The Time Course of Pulmonary Function Tests in COPD Patients with Different Levels of Blood Eosinophils.
Only very few studies have investigated the influence of eosinophils on the functional progression of COPD. We aimed at retrospectively analyzing the trend of pulmonary function tests over time in patients with COPD according to two baseline blood eosinophil cell count strata (<2% [EOS-] and ≥2% [EOS+]). We used the last 9-year data present in the database of our outpatient clinic and selected only those who had two blood counts that would guarantee the stability of the value of eosinophils and serial spirometry for 4 consecutive years. The analysis of the time course of the spirometric variables analysed showed differences in FEV1 and FVC decline between the subjects of the EOS- group and those of the EOS+ group. The integrated evaluation of our results suggests that the different level of blood eosinophils in the two groups may have influenced independently the time course of the pulmonary function tests and identify two subgroups of subjects with specific disease characteristics: the hyperinflator and the rapid decliner, respectively.
Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Chair of Respiratory Medicine, Rome, Italy.
Paola
P
Rogliani
Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Chair of Respiratory Medicine, Rome, Italy.
Ermanno
E
Puxeddu
Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Chair of Respiratory Medicine, Rome, Italy.
Chiara
C
Ciaprini
Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Chair of Respiratory Medicine, Rome, Italy.
Josuel
J
Ora
Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Chair of Respiratory Medicine, Rome, Italy.
Angelo
A
Onorato
Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Chair of Respiratory Medicine, Rome, Italy.
Gabriella
G
Pezzuto
Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Chair of Respiratory Medicine, Rome, Italy.
Luigino
L
Calzetta
Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Chair of Respiratory Medicine, Rome, Italy.
Mario
0000-0003-4895-9707
M
Cazzola
D000368:Aged; D002452:Cell Count; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000166:cytology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D013147:Spirometry