title: Medical Research Council dyspnea scale does not relate to fibroblast foci profusion in IPF.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) irreversibly progressive fibrosing parenchymal damage, leads to defects in mechanics and gas exchange, manifesting with disabling exertional dyspnea. Previous studies have shown a relationship between fibroblast foci (FF) profusion and severity and survival and a relationship between dyspnea grade and severity and outcome. We hypothesized a relationship between Medical Research Council (MRC) dyspnea scale with FF, and a relationship between FF and functional parameters and survival.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed 24 histologically documented IPF patients. Profusion of FF was semiquantitatively evaluated by two scores, Brompton and Michigan. Survival analysis was performed by fitting Cox regression models to examine the relationship of the two scores with survival and the non-parametric Spearman correlation coefficient was calculated to describe the relationships of FF scores with dyspnea scores and functional parameters.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No statistically significant correlation between FF scores and the MRC scores was observed (p = 0.96 and p = 0.508 respectively). No significant correlation between FF scores and survival (p = 0.438 and p = 0.861 respectively) or any functional parameter was observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The lack of relationship between the MRC dyspnea scale and the FF might relate to the fact that dyspnea in IPF better reflects the overall of lung damage and its related consequences on mechanics and gas exchange whereas FF, one of its histological hallmarks, may not reflect its entire histology derangement also constrained by the geographically limited sampled tissue. This might be also valid for the observed lack of association between FF and survival or functional parameters.
authors.affiliation: 2nd Pulmonary Department, Attikon University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Triantafillidou
authors.forename: Effrosyni D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Manali
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Magkou
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sotiropoulou
authors.forename: Likurgos F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Kolilekas
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kagouridis
authors.forename: Dimitra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rontogianni
authors.forename: Spyros A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Papiris
mesh_terms: D004417:Dyspnea / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000473:pathology*; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D054990:Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015996:Survival Rate