title: Pulmonary function abnormalities in respiratory asymptomatic patients with inflammatory bowel disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND: There is evidence that pulmonary function abnormalities are present in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The aim of this crossover study was to assess the frequency of pulmonary dysfunction in patients with IBD and to define the importance of possible confounding factors. METHODS: We investigated a total of 44 patients with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis and no pulmonary symptoms or a history of respiratory diseases by means of pulmonary function testing and chest X-ray. As controls we examined 44 healthy subjects matched for gender, age, and smoking status. RESULTS: A total of 21% of the subjects with ulcerative colitis and 20% with Crohn's disease showed an obstructive and/or restrictive ventilatory defect. Pulmonary function abnormalities were significantly more frequent in patients with IBD than in the controls (5%, P<0.05). There was no correlation between pulmonary function abnormalities and site, activity, or duration of bowel disease, current medication, smoking habits, or history of atopy. CONCLUSIONS: Pulmonary involvement seems to be a more frequent extraintestinal manifestation of IBD than thus far supposed. The causes or confounding factors are uncertain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Military Hospital of German Armed Forces Koblenz, Medical Division, Johannes-Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dierkes-Globisch
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mohr