A study of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease-specific causes of osteoporosis with emphasis on the emphysema phenotype.

Background: Osteoporosis, the most common extra-pulmonary complication of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), may be related to general causes or COPD-specific causes such as low forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and hypoxia. A few studies reported that emphysema is an independent risk factor for osteoporosis. However, other workers considered the association to be confounded by low FEV1 and low body mass index (BMI) which cluster with emphysema.

Can computed tomography and carbon monoxide transfer coefficient diagnose an asthma-like phenotype in COPD?

Background And Objective: Post-mortem and computed tomography (CT) studies indicated that emphysema is a feature of COPD even in the 'blue bloater/chronic bronchitis' type. We aim to test the hypothesis that the non-emphysematous patients are distinct from the main body of COPD and are more akin to asthmatic patients.

Methods: We studied 54 patients with COPD.

Rapid detection of circulating fibrocytes by flowcytometry in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Background: Current protocols for detection of circulating fibrocytes (CFs) in peripheral blood described in various pulmonary and nonpulmonary disorders involve complex and time consuming, non standardized techniques.

Objective: Testing a method to rapidly detect and quantify CFs using whole blood lysis flow cytometry-based assay in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and healthy controls.

Methods: One milliliter of venous blood sample in ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) from 33 IPF patients and 35 healthy control subjects was collected.

The prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: a BOLD study.

Objective: To estimate the prevalence and associated risk factors of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Saudi adults aged ⩾40 years using standardised post-bronchodilator spirometry according to the Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease (BOLD) protocol.

Methods: Saudi men and women aged ⩾40 years were recruited by stratified multistage random sampling in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Participants completed questionnaires on respiratory symptoms and exposure to risk factors for COPD.