Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema: decreased survival associated with severe pulmonary arterial hypertension

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: phenotypes and comorbidities

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive fatal disease of the lung with an unknown etiology and limited treatment options. Three distinct phenotypes of IPF have been proposed: combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema, disproportionate pulmonary hypertension in IPF, and rapidly progressive IPF. Although treatment options for IPF are limited, much can be done to identify and alleviate symptoms from comorbidities, potentially improving the overall quality of life and well-being of these patients. This article describes emerging evidence to support the hypothesis that there is more than one phenotype for IPF and describes the common comorbidities seen in this disease.

Pulmonary hypertension as a prognostic indicator at the initial evaluation in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

BACKGROUND

The impact of pulmonary hypertension (PH) on survival has been demonstrated in severe cases with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) who were referred for transplantation. However, whether PH is a predictor of survival remains unclear in milder cases.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the survival impact of pulmonary artery pressure measured during the initial evaluation in patients with IPF.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed the initial evaluation data of 101 consecutive IPF patients undergoing right heart catheterization. Patients evaluated with supplemental oxygen were excluded. Predictors of 5-year survival were analyzed using the Cox proportional model.

RESULTS

The mean forced vital capacity (FVC) % predicted, diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO) % predicted, and mean pulmonary artery pressure (MPAP) were 70.2 ± 20.1%, 47.9 ± 19.5%, and 19.2 ± 6.5 mm Hg, respectively. A univariate Cox proportional hazard model showed that the body mass index, %FVC, %DLCO, baseline PaO2, modified Medical Research Council score, 6-min walk distance, and lowest SpO2 of the 6-min walk test were significantly predictive of survival. The MPAP and pulmonary vascular resistance of right heart catheterization were also significant. With stepwise, multivariate Cox proportional analysis, MPAP (HR = 1.064; 95% CI 1.015-1.116, p = 0.010) and %FVC (HR = 0.965, 95% CI 0.949-0.982, p < 0.001) were independent determinants of survival. Analysis of the receiver operating curve revealed MPAP >20 mm Hg to be optimal for predicting the prognosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher MPAP and lower %FVC at the initial evaluation were significant independent prognostic factors of IPF. The current results suggested the importance of the initial evaluation of PH for patients with IPF.

Combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema in connective tissue disease

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This review discusses combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE) in the setting of connective tissue disease.

RECENT FINDINGS

CPFE is a recently identified syndrome in smokers or ex-smokers characterized by dyspnea often severe, preserved lung volumes, severely impaired gas exchanges, and an increased risk of pulmonary hypertension associated with a dismal prognosis, and possibly lung cancer. It may be encountered in the setting of connective tissue diseases, especially rheumatoid arthritis and systemic sclerosis, with generally similar features as 'idiopathic' (tobacco-related) CPFE. The diagnosis is based on the presence of both emphysema predominating in the upper lobes and frequently paraseptal, and interstitial abnormalities suggesting pulmonary fibrosis in the lower lung zones with velcro crackles at auscultation. Pathologic radiological correlations are difficult owing to various pathology and difficulties in identifying honeycombing at chest high-resolution computed tomography in the setting of coexistent emphysema. Tobacco smoking is associated with an increased risk of developing most of the individual components of the syndrome (i.e. emphysema, pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension, rheumatoid arthritis, and pulmonary fibrosis among patients with rheumatoid arthritis). CPFE impacts modalities of follow-up for pulmonary function and detection of pulmonary hypertension especially in systemic sclerosis.

SUMMARY

The syndrome of CPFE is a distinct pulmonary manifestation in the spectrum of lung diseases associated with connective tissue diseases, especially in smokers or ex-smokers.

Pulmonary hypertension in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: prevalence and clinical progress

The aims of the present study are to define the prevalence of pulmonary hypertension (PH) in a cohort of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients, to investigate any correlations between systolic pulmonary artery pressure (PAPs) and functional data, to evaluate clinical progress and to compare long-term survival in IPF patients with and without PH. A population of 126 IPF patients was recruited. A high prevalence of PH (39.7%, 50/126), evaluated by echocardiography on the basis of PAPs greater than 36 mmHg, was mainly observed in smokers and female patients. Regression analysis revealed a significant correlation between PAPs greater than 50 mmHg and DLCO/VA (p = 0.0294). Mean PAPs was significantly greater one year after onset of PH (p = 0.01). 11/21 patients with FVC less than 50% had a significant increase in PAPs one year after onset of PH (p = 0.02). There was a highly significant difference between survival of IPF patients with and without PH (p = 0.0001; hazard ratio = 3.56). This study revealed that PH has a high prevalence in patients with IPF and is associated with increased risk of mortality. Early diagnosis of IPF patients with pulmonary hypertension is important, so that they can be enrolled in waiting lists for lung transplant as soon as possible.

Combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema in a tyre industry worker

We report a case of combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE) with severe pulmonary hypertension in a 46-year-old man, nonsmoker, tyre industry worker. CPFE is commonly reported to be associated with tobacco smoking. This case highlights the possible role of environmental dust exposure (talc) in the pathogenesis of the disease and confirms the clinical characteristics of CPFE described in previous studies.

Comparison of gene expression profiling between lung fibrotic and emphysematous tissues sampled from patients with combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema

BACKGROUND

Combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE) is characterized by both emphysema of the upper zone and diffuse parenchymal lung disease with fibrosis of the lower zone of the lung on chest computed tomography. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanism of CPFE regarding gene expressions by comparing the results of microarray sequences between fibrotic and emphysematous lesions in the lungs of CPFE patients.

RESULTS

The expression profiles of the fibrotic and emphysematous lesions were remarkably different in terms of function. Genes related to the immune system, structural constituents of the cytoskeleton, and cellular adhesion were overexpressed in fibrotic lesions, while genes associated with the cellular fraction, cell membrane structures, vascular growth and biology, second-messenger-mediated signaling, and lung development (all processes that contribute to the destruction and repair of cells, vessels, and the lung) were overexpressed in emphysematous lesions.

CONCLUSIONS

The differences in gene expression were detected in fibrotic and emphysematous lesions in CPFE patients. We propose that the development of coexisting fibrotic and emphysematous lesions in CPFE is implemented by these different patterns of gene expressions.

Clinical predictors of survival in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Background

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive disease. Effective treatment is not currently available and the prognosis is poor. The aim of our study was to identify clinical predictors of survival in patients with IPF.

Methods

By using medical record database of a university hospital, we reviewed the records of patients who had been diagnosed as having IPF from January 1996 through December 2007.

Results

Among 89 patients considered as having interstitial lung disease (ILD) on computed tomography (CT) of the chest, 22 were excluded because of the diagnosis of other ILDs or connective tissue disease, and finally, 67 met the criteria of IPF. The mean age at the diagnosis of IPF was 70 years (range, 41~87 years) and 43 (64%) were male. The mean survival time following the diagnosis of IPF was 40 months (range, 0~179 months). Among them, 28 cases were diagnosed as the progressive state of IPF on the follow-up CT examination, and the mean duration between diagnosis of IPF and progression was 31 months. Multivariate analysis using Cox regression model revealed that body mass index (BMI) less than 18.5 kg/m² (p=0.030; hazard ratio [HR], 12.085; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.277~114.331) and CT progression before 36 months from the diagnosis of IPF (p=0.042; HR, 13.564; 95% CI, 1.101~167.166) were independently associated with mortality.

Conclusion

Since low BMI at the diagnosis of IPF and progression on follow-up CT were associated with poor prognosis, IPF patients with low BMI and/or progression before 36 months following the diagnosis should be closely monitored.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic lung disease of unknown cause characterized by progressive scarring of the lung parenchyma and relentless loss of lung function. The diagnosis depends on close collaboration between clinicians, radiologists, and pathologists. No therapies approved by the Food and Drug Administration are available for IPF, and an analysis of completed clinical trials has demonstrated that the clinical course of IPF is largely unpredictable. Until therapies that improve survival become available, measures to preserve function and quality of life should be considered, and gastroesophageal reflux should be treated aggressively.

[Combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema: the natural history of the disease. The chronological evolution of clinical features, respiratory function and the CT scan]

INTRODUCTION

The syndrome of combined basal pulmonary fibrosis and apical emphysema (CPFE) is characterised by severe dyspnoea not fully explained by pulmonary function tests that show subnormal lung volumes and expiratory flows while CT imaging reveals varying degrees of emphysema and interstitial fibrosis.

CASE REPORT

A man presented with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease associated with severe emphysema. Airflow obstruction was associated with early over-inflation. Five years later he developed interstitial fibrosis with CT appearances compatible with non-specific interstitial pneumonitis. Simultaneously, the decreased expiratory flows due to emphysema had become normal and the pulmonary distension had resolved.

