Clinical, physiologic, imaging, biological and microbiological data determined during exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (ECOPD) and convalescence
| ECOPD | Convalescence | Pairwise n | FDR p-value | |||
| n | Median (95% CI) or n (%) | n | Median (95% CI) or n (%) | |||
| Vital constants | ||||||
| Heart rate min–1 | 83 | 89 (72–112.5) | 64 | 83 (69–100.5) | 64 | 0.004 |
| Respiratory rate min–1 | 82 | 22 (15–30) | 64 | 20 (16–24.5) | 64 | 0.000 |
| Dyspnoea; MMRC scale | 79 | 5 (2–5) | 63 | 3 (1.5–5) | 59 | 0.010 |
| Dyspnoea (1–10); visual scale | 80 | 7 (3.5–8.75) | 64 | 3 (0.5–6) | 62 | 0.000 |
| Body temperature °C | 81 | 36.5 (35.85–37.25) | 63 | 36 (35.55–36.6) | 63 | 0.000 |
| Biochemistry | ||||||
| Urea mg·dL−1 | 81 | 42 (27–77) | 65 | 33 (19–53) | 63 | 0.000 |
| Creatinine mg·dL−1 | 82 | 0.9 (0.64–1.3) | 65 | 0.9 (0.59–1.13) | 64 | 0.076 |
| Glucose mg·dL−1 | 73 | 169 (101–315) | 63 | 98 (81–195.5) | 59 | 0.000 |
| Haemoglobin g·dL−1 | 82 | 14.8 (12.4–17.1) | 65 | 14.7 (12.25–16.8) | 64 | 0.724 |
| Erythrocyte sedimentation rate mm·h−1 | 64 | 21 (3–67.51) | 55 | 12 (2–46.5) | 52 | 0.002 |
| Lung physiology | ||||||
| FVC % reference | 86 | 71.5 (51.5–106.5) | 63 | 75 (56–109) | 63 | 1.000 |
| FEV1 % reference | 86 | 44.2 (25.5–77) | 63 | 46 (28–81.79) | 63 | 0.687 |
| FEV1/FVC % | 86 | 47.9 (31.05–64.5) | 63 | 49.4 (31–65.5) | 63 | 0.882 |
| IC % reference | 69 | 64 (38.6–94.5) | 57 | 64 (43.7–91.6) | 55 | 1.000 |
| RV % reference | 68 | 169.3 (107.2–245.45) | 56 | 169.1 (108.5–247.35) | 53 | 0.946 |
| TLC % reference | 71 | 115 (82.85–140.5) | 59 | 109.4 (72.18–133.8) | 56 | 0.164 |
| RV/TLC % | 57 | 146 (102.5–192) | 40 | 138.7 (87.3–192) | 33 | 0.914 |
| DLCO % reference | 72 | 56 (31.5–88) | 52 | 54 (30–84) | 50 | 0.035 |
| KCO % reference | 71 | 73 (37.99–111) | 57 | 79 (51–103) | 53 | 0.474 |
| PaO2 mmHg | 82 | 55.4 (41.05–74.1) | 64 | 66.2 (52.5–91.1) | 63 | 0.000 |
| PAFI | 76 | 254.3 (173.55–322.38) | 64 | 315.2 (247.17–438.57) | 57 | 0.000 |
| PaCO2 mmHg | 82 | 43.5 (32.95–69.76) | 64 | 42.7 (34.9–53.35) | 63 | 0.605 |
| Arterial pH | 82 | 7.4 (7.33–7.47) | 63 | 7.4 (7.37–7.46) | 62 | 0.946 |
| 6MWD m | 67 | 435 (238.5–536.5) | 44 | 443.5 (274–580) | 42 | 0.280 |
| Cardiovascular physiology | ||||||
| Creatinine phosphokinase U·L−1 | 70 | 68 (30.5–238.51) | 58 | 69.5 (39–150) | 56 | 0.914 |
| Fibrinogen mg·dL−1 | 74 | 497 (307.5–760) | 58 | 405 (307.5–574.51) | 57 | 0.000 |
| Pro-BNP pg·mL−1 | 85 | 0.4 (0.1–0.78) | 67 | 0.4 (0.04–1.06) | 67 | 0.882 |
| Troponine I % detected above 0.05 µg·L−1 | 73 | 6 (8.2%) | 60 | 3 (5.0%) | 0.872 | |
| Echography | ||||||
| Left ventricle ejection fraction % | 37 | 68 (42–80.5) | ND | ND | ||
| Right atrial enlargement | 68 | 13 (19.1%) | 18 | ND | ||
| Pulmonary hypertension | 33 | 7 (21.2%) | ND | ND | ||
| CT imaging | ||||||
| Emphysema | 60 | 34 (56.7%) | ND | ND | ||
| Bronchiectasis | 63 | 11 (17.5%) | ND | ND | ||
| Alveolar infiltrates | 63 | 15 (23.8%) | ND | ND | ||
| Pulmonary embolism | 66 | 1 (1.5%) | ND | ND | ||
| Lung inflammation (sputum) | ||||||
| TAS mM | 84 | 0.3 (0.05–1.29) | 67 | 0.2 (0–1.26) | 67 | 0.977 |
| IL-8 pg·mL−1 | 84 | 2146.7 (791.68–2575.22) | 67 | 2128.3 (25.91–2580.18) | 67 | 0.458 |
| IL-1β pg·mL−1 | 84 | 621.5 (73.33–3194.87) | 67 | 504.9 (1.39–2861.79) | 67 | 0.490 |
