title: Relationships between emphysema and airways metrics at High-Resolution Computed Tomography (HRCT) and ventilatory response to exercise in mild to moderate COPD patients.
abstract: In Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) patients, the opportunity to carry out a thoracic high-resolution CT (HRCT) scan and to perform an incremental cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) increases the possibility to identify the different clinical features of disease. The aim of our study was to evaluate the relationships between HRCT metrics (on emphysema by low attenuation areas-LAA% and airways by wall area-WA%) and CPET variables related to the dynamic response to exercise in terms of elastic balance (Δ rest-to-peak IC/TLC) and ventilation capacity for carbon dioxide output (VE/VCO2slope and VE/VCO2 intercept).
  
  
  
  We prospectively enrolled COPD outpatients from the University Hospital of Parma. Data on anthropometrics characteristics, lung function, HRCT (LAA% and WA%) and CPET (Δ rest-to-peak IC/TLC, VE/VCO2 slope and VE/VCO2 intercept) were recorded.
  
  
  
  Fifty-one mild to moderate COPD patients (66% males; median age 70 y; mean FEV1 56% of pred.) were enrolled in the study. LAA% demonstrated a significant correlation with Δ rest-to-peak IC/TLC and VE/VCO2slope (r = 0.405, p = 0.005 and r = 0.453, p = 0.001, respectively), while WA% with VE/VCO2slope (r = -0.333, p = 0.020). In multivariate regression models, after adjustment for oxygen uptake (peak VO2) and physical capacity (peak workload), LAA was the only independent predictor of Δ rest-to-peak IC/TLC (β 0.774, SE 0.334, p = 0.025) and VE/VCO2 slope (β 0.155, SE 0.053, p = 0.005 and β 0.305, SE 0.123, p = 0.018, respectively). VE/VCO2 intercept was instead predicted from FEV1 only (β -0.097, SE 0.042, p = 0.027).
  
  
  
  In mild to moderate COPD patients, emphysema (LAA) and airways metrics (WA) have close relationships with the different characteristics of ventilatory response to exercise. In particular, we were able to show that LAA is an independent predictor of exercise-induced Δ rest-to-peak IC/TLC and VE/VCO2 slope.
authors: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Respiratory Disease and Lung Function Unit, University of Parma, Parma, Italy. Electronic address: ernesto.crisafulli@unipr.it.
authors: Ernesto
authors: E
authors: Crisafulli
authors: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Respiratory Disease and Lung Function Unit, University of Parma, Parma, Italy. Electronic address: vero.alfieri@alice.it.
authors: Veronica
authors: V
authors: Alfieri
authors: Department of Surgical Sciences, Section of Diagnostic Imaging, University of Parma, Parma, Italy. Electronic address: mariosilvamed@gmail.com.
authors: Mario
authors: M
authors: Silva
authors: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Respiratory Disease and Lung Function Unit, University of Parma, Parma, Italy. Electronic address: marina.aiello@unipr.it.
authors: Marina
authors: M
authors: Aiello
authors: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Respiratory Disease and Lung Function Unit, University of Parma, Parma, Italy. Electronic address: panayotat@yahoo.com.
authors: Panagiota
authors: P
authors: Tzani
authors: Department of Surgical Sciences, Section of Diagnostic Imaging, University of Parma, Parma, Italy. Electronic address: gianluca.milanese@studenti.unipr.it.
authors: Gianluca
authors: G
authors: Milanese
authors: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Respiratory Disease and Lung Function Unit, University of Parma, Parma, Italy. Electronic address: giuseppina.bertorelli@unipr.it.
authors: Giuseppina
authors: G
authors: Bertorelli
authors: Department of Surgical Sciences, Section of Diagnostic Imaging, University of Parma, Parma, Italy. Electronic address: nicola.sverzellati@unipr.it.
authors: Nicola
authors: N
authors: Sverzellati
authors: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Respiratory Disease and Lung Function Unit, University of Parma, Parma, Italy. Electronic address: alfredoantonio.chetta@unipr.it.
authors: Alfredo
authors: A
authors: Chetta
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D056151:Airway Remodeling / Q000502:physiology; D000886:Anthropometry; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000378:metabolism; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000379:methods; D017079:Exercise Tolerance / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011656:Pulmonary Emphysema / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012123:Pulmonary Ventilation / Q000502:physiology; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests / Q000379:methods; D012137:Respiratory System / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide
keywords: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Incremental cardiopulmonary exercise test; Low attenuation area; Thoracic high-resolution CT scan; Wall area; Δ rest-to-peak IC/TLC