An epidemiological comparative analysis of CVID patients with or without lung damage

Abstract

Rationale CVID is a heterogeneous disorder with a wide range of clinical manifestations including recurrent infections of the lower respiratory tract which may cause lung damage. This study looks for predictive parameters of lung damage in patients with CVID. Methods In this study, we reviewed the charts and clinical history of 18 patients with CVID. Of these, 8 patients were characterized as having documented lung damage based on abnormal chest CT findings. The subjects were subsequently separated into two groups: those with lung damage and those without lung damage. Results Individuals with lung damage had higher mean levels of IgA and IgM than patients without lung damage. Markers of inflammation (CRP and ESR) were more elevated in patients with lung damage, and these patients had lower mean PFT values. Furthermore, there were no smokers in the group without lung damage compared to 25% smokers in those with lung damage. There was no difference in gender or number of previous pneumonias in the two groups. Conclusions These results suggest there may be a benefit in considering factors such as tobacco use, PFT's, and inflammatory marker levels in predicting a patient's risk of developing lung damage. This study also suggests that higher IgA and IgM levels may be related to developing lung damage.