| IL-6 pg·mL−1 | 84 | 43.2 (3.05–572.87) | 67 | 39.8 (3.05–758.15) | 67 | 0.392 |
| TNF-α pg·mL−1 | 83 | 14.3 (0.52–552.37) | 67 | 6.2 (0.52–345.42) | 67 | 0.450 |
| TGF-β pg·mL−1 | 84 | 0.2 (0.02–2.89) | 67 | 0.3 (0–3.79) | 67 | 0.392 |
| TNF RS pg·mL−1 | 84 | 1.3 (0.04–11.78) | 67 | 2 (0.01–21.61) | 67 | 0.621 |
| SAA pg·mL−1 | 84 | 3.3 (0.38–16.72) | 67 | 2.4 (0.09–14.37) | 67 | 0.392 |
| Systemic inflammation | ||||||
| Leukocytes ×103 µL−1 | 82 | 10.9 (6.35–22.59) | 65 | 8.1 (5.97–12.78) | 64 | 0.000 |
| Neutrophils % | 72 | 88.2 (52.35–94.15) | 58 | 64.8 (38.55–75.7) | 58 | 0.000 |
| Lymphocytes % | 82 | 7.4 (3.75–20.25) | 65 | 22.1 (14–38.4) | 64 | 0.000 |
| Eosinophils % | 53 | 0.3 (0–2.45) | 64 | 2.4 (1.05–7.8) | 39 | 0.000 |
| % of patients with eosinophils >2% | 53 | 3 (5.7%) | 64 | 35 (54.7%) | 53 | 0.000 |
| C-reactive protein mg·L−1 | 86 | 3.6 (0.43–16.82) | 66 | 0.5 (0.09–6.1) | 66 | 0.000 |
| Total antioxidant status mM | 86 | 1.5 (0.98–2.41) | 67 | 1.6 (0.79–2.48) | 67 | 0.724 |
| IL-8 pg·mL−1 | 84 | 1 (0.26–4.37) | 67 | 1.3 (0.35–4.53) | 67 | 0.128 |
| IL-1β pg·mL−1 | 80 | 0.2 (0.16–0.83) | 67 | 0.2 (0.16–0.75) | 67 | 0.914 |
| IL-6 pg·mL−1 | 80 | 0.3 (0.3–7.41) | 67 | 0.3 (0.3–8.81) | 67 | 0.290 |
| TNF-α pg·mL−1 | 79 | 0.5 (0.51–1.89) | 67 | 1.3 (0.51–2.49) | 67 | 0.000 |
| Procalcitonin mg·L−1 | 85 | 0.4 (0.09–0.93) | 67 | 0.4 (0.03–0.86) | 67 | 0.605 |
| TGF-β pg·mL−1 | 86 | 0.8 (0.21–3.55) | 67 | 1.1 (0.17–6.05) | 67 | 0.015 |
| TNF-RS pg·mL−1 | 86 | 12.7 (1.36–50.19) | 67 | 19.4 (1.45–71.49) | 67 | 0.256 |
| SAA pg·mL−1 | 84 | 0.8 (0.13–4.11) | 67 | 1.4 (0.13–7.64) | 67 | 0.002 |
| Microbiology | ||||||
| Spontaneous sputum production | 86 | 67 (77.9%) | 67 | 45 (67.2%) | 0.513 | |
| Positive sputum bacteria (culture) | 67 | 13 (19.4%) | 45 | 12 (26.7%) | 0.848 | |
| Positive sputum virus (PCR) | 55 | 17 (30.9%) | 27 | 3 (11.1%) | 0.394 | |
| Positive bacteria (culture) and/or virus (PCR) | 74 | 28 (37.8%) | 59 | 14 (23.7%) | 0.753 | |
| Adenovirus seroconversion | 39 | 1 (2.6%) | ND | ND | ||
| Chlamydia seroconversion | 45 | 2 (4.4%) | ND | ND | ||
| Influenza seroconversion | 43 | 4 (9.3%) | ND | ND | ||
| Mycoplasma seroconversion | 59 | 1 (1.7%) | ND | ND | ||
| Parainfluenza seroconversion | 43 | 7 (16.3%) | ND | ND | ||
| RSV seroconversion | 40 | 5 (12.5%) | ND | ND | ||
Values in bold type identify those variables with a statistically significant change from ECOPD to convalescence. (Wilcoxon or Fisher exact tests, corrected for multiple comparison (false discovery rate (FDR), for continuous and categorical variables, respectively). MMRC: modified Medical Research Council; FVC: forced vital capacity; FEV1: forced expiratory volume in 1 s; IC: inspiratory capacity; RV: residual volume; TLC: total lung capacity; DLCO: carbon monoxide diffusing capacity of the lung; KCO: DLCO/alveolar volume (transfer factor); PaO2: arterial partial pressure of oxygen; PAFI: PaO2 (mmHg)/inspired fraction of oxygen ratio (%); PaCO2: arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide; 6MWD: 6-min walking distance; BNP: brain natriuretic peptide; CT: computed tomography; TAS: total antioxidant status; IL: interleukin; TNF: tumour necrosis factor; TGF: transforming growth factor; SAA: serum amyloid A; TNF-RS: tumour necrosis factor soluble receptor; RSV: respiratory syncytial virus.