CONCLUSION

When CPFE develops, the reduced expiratory flows and thoracic distension due to emphysema can resolve. These changes may be explained by the late development of interstitial changes, which balance the functional consequences of emphysema by an increase in elastic recoil and reduction in volume. This is the first case report that describes the evolutionary profile in a single patient. It reinforces the pathophysiological hypothesis that explains the normal pulmonary volumes and expiratory flows in CPFE.

Normal expiratory flow rate and lung volumes in patients with combined emphysema and interstitial lung disease: a case series and literature review

Pulmonary function tests in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis characteristically show a restrictive pattern including small lung volumes and increased expiratory flow rates resulting from a reduction in pulmonary compliance due to diffuse fibrosis. Conversely, an obstructive pattern with hyperinflation results in emphysema by loss of elastic recoil, expiratory collapse of the peripheral airways and air trapping. When the diseases coexist, pulmonary volumes are compensated, and a smaller than expected reduction or even normal lung volumes can be found. The present report describes 10 patients with progressive breathlessness, three of whom experienced severe limitation in their quality of life. All patients showed lung interstitial involvement and emphysema on computed tomography scan of the chest. The 10 patients showed normal spirometry and lung volumes with severe compromise of gas exchange. Normal lung volumes do not exclude diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in patients with concomitant emphysema. The relatively preserved lung volumes may underestimate the severity of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and attenuate its effects on lung function parameters.

Combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema syndrome: a review

There is increasing clinical, radiologic, and pathologic recognition of the coexistence of emphysema and pulmonary fibrosis in the same patient, resulting in a clinical syndrome known as combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE) that is characterized by dyspnea, upper-lobe emphysema, lower-lobe fibrosis, and abnormalities of gas exchange. This syndrome frequently is complicated by pulmonary hypertension, acute lung injury, and lung cancer. The CPFE syndrome typically occurs in male smokers, and the mortality associated with this condition, especially if pulmonary hypertension is present, is significant. In this review, we explore the current state of the literature and discuss etiologic factors and clinical characteristics of the CPFE syndrome.

The Diagnostic Value of the Interstitial Biomarkers KL-6 and SP-D for the Degree of Fibrosis in Combined Pulmonary Fibrosis and Emphysema

The combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE) was reported first in 1990, but it has been comparatively underestimated until recently. Although the diagnostic findings of both emphysematous and fibrotic regions are detectable by high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) of the chest, the degree of progressive fibrosis, which increases with emphysematous lesions, is difficult to evaluate. In this study, we hypothesized that the biomarkers for pulmonary fibrosis, surfactant protein D (SP-D), and KL-6 would serve as good indicators of fibrotic lesions in CPFE. We recruited 46 patients who had been diagnosed in our hospital with both emphysema and fibrosis by their CT scan image from April 2003 to March 2008. The correlation among their pulmonary function tests, composite physiologic index (CPI), and the serum levels of SP-D and KL-6 was evaluated. We found a correlation between KL-6 and %VC, %TLC, or CPI and between SP-D and %VC or CPI. Interestingly, the combined product of KL-6 and SP-D (KL-6xSP-D) was found to highly correlate with %VC and %TLC or CPI. These results show that both KL-6 and SP-D, and especially the product of SP-D and KL-6, are good indicators of the presence of fibrotic lesions in the lungs of CPFE patients.

Smoking and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a disease of unknown etiology with considerable morbidity and mortality. Cigarette smoking is one of the most recognized risk factors for development of IPF. Furthermore, recent work suggests that smoking may have a detrimental effect on survival of patients with IPF. The mechanism by which smoking may contribute to the pathogenesis of IPF is largely unknown. However, accumulating evidence suggests that increased oxidative stress might promote disease progression in IPF patients who are current and former smokers. In this review, potential mechanisms by which cigarette smoking affects IPF, the effects of cigarette smoking on accelerated loss of lung function in patients with IPF, key genetic studies evaluating the potential candidate genes and gene-environment (smoking) interaction, diagnosis, and treatment with emphasis on recently closed and ongoing clinical trials are presented.

Epidemiology and management of common pulmonary diseases in older persons

Pulmonary disease prevalence increases with age and contributes to morbidity and mortality in older patients. Dyspnea in older patients is often ascribed to multiple etiologies such as medical comorbidities and deconditioning. Common pulmonary disorders are frequently overlooked as contributors to dyspnea in older patients. In addition to negative impacts on morbidity and mortality, quality of life is reduced in older patients with uncontrolled, undertreated pulmonary symptoms. The purpose of this review is to discuss the epidemiology of common pulmonary diseases, namely pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, lung cancer, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in older patients. We will review common clinical presentations for these diseases and highlight differences between younger and older patients. We will also briefly discuss risk factors, treatment, and mortality associated with these diseases. Finally, we will address the relationship between comorbidities, pulmonary symptoms, and quality of life in older patients with pulmonary diseases.

