Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2011 Nov;38(5):1012-8.
doi: 10.1183/09031936.00050711. Epub 2011 May 12.

Association of the transfer coefficient of the lung for carbon monoxide with emphysema progression in male smokers

F A A Mohamed Hoesein  1 , P Zanen, B van Ginneken, R J van Klaveren, J-W J Lammers
Affiliations
Free article

Association of the transfer coefficient of the lung for carbon monoxide with emphysema progression in male smokers

F A A Mohamed Hoesein et al. Eur Respir J. 2011 Nov.
Free article

Abstract

A decreased transfer coefficient of the lung for carbon monoxide (K(CO)) is associated with emphysema. We evaluated whether in heavy smokers, baseline K(CO) was associated with the progression of computed tomography (CT)-detected emphysema, and the progression of airflow limitation. Heavy smokers, mean ± sd 41.3 ± 18.7 pack-yrs, participating in a lung cancer screening trial underwent diffusion testing and CT scanning of the lungs. CT scanning was repeated after median (25th-75th percentile) 2.8 (2.7-3.0) yrs and emphysema was assessed by lung densitometry using the 15th percentile. The association between K(CO) at baseline with progression of emphysema and lung function decline was assessed by multiple linear regression, correcting for baseline CT-quantified emphysema severity and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV₁/forced vital capacity (FVC), age, height, body mass index, pack-yrs and smoking status (current or former smoker). 522 participants aged 60.1 ± 5.4 yrs were included. Mean ± sd 15th percentile was -938 ± 19, absolute FEV₁/FVC was 71.6 ± 9% and K(CO) was 1.23 ± 0.25, which is 81.8 ± 16.5% of predicted. By interpolation, a one sd (0.25) lower K(CO) value at baseline predicted a 1.6 HU lower 15th percentile and a 0.78% lower FEV₁/FVC after follow-up (p < 0.001). A lower baseline K(CO) value is independently associated with a more rapid progression of emphysema and airflow limitation in heavy smokers.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

Publication types

Substances

LinkOut - more resources