PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - P. Boschetto
AU  - M. Miniati
AU  - D. Miotto
AU  - F. Braccioni
AU  - E. De Rosa
AU  - I. Bononi
AU  - A. Papi
AU  - M. Saetta
AU  - L.M. Fabbri
AU  - C.E. Mapp
TI  - Predominant emphysema phenotype in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients
AID  - 10.1183/09031936.03.00048703
DP  - 2003 Mar 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - 450--454
VI  - 21
IP  - 3
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/21/3/450.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/21/3/450.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2003 Mar 01; 21
AB  - Patients with fixed airflow limitation are grouped under the heading of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The authors investigated whether COPD patients have distinct functional, radiological and sputum cells characteristics depending on the presence or absence of emphysema. Twenty-four COPD outpatients, 12 with and 12 without emphysema on high-resolution computed tomography scan of the chest, were examined. Patients underwent chest radiography, pulmonary function tests and sputum induction and analysis. Subjects with documented emphysema had lower forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), FEV1/forced vital capacity ratio, and lower carbon monoxide diffusion constant (KCO), compared with subjects without emphysema. Chest radiograph score of emphysema was higher, chest radiograph score of chronic bronchitis was lower, and the number of sputum lymphocytes was increased in patients with emphysema, who also showed a negative correlation between KCO and pack-yrs. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients with emphysema, documented by high-resolution computed tomography scan, have a different disease phenotype compared with patients without emphysema. Identification of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease-related phenotypes may improve understanding of the natural history and treatment of the disease. This study was supported by the Italian Ministry of University and Research Consorzio Ferrararicherche.