Combined Pulmonary Fibrosis and Emphysema Syndrome: A New Phenotype within the Spectrum of Smoking-Related Interstitial Lung Disease

Combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE) is a recently defined syndrome, in which centrilobular and/or paraseptal emphysemas in upper lung zones coexist with pulmonary fibrosis in lower lobes in individuals. These patients have a characteristic lung function profile, with unexpected subnormal dynamic and static lung volumes, contrasting with a significant reduction of carbon monoxide transfer (DL_co) and exercise hypoxemia. Pulmonary hypertension is highly prevalent in CPFE and is the leading determinant of death. Tobacco smoking has been proposed as the main factor in its etiology, though the pathophysiology and its natural history remain to be determined. High-resolution computed axial tomography is the mandatory tool to confirm the diagnosis. Currently, there is no consensus about its treatment since those published to date on this issue are limited to well-characterised series of cases; hence, a better understanding of this entity may help in the development of future therapeutic approaches.

Imaging diagnosis of interstitial pneumonia with emphysema (combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema)

Based on clinical and radiological findings, Cottin defined combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE) as pulmonary emphysema in the upper lungs and interstitial pneumonia in the lower lungs with various radiological patterns. Pathologic findings of CPFE probably corresponded with diffuse interstitial pneumonia with pulmonary emphysema, emphysema with fibrosis, and the combination of both. We described reported radiological findings of CPFE.

Burden of illness in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

BACKGROUND

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a life-threatening condition, and few data concerning the impact on healthcare utilization and associated costs are available. The objective of this study was to describe the burden of illness (comorbidity, healthcare resource utilization, and associated costs) in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

METHODS

Two cohorts (patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and matched controls) were retrospectively identified from US claims databases between January 1, 2001 and September 30, 2008. Cases with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis were defined by age of 55 years or older and either two or more claims with a code for idiopathic fibrosing alveolitis (ICD-9 516.3), or one claim with ICD 516.3 and a subsequent claim with a code for post-inflammatory pulmonary fibrosis (ICD-9 515). The prevalence and incidence of pre-selected comorbidities, healthcare resource utilization (hospital, outpatient, drugs), and direct medical costs were assessed in each cohort.

RESULTS

A total of 9286 patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis were identified. When compared with age- and gender-matched controls, these patients were at significantly increased risk for comorbidities including pulmonary hypertension and emphysema. The all-cause hospital admission rate (0.5 per person-year) and the all-cause outpatient visit rate (28.0 per person-year) were both ∼2-fold higher than in controls. Total direct costs for patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis were $26,378 per person-year; the incremental costs over controls were $12,124 (2008 value).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis experience increased comorbidity, healthcare resource utilization, and direct medical costs compared to controls.

A cohort study of mortality predictors and characteristics of patients with combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema

OBJECTIVES

Our purpose was to assess the clinical data, predictors of mortality and acute exacerbation (AE) in combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE) patients.

DESIGN

Single-centre retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

Teaching hospital in Japan.

PARTICIPANTS

We identified 93 CPFE patients with high-resolution computed tomographic (HRCT) through multidisciplinary discussion. Patients who had connective tissue disease, drug-associated interstitial lung disease and occupationally related interstitial lung disease, such as asbestosis and silicosis, were excluded.

INTERVENTIONS

There were no interventions.

METHODS

Medical records and HRCT scans from January 2002 through December 2007 were reviewed retrospectively at our hospital. Ninety-three patients had CPFE.

RESULTS

The mean age of CPFE patients was 74 years. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and non-specific interstitial pneumonia were observed as distinct HRCT patterns. Forty-two patients showed finger clubbing. Mean serum Krebs von den Lungen-6 (KL-6) and per cent predicted forced vital capacity (%FVC) were 1089 IU/l, 63.86%, respectively. Twenty-two patients developed AE during observation period. Baseline KL-6 was a strong predictor of AE (OR=1.0016, p=0.009). Finger clubbing (HR=2.2620, p=0.015) and per cent predicted forced expiratory volume in one second/%FVC more than 1.2 (HR=1.9259, p=0.048) were independent predictors of mortality in CPFE.

CONCLUSIONS

Baseline serum KL-6 was a useful predictor of AE (cut-off =1050, receiver operator characteristic curve: 0.7720), which occurred in 24% (22/93) of the CPFE patients. Finger clubbing and per cent predicted forced expiratory volume in one second/%FVC more than 1.2 were independent predictors of mortality.

