Clinical study on pulmonary diffusion function in patients with chronic liver disease.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the influence of chronic liver disease (CLD) on pulmonary diffusion function.


METHODS
Arterial blood gas analysis, pulmonary function test, contrast-enhanced transthoracic echocardiography and technetium macro-aggregated albumin scanning were performed in 50 cirrhotic patients who underwent surgery on portal hypertension and liver transplantation. The severity of chronic liver disease (CLD) was evaluated by Child-Pugh-Turcotte (CPT) categorization and model for end stage liver disease (MELD) score from October 2008 to July 2009 in our surgical department and organ transplantation center.


RESULTS
A-aDO(2) was increased with the aggravation of liver dysfunction. The pulmonary diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) differed significantly among the three groups, which was (90.8 ± 7.3)% in CPT A group, (82.8 ± 10.8)% in CPT B group, and (73.5 ± 8.3)% in CPT C group. A-aDO(2) correlated positively with CPT (r= 0.581, P= 0.000) as well as the MELD score (r= 0.696, P= 0.000), whereas DLCO was negatively correlated with CPT (r=-0.630, P= 0.000) and the MELD score (r=-0.708, P= 0.000).


CONCLUSIONS
DLCO can be useful in the detection of pulmonary vascular abnormality of CLD. The MELD score may be a better criterion than the CPT score in assessing intrapulmonary vascular damage of CLD patients.
Huo
Yan Miao
YM
Department of General Surgery, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, China.
Hua
Rong
R
Chen
Wei
W
Sun
Yong Wei
YW
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D058625:End Stage Liver Disease / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D011653:Pulmonary Diffusing Capacity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D010100:Oxygen