Can CT-Based Arterial and Venous Morphological Markers of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Explain Pulmonary Vascular Remodeling?

Abstract

We analyzed changes in quantitative pulmonary artery and vein parameters to investigate pulmonary vascular remodeling characteristics in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. This retrospective study recruited healthy volunteers and COPD patients. Participants undergoing standard-of-care pulmonary function testing (PFT) and computed tomography (CT) evaluations were classified into five groups: normal and Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) grades 1-4. Artery and vein analyses (volumes, numbers, densities, and fractions) were performed using artificial intelligence. Among 139 subjects (136 men; mean age, 64years±8 [SD]) with GOLD grade 1 (n=13), grade 2 (n=49), grade 3 (n=42), grade 4 (n=17) and control subjects (n=18) enrolled, differences in arterial volumes (BV5-10, BV10+, pulmonary arterial volume) and venous densities (BV5 density, BV10+ density, pulmonary venous density, pulmonary venous branch density) among control and GOLD grades 1-4 were statistically significant (P<.05). Higher pulmonary arterial volumes and lower number were observed with more advanced COPD. The number and volumes of pulmonary veins were lower in GOLD grades 2 and 3 than in GOLD grade 1 but higher in GOLD grade 4 than in GOLD grade 3. The numbers and volumes of pulmonary arteries and veins showed varying positive correlations (γ=0.18-0.96, P<.05). Pulmonary vascular densities were mildly to moderately correlated with PFT results (γ=0.236-0.495, P<.05) and were moderately negatively correlated with the emphysema percentage (γ=-0.591 to -0.315, P<.05). Patients with COPD exhibited pulmonary vascular remodeling, which occurred in the arteries at the early grade of COPD and in the veins at the late grade. CT-based quantitative analysis of pulmonary vasculature may become an imaging marker for early diagnosis and assessment of COPD severity.