Idiopathic Interstitial Pneumonias

The idiopathic interstitial pneumonias are a distinct group of clinicopathologic entities. High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) plays a critical role in the evaluation and management of patients. In the appropriate clinical setting, characteristic HRCT findings may be diagnostic, obviating the need for open lung biopsy. In more challenging or complicated cases, consensus among the clinician, radiologist, and pathologist may be required. This chapter describes and depicts the characteristic HRCT features of usual interstitial pneumonia, nonspecific interstitial pneumonia, cryptogenic organizing pneumonia, respiratory bronchiolitis, respiratory bronchiolitis associated interstitial lung disease, desquamative interstitial pneumonia, and lymphoid interstitial pneumonia.

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a specific clinicopathologic ­syndrome presenting in older adults with the predominant features: dyspnea, dry cough, restrictive defect on pulmonary function tests (PFTs), hypoxemia, characteristic abnormalities on high-resolution thin section computed tomographic (HRCT) scans, usual interstitial pneumonitis (UIP) pattern on lung biopsy. Surgical lung biopsy is the gold standard of diagnosis, but the diagnosis can be established in some cases by HRCT, provided the clinical features are consistent. The cause of IPF is unknown. However, IPF is more common in adults >60 years old, smokers (current or ex), and patients with specific occupational or noxious exposures. Familial IPF, associated with several distinct genetic mutations, accounts for 1.5–3% of cases. Unfortunately, the prognosis is poor, and most patients die of respiratory failure within 3–6 years of diagnosis. However, the course is highly variable. In some patients, the disease is fulminant, progressing to lethal respiratory failure within months, whereas the course may be indolent, spanning >5 years in some patients. Therapy has not been proven to alter the course of the disease or influence mortality, but recent studies with pirfenidone and tyrosine kinase inhibitors are promising. Lung transplantation is the best therapeutic option, but is limited to selected patients with severe, life-threatening disease and no contraindications to transplant.

Smoking-related interstitial lung diseases

Cigarette smoke, a toxic collection of thousands of chemicals generated from combustion of tobacco, is recognized as the primary causative agent of certain diffuse interstitial and bronchiolar lung diseases. Most patients afflicted with these disorders are cigarette smokers, and smoking cessation has been shown to be capable of inducing disease remission and should occupy a pivotal role in the management of all smokers with these diffuse lung diseases. The role of pharmacotherapy with corticosteroids or other immunomodulating agents is not well established but may be considered in patients with progressive forms of smoking-related interstitial lung diseases.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a devastating, age-related lung disease of unknown cause that has few treatment options. This disease was once thought to be a chronic inflammatory process, but current evidence indicates that the fibrotic response is driven by abnormally activated alveolar epithelial cells (AECs). These cells produce mediators that induce the formation of fibroblast and myofibroblast foci through the proliferation of resident mesenchymal cells, attraction of circulating fibrocytes, and stimulation of the epithelial to mesenchymal transition. The fibroblast and myofibroblast foci secrete excessive amounts of extracellular matrix, mainly collagens, resulting in scarring and destruction of the lung architecture. The mechanisms that link idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis with ageing and aberrant epithelial activation are unknown; evidence suggests that the abnormal recapitulation of developmental pathways and epigenetic changes have a role. In this Seminar, we review recent data on the clinical course, therapeutic options, and underlying mechanisms thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Pulmonary hypertension secondary to interstitial lung disease

Interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) may be complicated by the development of pulmonary hypertension (PH), which is associated with worse functional impairment and a poorer prognosis. This article reviews the current state of knowledge on the prevalence, pathogenesis, diagnosis and prognosis of ILD-related PH. Whether the treatment of ILD-related PH changes clinical outcomes is currently unknown, but the current studies are summarized and the authors' perspective is offered.

Centrilobular emphysema combined with pulmonary fibrosis results in improved survival: a response

Better survival in combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema than in lone pulmonary fibrosis: bias or reality? A response to Centrilobular emphysema combined with pulmonary fibrosis results in improved survival by Todd et al., Fibrogenesis & Tissue Repair 2011, 4:6.

Please see related letter http://fibrogenesis.com/content/4/1/17

Survival in pulmonary fibrosis combined with emphysema: likely defined by characteristics of specific patient subpopulations

Authors' Reply to letter from Cottin et al.

