Journal Article

Effect of Emphysema Extent on Serial Lung Function in Patients with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

Sverzellati, Nicola, Cottin, Vincent, Hansell, David M., Collard, Harold R., Atwood, Mark, Wells, Athol U., Oster, Gerry, Kirchgaessler, Klaus-Uwe, Weycker, Derek, Antoniou, Katerina M.

2017

Overview

Abstract Rationale Patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema may have artificially preserved lung volumes. Objectives In this post hoc analysis, we investigated the relationship between baseline emphysema and fibrosis extents, as well as pulmonary function changes, over 48 weeks. Methods Data were pooled from two phase III, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials of IFN-γ-1b in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (GIPF-001 [NCT00047645] and GIPF-007 [NCT00075998]). Patients with Week 48 data, baseline high-resolution computed tomographic images, and FEV1/FVC ratios less than 0.8 or greater than 0.9 (<0.7 or >0.9 in GIPF-007), as well as randomly selected patients with ratios of 0.8–0.9 and 0.7–0.8, were included. Changes from baseline in pulmonary function at Week 48 were analyzed by emphysema extent. The relationship between emphysema and fibrosis extents and change in pulmonary function was assessed using multivariate linear regression. Measurements and Main Results Emphysema was identified in 38% of patients. A negative correlation was observed between fibrosis and emphysema extents (r = −0.232; P < 0.001). In quartile analysis, patients with the greatest emphysema extent (28 to 65%) showed the smallest FVC decline, with a difference of 3.32% at Week 48 versus patients with no emphysema (P = 0.047). In multivariate analyses, emphysema extent greater than or equal to 15% was associated with significantly reduced FVC decline over 48 weeks versus no emphysema or emphysema less than 15%. No such association was observed for diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide or composite physiologic index. Conclusions FVC measurements may not be appropriate for monitoring disease progression in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema extent greater than or equal to 15%.

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Subject: Aged / Carbon monoxide / Disease progression / Double-Blind Method / Emphysema / Female / Humans / Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis - complications / Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis - physiopathology / Lung - diagnostic imaging / Lung - physiopathology / Lung diseases / Male / Middle Aged / Mortality / Pulmonary Emphysema - complications / Pulmonary Emphysema - physiopathology / Pulmonary fibrosis / Respiratory Function Tests - statistics & numerical data / Severity of Illness Index / Tomography / Tomography, X-Ray Computed