title: Single breath transfer factor for carbon monoxide in an asymptomatic population of never smokers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Data on reference values of transfer factor variables in general populations of asymptomatic never smokers are limited. The aim of this study was to examine the relation between test variables and age, height, haemoglobin concentration and carboxyhaemoglobin concentration.
  
  
  METHODS
  Measurements of single breath transfer factor for carbon monoxide (TLCO) were obtained for a randomly selected sample of never smokers in north western Europe who were 18-73 years old and had no respiratory symptoms or disorders. Two recordings of TLCO with a ratio of inspiratory vital capacity to forced vital capacity of greater than 0.09 were obtained by standardised techniques for 304 subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The measurement errors expressed as a percentage of the common mean value of TLCO, volume adjusted TLCO (KCO), and alveolar volume (VA) were 4.5%, 4.2%, and 2.4% respectively. Multiple linear regressions showed sex specific effects of height and age on TLCO, and, in addition, of haemoglobin and carboxyhaemoglobin concentrations on KCO. VA was associated with height but not with age. The 5th and 95th centiles for TLCO and KCO in men and women were between 78% and 82% and between 120% and 127%, respectively, of predicted values when age and height were taken into account.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Reference equations and normal values for transfer test variables in a large healthy population of never smokers are described in relation to age, height, and haemoglobin concentrations. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an association between carboxyhaemoglobin concentrations and KCO in a population of never smoking men and women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Medicine, University of Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gulsvik
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bakke
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Humerfelt
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Omenaas
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tosteson
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: F E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Speizer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001827:Body Height / Q000502:physiology; D002248:Carbon Monoxide / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D002263:Carboxyhemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011659:Pulmonary Gas Exchange / Q000502:physiology*; D012016:Reference Values; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012907:Smoking / Q000503:physiopathology; D013147:Spirometry; D014797:Vital Capacity / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D002248:Carbon Monoxide; D002263:Carboxyhemoglobin