title: Abrupt withdrawal of inhaled corticosteroids does not result in spirometric deterioration in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: Effect of phenotyping?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Some studies show a decline of FEV(1) only one month after withdrawal of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS), while others show no decline. We speculate that the presence of an asthma phenotype in the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) population, and that its exclusion may result in no spirometric deterioration.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a prospective clinical observation study on 32 patients who fulfilled the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive lung disease definition of COPD (Grade II-IV). They were divided into two phenotypic groups. 1. Irreversible asthma (A and B) (n = 13): A. Asthma: Bronchial biopsy shows diffuse thickening of basement membrane (≥ 6.6 μm). B. Airflow limitation (AFL) likely to be asthma: KCO > 80% predicted if the patient refused biopsy. 2. COPD (A and B) (n = 19): A. COPD: hypercapneic respiratory failure with raised bicarbonate, panlobular emphysema with multiple bullas, or bronchial biopsy showing squamous metaplasia and epithelial/subepithelial inflammation without thickening of the basement membrane. B. AFL likely to be COPD: KCO < 80% predicted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The asthma phenotype was significantly younger, had a strong association with hypertrophy of nasal turbinates, and registered a significant improvement of FEV(1) (350 ml) vs a decline of - 26.5 ml in the COPD phenotype following therapy with budesonide/formoterol for one year. Withdrawal of budesonide for 4 weeks in the COPD phenotype resulted in FEV(1) + 1.33% (SD ± 5.71) and FVC + 1.24% (SD ± 5.32); a change of <12% in all patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We recorded no spirometric deterioration after exclusion of the asthma phenotype from a COPD group.
authors.affiliation: Medical Department, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Feisal A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Al-Kassimi
authors.forename: Esam H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Alhamad
authors.forename: Mohammed S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Al-Hajjaj
authors.forename: Abdullah A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Abba
authors.forename: Emad
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Raddaoui
authors.forename: Shaffi A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Shaikh