gass, Ricardo
AU  - Dorneles, Rui Gustavo Paulus
AU  - Gazzana, Marcelo
AU  - Gazzoni, Fernando
AU  - Hochhegger, Bruno
AU  - Vergés, Samuel
AU  - Berton, Danilo
TI  - Pectoralis muscle area and skeletal muscle strength in patients with ILD
AID  - 10.1183/13993003.congress-2016.PA5035
DP  - 2016 Sep 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - PA5035
VI  - 48
IP  - suppl 60
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/48/suppl_60/PA5035.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/48/suppl_60/PA5035.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2016 Sep 01; 48
AB  - Background: Pectoralis muscle area (PMA) is a computed tomography-based assessment that can provide insight into clinical features of other skeletal muscles. Respiratory and locomotor muscle dysfunction has been increasingly recognized in patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD). Its contribution to exercise performance has been controversial. We aimed to investigate if PMA is related with respiratory and locomotor skeletal muscle strength in ILD patients, and if skeletal muscle function is reduced and independently related with exercise capacity and dyspnea.Methods: Cross-sectional study where subjects performed incremental cycling cardiopulmonary exercise testing with maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP), maximal expiratory pressure (MEP), and quadriceps maximal voluntary contraction (qMVC) before and after exercise.Results: Thirty ILD patients (forced vital capacity [FVC] and lung diffusing capacity [DLCO] of 60±15% and38±10% of predicted) and 15 healthy controls (C) were studied. Patients presented lower values of MIP and qMVC compared to C. PMA was associated with qMVC only (r= 0.52; p<0.01). Only MEP showed a significant strength decline after exercise, without difference comparing patients and C. In multivariate regression analysis, only FVC remained as independent predictor of peak aerobic capacity and MEP post exercise remained as independent predictor of peak exercise dyspnea.Conclusion: ILD patients exhibited inspiratory and quadriceps muscle weakness, but PMA was associated with the later only. Muscle weakness was not associated to exercise capacity while expiratory muscle fatigue might underlie exertional dyspnea.