Please see related letter http://www.fibrogenesis.com/content/4/1/16

Smoking inhibits the frequency of bronchovascular bundle thickening in sarcoidosis

RATIONALE/OBJECTIVES

Smoking has been associated with decreased incidence and prevalence of sarcoidosis, but few studies have evaluated effects of smoking on clinical parameters of the disease. The objectives were to determine the association of smoking with radiographic patterns and to evaluate the associations of these smoking-related radiographic patterns on airflow obstruction in sarcoidosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Clinical data and computed tomography (CT) scans of 124 patients with sarcoidosis were reviewed. CT scans were assessed for lymph nodes, nodules, bronchiectasis, bronchovascular bundle thickening, displaced hilum, fibrosis, ground glass, emphysema, pleural changes, and alveolar opacities. CT patterns were compared between patients with and without a history of smoking. The effect of smoking on the associations between radiographic patterns and airflow obstruction was assessed with multivariable analysis.

RESULTS

Smokers had less frequency of bronchovascular bundle thickening than nonsmokers (11/38 subjects [29%] vs 50/86 subjects [58%], P = .003) and more emphysema (7/38 subjects [18%] vs 1/86 subjects [1%], P = .001). Patients who had bronchovascular bundle thickening were less likely to have ever smoked (11/61 subjects [18%] vs 27/63 subjects [43%], P = .003) or be current smokers (4/61 subjects [7%] vs 15/63 subjects [24%], P = .008). Age (P = .003) and bronchovascular bundle thickening (P = .02) were independent predictors of airflow obstruction. There were no differences in smoking history between patients with airflow obstruction versus those without (10/37 subjects [27%] vs 28/87 subjects [32%], P = .63).

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with sarcoidosis, smoking is associated with decreased frequency of bronchovascular bundle thickening, an important clinical manifestation of the lung disease. Further, bronchovascular bundle thickening and age are the only independent predictors of airflow obstruction, and smoking does not confound these associations.

Smoking and pulmonary fibrosis: novel insights

The relationship between smoking and pulmonary fibrosis is under debate and intense investigation. The aim of this paper is to review the existing literature and identify further areas of research interest. Recently the negative influence of cigarette smoking on IPF outcome was highlighted, as non-smokers exhibit a better survival than ex-smokers and combined current- and ex-smokers. In patients with non-specific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP), a high prevalence of emphysema was recently demonstrated, providing an indirect support for a smoking pathogenetic hypothesis in NSIP. The coexistence of pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema has been extensively described in a syndrome termed combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE). Connective tissue disorders (CTDs) are a group of autoimmune diseases which affect the lung, as one of the most common and severe manifestations. However, the relationship between smoking and autoimmune disorders is still conflicting. Rheumatoid arthritis results from the interaction between genetic and environmental factors, while the best established environmental factor is tobacco smoking. Smoking has also a negative impact on the response of the RA patients to treatment. The aforementioned smoking-related implications give rise to further research questions and certainly provide one more important reason for physicians to advocate smoking cessation and smoke-free environment.

Pulmonary hypertension in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: a review

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive diffuse parenchymal disease with a poor prognosis. Pulmonary hypertension (PH) often complicates the course of IPF and may even be found in patients with preserved lung function. Possible pathogenetic mechanisms of PH in IPF include vascular destruction, pulmonary hypoxic vasoconstriction and vascular remodeling due to overexpression of cytokines and growth factors. PH in IPF patients is associated with decreased exercise capacity and a worse prognosis. Due to its prognostic significance, it seems important to investigate for PH in these patients. As the symptoms of PH in IPF are nonspecific, the development of PH in a patient with known IPF can be easily overlooked. Noninvasive methods provide clues for the diagnosis, but their sensitivity is limited. Doppler echocardiography is a useful tool for the detection of PH which also provides additional information regarding associated cardiac abnormalities. However, right heart catheterization remains the gold standard diagnostic test. Therapeutic options for PH in IPF are limited. Long-term oxygen administration for the correction of hypoxemia should be recommended. The availability of new pharmacological agents in the treatment of PH has raised the possibility of therapy in patients with IPF and associated PH. Whether these PH-targeted therapies may be of benefit in this patient group, in terms of improving functional outcomes and survival, remains uncertain.

An official ATS/ERS/JRS/ALAT statement: idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: evidence-based guidelines for diagnosis and management

This document is an international evidence-based guideline on the diagnosis and management of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and is a collaborative effort of the American Thoracic Society, the European Respiratory Society, the Japanese Respiratory Society, and the Latin American Thoracic Association. It represents the current state of knowledge regarding idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), and contains sections on definition and epidemiology, risk factors, diagnosis, natural history, staging and prognosis, treatment, and monitoring disease course. For the diagnosis and treatment sections, pragmatic GRADE evidence-based methodology was applied in a question-based format. For each diagnosis and treatment question, the committee graded the quality of the evidence available (high, moderate, low, or very low), and made a recommendation (yes or no, strong or weak). Recommendations were based on majority vote. It is emphasized that clinicians must spend adequate time with patients to discuss patients' values and preferences and decide on the appropriate course of action.

