Abstract
We hypothesized that systemic inflammatory and nutritional parameters may differ between male and female patients with non-CF bronchiectasis. In a large patient cohort from the Spanish Online Bronchiectasis Registry (RIBRON), clinical features, systemic inflammatory and nutritional parameters were analyzed in male and female patients with bronchiectasis. Lung function, disease severity using several scores, nutritional status, systemic inflammatory parameters, and multivariate regression analyses were performed to identify differences between male and female patients in the target variables. The number of female patients included in the registry was greater than male patients and they had a less severe disease as measured by all three indices of disease severity, a lower degree of airway obstruction, worse diffusion capacity and airway trapping, better nutritional parameters, and lower levels of inflammatory biomarkers. Multivariate regression analysis evidenced that strong relationships were found between female gender and the following variables: total numbers of leukocytes and neutrophils, hemoglobin, hematocrit, creatinine, and body mass index (BMI). Multivariate regression analyses evidenced that nutritional parameters and inflammatory biomarkers may be reliable indicators of gender-related differences in patients with non-CF bronchiectasis. These findings deserve further attention in follow-up investigations in which the potential predictive value of those biomarkers should be thoroughly explored.
Highlights
Non-cystic fibrosis (CF) bronchiectasis is a disease characterized by distortion of the airways which entails a range of clinical symptoms among the patients
This was an observational, cross-sectional, prospective, and multicenter study, in which 43 centers from Spain participated within the frame of the RIBRON database between February 2015 and October 2019 [13]
Male patients exhibited mild airway obstruction, better diffusion capacity, and showed a lower degree of airway trapping than female patients (Table 1)
Summary
Non-cystic fibrosis (CF) bronchiectasis is a disease characterized by distortion of the airways which entails a range of clinical symptoms among the patients. The etiology of bronchiectasis varies widely from previous tuberculosis and other lung infections to genetic disorders [1,2,3]. Bronchiectasis is commonly associated with other respiratory diseases, namely asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) [4]. Sex-related differences may happen in several respiratory diseases including bronchiectasis [5,6]. Disease outcomes may differ between male and female patients with chronic respiratory disorders [7]. Comorbidities, lung anatomy and physiology, chronic infection and inflammation, environmental factors, and altered host defense mechanisms are the most relevant contributors to accounting for the reported gender differences in bronchiectasis patients [6,8]. Whether female patients with bronchiectasis exhibit a greater systemic proinflammatory profile than male patients remain to be fully elucidated
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call