Objective To explore the prognostic significance of baseline clinical and pulmonary physiological variables on idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis ( IPF) . Methods Patients diagnosed with IPF according to 2011 ATS/ERS/JRS/ALAT statementwere selected from Nanjing DrumTower Hospital between January 1, 2002 and July 31, 2010. The baseline characteristics were abstracted, including age, gender, smoking history, corticosteroid, delay before diagnosis, body mass index, finger clubbing, oxygenation index ( PaO2 /FiO2 ) , C-reaction protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate ( ESR) , serum lactate dehydrogenase ( LDH) , albumin, vital capacity ( VC) , forced vital capacity ( FVC) , total lung capacity ( TLC) , and singlebreath diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide ( DLCO) . The relationships between all factors and survival were examined with a univariate Cox proportional-hazard model. Kaplan-Meier method was used to assess the survival probabilities between groups with different baseline characteristics. Results Eighty-four patients were included in this study, with the median survival time of 34. 7 months. PaO2 /FiO2 , FVC% pred, VC% pred, TLC% pred, and DLCO% pred showed significant associations with the mortality of IPF ( hazard ratios 0. 940-0. 994, P lt; 0. 01) . The Kaplan-Meier analyses for above variables also showed significant differences ( P lt;0. 05) . Besides, the statistical difference of survival probability could be found between the patients with elevated serumLDH and those with normal LDH ( 27. 0 months vs. 43. 1 months, P =0. 014) . Conclusions Baseline oxygenation and pulmonary function parameters may indicate the prognosis of IPF patients. Serum LDH may provide clinicians with additional prognostic information.
Objective To explore the prognostic value of preoperative pulmonary ventilation function for postoperative survival of patients with non-small cell lung cancer ( NSCLC) . Methods 146 NSCLC patients who underwent cured lung surgical resection between January 1, 2003 and December 31,2008 in Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital were recruited in the study. Pulmonary ventilation function was obtained preoperatively for each patient, including vital capacity ( VC) , forced vital capacity ( FVC) , forcedexpiratory volume in 1 second ( FEV1 ) , FEV1 /FVC, and peak expiratory flow ( PEF) . The effects of the above lung function variables on postoperative survival were evaluated by both univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard models. Kaplan-Meier method was used to assess the survival probabilities betweendifferent groups.Results The median survival time after surgery was 31. 0 months ( 95% CI 22. 55-39. 45) . VC% pred, FVC% pred and FEV1% pred showed significant associations with the risk of mortality in the NSCLC patients after surgery ( hazard ratios 0. 979-0. 981, P lt; 0. 05) . The survival time after surgery was significantly shorter in the patients with VC ≤ 80% predicted compared to those with VC gt; 80% predicted ( median survival time: 31. 0 months vs. 34. 0 months) . The same difference could be found between the patients with FVC≤80% predicted and those with FVC gt; 80% predicted ( median survival time: 27. 0 months vs. 43. 0 months) . There was also significant difference in median survival between the patients with FEV1 ≤80% predicted and those with FEV1 gt; 80% predicted ( median survival time: 17. 0 months vs. 44. 0 months) . Conclusion Preoperative pulmonary ventilation function parameters may be used to informclinical decisions and indicate the prognosis of NSCLC patients after surgery.