title: Factors associated with bronchiectasis in patients with COPD.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Previous studies have shown a high prevalence of bronchiectasis in patients with moderate to severe COPD. However, the factors associated with bronchiectasis remain unknown in these patients. The objective of this study is to identify the factors associated with bronchiectasis in patients with moderate to severe COPD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Consecutive patients with moderate (50% < FEV(1) ≤ 70%) or severe (FEV(1) ≤ 50%) COPD were included prospectively. All subjects filled out a clinical questionnaire, including information about exacerbations. Peripheral blood samples were obtained, and lung function tests were performed in all patients. Sputum samples were provided for monthly microbiologic analysis for 6 months. All the tests were performed in a stable phase for at least 6 weeks. High-resolution CT scans of the chest were used to diagnose bronchiectasis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninety-two patients, 51 with severe COPD, were included. Bronchiectasis was present in 53 patients (57.6%). The variables independently associated with the presence of bronchiectasis were severe airflow obstruction (OR, 3.87; 95% CI, 1.38-10.5; P = .001), isolation of a potentially pathogenic microorganism (PPM) (OR, 3.59; 95% CI, 1.3-9.9; P = .014), and at least one hospital admission due to COPD exacerbations in the previous year (OR, 3.07; 95% CI, 1.07-8.77; P = .037).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found an elevated prevalence of bronchiectasis in patients with moderate to severe COPD, and this was associated with severe airflow obstruction, isolation of a PPM from sputum, and at least one hospital admission for exacerbations in the previous year.
authors.affiliation: Pneumology Unit, Requena General Hospital; CIBER de enfermedades respiratorias, Valencia, Spain. Electronic address: miangel@comv.es.
authors.forename: Miguel Ángel
authors.initials: MÁ
authors.lastname: Martínez-García
authors.affiliation: Pneumology Unit, Requena General Hospital.
authors.forename: Juan José
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Soler-Cataluña
authors.affiliation: Service of Internal Medicine, Requena General Hospital.
authors.forename: Yolanda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Donat Sanz
authors.affiliation: Pneumology Unit, Requena General Hospital.
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Catalán Serra
authors.affiliation: Radiology Department, Requena General Hospital.
authors.forename: Marcos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Agramunt Lerma
authors.affiliation: Radiology Department, Requena General Hospital.
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ballestín Vicente
authors.affiliation: Service of Pneumology, La Fe University Hospital, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Perpiñá-Tordera
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001987:Bronchiectasis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods