%0 Journal Article %A Laura Malagrinò %A Francesco Costa %A Barbara Vagaggini %A Claudia De Simone %A Cristina Spanu %A Alessandro Celi %A Pierluigi Paggiaro %T Flow limitation at rest may identify a phenotype of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) %D 2011 %J European Respiratory Journal %P p3037 %V 38 %N Suppl 55 %X Background: Expiratory flow limitation at rest (FL) promotes dynamic hyperinflation (DH) during exercise in COPD patients.Aim: To evaluate whether a specific FL phenotype can be identified in COPD patients.Subjects and methods: 48 COPD patients (28 male, FEV1%: 53.4) underwent: pulmonary function tests (PFT), cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) with assessment of DH, Saint George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), dyspnea scale (MRC), physical activity by Armband. We measured blood haemoglobin (HB) and inflammatory cells, CRP and Pro-BNP; sputum inflammatory cell count and neutrophil elastase. FL was evaluated according to Hyatt by overlapping the tidal and maximal flow-volume curves and categorized as either absent no overlapping, or present any overlapping.Results: FL was observed in 38/48 COPD patients. Baseline difference between two groups are reported (*p< 0.05)View this table:Only in FL group, VO2/kg was correlated (p< 0.05) with MRC, FEV1%, IC%, DLCO%, HD, DS, SGRQ tot%, HB, Pro-BNP.Conclusions: Flow imitation at rest, as assessed by a simple, non invasive, inexpensive technique, identifies patients with clinical and functional characteristics suggestive of a specific “emphysema-like” phenotype. %U