Centrilobular emphysema combined with pulmonary fibrosis results in improved survival

Background

We hypothesized that, in patients with pulmonary fibrosis combined with emphysema, clinical characteristics and outcomes may differ from patients with pulmonary fibrosis without emphysema. We identified 102 patients who met established criteria for pulmonary fibrosis. The amount of emphysema (numerical score) and type of emphysema (centrilobular, paraseptal, or mixed) were characterized in each patient. Clinical characteristics, pulmonary function tests and patient survival were analysed.

Results

Based on the numerical emphysema score, patients were classified into those having no emphysema (n = 48), trivial emphysema (n = 26) or advanced emphysema (n = 28). Patients with advanced emphysema had a significantly higher amount of smoking in pack/years than patients with no emphysema or trivial emphysema (P < 0.0001). Median survival [1st, 3rd quartiles] of patients with advanced emphysema was 63 [36, 82] months compared to 29 [18, 49] months in patients without emphysema and 32 [19, 48] months in patients with trivial emphysema (P < 0.001). Median forced vital capacity (FVC) and total lung capacity (TLC) were higher in the advanced emphysema group compared to patients with no emphysema (P < 0.01 and P < 0.001, respectively), whereas median DL_CO did not differ among groups and was overall low. Within the advanced emphysema group (n = 28), further characterization of the type of emphysema was performed and, within these subgroups of patients, survival was 75 [58, 85] months for patients with centrilobular emphysema, 75 [48, 85] months for patients with mixed centrilobular/paraseptal emphysema, and 24 [22, 35] months for patients with paraseptal emphysema (P < 0.01). Patients with advanced paraseptal emphysema had similar survival times to patients without emphysema.

Conclusions

Patients with pulmonary fibrosis combined with advanced centrilobular or mixed emphysema have an improved survival compared with patients with pulmonary fibrosis without emphysema, with trivial emphysema or with advanced paraseptal emphysema.

Combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema syndrome in connective tissue disease

OBJECTIVE

Connective tissue diseases (CTDs) are associated with several interstitial lung diseases. The aim of this study was to describe the recently individualized syndrome of combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE) in a population of patients with CTD.

METHODS

In this multicenter study, we retrospectively investigated data from patients with CTD who also have CPFE. The demographic characteristics of the patients, the results of pulmonary function testing, high-resolution computed tomography, lung biopsy, and treatment, and the outcomes of the patients were analyzed.

RESULTS

Data from 34 patients with CTD who were followed up for a mean±SD duration of 8.3±7.0 years were analyzed. Eighteen of the patients had rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 10 had systemic sclerosis (SSc), 4 had mixed or overlap CTD, and 2 had other CTDs. The mean±SD age of the patients was 57±11 years, 23 were men, and 30 were current or former smokers. High-resolution computed tomography revealed emphysema of the upper lung zones and pulmonary fibrosis of the lower zones in all patients, and all patients exhibited dyspnea during exercise. Moderately impaired pulmonary function test results and markedly reduced carbon monoxide transfer capacity were observed. Five patients with SSc exhibited pulmonary hypertension. Four patients died during followup. Patients with CTD and CPFE were significantly younger than an historical control group of patients with idiopathic CPFE and more frequently were female. In addition, patients with CTD and CPFE had higher lung volumes, lower diffusion capacity, higher pulmonary pressures, and more frequently were male than those with CTD and lung fibrosis without emphysema.

CONCLUSION

CPFE warrants inclusion as a novel, distinct pulmonary manifestation within the spectrum of CTD-associated lung diseases in smokers or former smokers, especially in patients with RA or SSc.

Workshop on idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in older adults

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a heterogeneous disease with respect to clinical presentation and rates of progression, disproportionately affects older adults. The diagnosis of IPF is descriptive, based on clinical, radiologic, and histopathologic examination, and definitive diagnosis is hampered by poor interobserver agreement and lack of a consensus definition. There are no effective treatments. Cellular, molecular, genetic, and environmental risk factors have been identified for IPF, but the initiating event and the characteristics of preclinical stages are not known. IPF is predominantly a disease of older adults, and the processes underlying normal aging might significantly influence the development of IPF. Yet, the biology of aging and the principles of medical care for this population have been typically ignored in basic, translational, or clinical IPF research. In August 2009, the Association of Specialty Professors, in collaboration with the American College of Chest Physicians, the American Geriatrics Society, the National Institute on Aging, and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, held a workshop, summarized herein, to review what is known, to identify research gaps at the interface of aging and IPF, and to suggest priority areas for future research. Efforts to answer the questions identified will require the integration of geriatrics, gerontology, and pulmonary research, but these efforts have great potential to improve care for patients with IPF.

