BackgroundThe GOLD 2011 document proposed a new classification system for COPD combining symptom assessment by COPD assessment test (CAT) or modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnea scores, and exacerbation risk. We postulated that classification of COPD would be different by the symptom scale; CAT vs mMRC.MethodsOutpatients with COPD were enrolled from January to June in 2012. The patients were categorized into A, B, C, and D according to the GOLD 2011; patients were categorized twice with mMRC and CAT score for symptom assessment, respectively. Additionally, correlations between mMRC scores and each item of CAT scores were analyzed.ResultsClassification of 257 patients using the CAT score vs mMRC scale was as follows. By using CAT score, 60 (23.3%) patients were assigned to group A, 55 (21.4%) to group B, 21 (8.2%) to group C, and 121 (47.1%) to group D. On the basis of the mMRC scale, 97 (37.7%) patients were assigned to group A, 18 (7.0%) to group B, 62 (24.1%) to group C, and 80 (31.1%) to group D. The kappa of agreement for the GOLD groups classified by CAT and mMRC was 0.510. The mMRC score displayed a wide range of correlation with each CAT item (r = 0.290 for sputum item to r = 0.731 for dyspnea item, p < 0.001).ConclusionsThe classification of COPD produced by the mMRC or CAT score was not identical. Care should be taken when stratifying COPD patients with one symptom scale versus another according to the GOLD 2011 document.

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BackgroundPlasma N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels are elevated in patients with secondary pulmonary hypertension and chronic lung disease with right ventricular overload. The aim of the present study was to investigate the use of plasma NT-proBNP levels as a prognostic marker of severe COPD with chronic respiratory failure and latent pulmonary hypertension.MethodsPlasma NT-proBNP levels were measured in 61 patients with stable COPD. Plasma NT-proBNP levels, pulmonary function, PaO2, and PaCO2 levels and systolic pulmonary artery pressure were compared according to COPD severity. In addition, we examined correlations between plasma NT-proBNP levels and pulmonary function, PaO2, PaCO2, and systolic pulmonary artery pressure.ResultsThe levels of plasma NT-proBNP significantly increased in patients with stage IV and stage III COPD compared to individuals with stage II COPD according to the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) classification. The area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve of plasma NT-proBNP for severe to very severe COPD (FEV1 < 50%) was 0.707 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.566–0.847, P = 0.008). Plasma NT-proBNP levels significantly correlated with %FEV1 (r = −0.557; P < 0.001), arterial blood gas parameters such as PaCO2 (r = 0.476; P < 0.001) and PaO2 (r = −0.347; P = 0.031), and systolic pulmonary artery pressure (r = 0.435; P = 0.001).ConclusionsPlasma NT-proBNP levels increased significantly with disease severity, progression of chronic respiratory failure, and secondary pulmonary hypertension in patients with stable COPD. These results suggest that plasma NT-proBNP can be a useful prognostic marker to monitor COPD progression and identify cases of secondary pulmonary hypertension in patients with stable COPD.

BackgroundThis study attempted to investigate the main causes of hemoptysis, the type of examinations used for diagnosis, the treatment modalities and outcomes.MethodsA retrospective study was conducted on the medical records of 221 patients admitted to the Chonnam National University Hospital, between January 2005 and February 2010, with hemoptysis.ResultsBronchiectasis (32.6%), active pulmonary tuberculosis (18.5%), fungus ball (10.8%), and lung cancer (5.9%) accounted for most causes of hemoptysis. Computed tomography scan was the most sensitive diagnostic test when employed alone, with positive yield of 93.2%. There were 161 cases of conservative treatment (72.9%), 42 cases of bronchial artery embolization (BAE) (19.0%), and 18 cases of surgery (8.1%). Regarding the amount of hemoptysis, 70 cases, out of 221 cases, were mild (31.5%), 36 cases moderate (16.2%), and 115 cases massive hemoptysis (52.0%). Most of the patients were treated conservatively, but if there was more bleeding present, BAE or surgery was more commonly performed than the conservative treatment (p≤0.0001). In the multivariate model, severe hemoptysis and lung cancer were independently associated with short-term recurrence. BAE was independently associated with long-term recurrence, and lung cancer was associated with in-hospital mortality. The overall in-hospital mortality rate was 11.3%.ConclusionHemoptysis is a common symptom with a good prognosis in most cases. However, patients exhibiting massive bleeding or those with malignancy had a poorer prognosis. In-hospital mortality was strongly related to the cause, especially in lung cancer.

To date, most clinical data on pro-gastrin-releasing peptide (proGRP) have been based on serum concentrations. This study evaluated the agreement between proGRP levels in fresh serum and plasma in patients with various lung diseases. Pairs of serum and EDTA plasma were collected from 49 healthy individuals. At the same time, EDTA plasma of 118 lung cancer patients and 23 patients with benign pulmonary diseases were prospectively collected. Compared to serum, plasma proGRP concentrations were higher by an average of 103.3%. Plasma proGRP was higher in malignancy (336.4 ± 925.4 pg/mL) than in benign conditions (40.1 ± 11.5 pg/mL). Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients showed higher levels of proGRP (1,256.3 ± 1,605.6 pg/mL) compared to other types of lung cancer. Based on the ROC curve analyses at a specificity of 95%, the diagnostic sensitivity of plasma proGRP was estimated to be 83.8% in distinguishing SCLC from all the other conditions, and 86.5% for discriminating SCLC from the nonmalignant cases. Among the SCLC cases, limited stage disease had lower levels of plasma proGRP than extensive disease. When measuring circulating levels of proGRP, the use of plasma is preferred over serum. Plasma proGRP has a potential marker for discriminating SCLC from nonmalignant conditions or non-small cell lung cancer.