Clinical course and prediction of survival in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive, life-threatening, interstitial lung disease of unknown etiology. The median survival of patients with IPF is only 2 to 3 years, yet some patients live much longer. Respiratory failure resulting from disease progression is the most frequent cause of death. To date we have limited information as to predictors of mortality in patients with IPF, and research in this area has failed to yield prediction models that can be reliably used in clinical practice to predict individual risk of mortality. The goal of this concise clinical review is to examine and summarize the current data on the clinical course, individual predictors of survival, and proposed clinical prediction models in IPF. Finally, we will discuss challenges and future directions related to predicting survival in IPF.

Fibrosis with emphysema

The concept of fibrosis with emphysema is confused by the existence of two very different clinical/pathological scenarios: first, cases in which a diffuse fibrosing interstitial pneumonia, most commonly usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP), occurs in a patient with emphysema. This combination is largely of clinical interest because of its effects on pulmonary function and pulmonary hypertension, but can produce unusual appearances in surgical lung biopsies when the fibrotic areas are wrapped around emphysematous spaces. However, the underlying morphology of emphysema and UIP or other interstitial lung disease remains unchanged. Radiological consultation is often helpful to show that the patient has both lesions; secondly, cases in which there is localized fibrosis that is part of emphysema, or related to respiratory bronchiolitis, or both. These lesions have been called 'respiratory bronchiolitis' (RB), 'respiratory bronchiolitis-interstitial lung disease' (RB-ILD), 'airspace enlargement with fibrosis', 'RB-ILD with fibrosis' and 'clinically occult interstitial fibrosis in smokers', but are probably all the same entity. Such changes are associated only rarely with the physiological or radiological features of an interstitial lung disease. Care should be taken when describing these lesions in biopsies so as not to give the impression that a diffuse interstitial lung disease is present.

[Combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema]

The combination of pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE) is a recently defined syndrome, in which an upper lobe emphysema and lower lobe fibrosis coexist in a single patient. These patients have a characteristic lung function profile, with dynamic and static lung volumes apparently normal or minimally altered, contrasting with a significant reduction of carbon monoxide transfer (DLco) and exercise hypoxemia. Pulmonary hypertension is highly prevalent and is the principal negative prognostic factor for this condition. High resolution computed axial tomography (HRCT) is the main tool to confirm the diagnosis. Cigarette smoking has been proposed as the main factor in its etiology; however, neither pathogenic mechanisms nor the sequence of events involved in this syndrome has been clarified yet. Experimental studies in animal models are providing information on the involvement of some inflammatory mediators in the pathogenesis. There is currently no consensus on the therapeutic approach to be followed in these patients, since those published to date on this subject are limited to well-characterised series of cases. Therefore, it is a pathology with many unknowns yet to be resolved and highly likely to be underdiagnosed, unless its functional clinical characteristics are taken into account.

Combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema alters physiology but has similar mortality to pulmonary fibrosis without emphysema

Studies have described individuals with combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE), with preserved lung volumes, significant reductions in gas exchange, and high prevalence of pulmonary hypertension. While physiologic changes in CPFE are well documented, there is little mortality data in the CPFE population compared to appropriate controls. A study was performed to determine the features and outcomes of a group of individuals with imaging and/or pathologic evidence of CPFE to determine if individuals with combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema have different features and survival than individuals with pulmonary fibrosis alone. We conducted a retrospective study at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Included in the study were individuals hospitalized over a 5-year period who were given a clinical diagnosis of pulmonary fibrosis. Individuals with confirmed imaging or pathologic evidence of pulmonary fibrosis were divided into a study group with concomitant emphysema (CPFE group, n = 20) and a control group without emphysema (isolated pulmonary fibrosis (PF) group, n = 24). The CPFE group, all current or former cigarette smokers, had significantly larger lung volumes, more expiratory airflow obstruction, and worse gas exchange than the isolated pulmonary fibrosis group. Mortality did not differ between the groups. Combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema results in unique physiologic features but no difference in survival compared with a group with pulmonary fibrosis alone.