• Zhen-hua Li, Shou-chun Peng, Jian Kang, Xian-ming Hou, and Run-jiang Yu.
• Institute of Respiratory Diseases, First Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China. zhenhua-li@163.com
• Zhonghua Jie He He Hu Xi Za Zhi. 2010 Dec 1;33(12):887-91.

ObjectiveTo investigate the prognostic implications of clinical, radiographic, and physiological variables in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).MethodsThe clinical, pulmonary physiological, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) cell differentials and lung high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) at diagnosis in 126 patients with IPF were retrospectively analyzed. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional-hazards regression analysis was used to evaluate various parameters associated with hazard ratio (HR). The survival rates of all groups were compared using the Kaplan-Meier method.ResultsIn 29.6 months of average follow-up time, the survival rate of the IPF patients was 46.8% (59/126), and the median survival time was 30 months after diagnosis. Glucocorticoids and/or cytotoxic drugs for patients with IPF did not change the prognosis. The survival rates between groups by gender and smoking status showed no statistically significant difference (Ward: 0.11, 1.65, P>0.05). The patients were divided into 2 groups by the median (the cutoff point value) of significant variables in univariate Cox proportional-hazards regression analysis, and the survival rates showed statistically significant difference by dyspnea scale, FVC%, TLC%, DLCO%, neutrophil percentage and eosinophil percentage in BALF, and the reticular and honeycomb lung score (Logrank: 13.52-57.52, P<0.05). The results of multivariate Cox proportional-hazards regression analysis showed that TLC%, DLCO%, HRCT reticular score and honeycomb lung score were factors that affected the prognosis of patients with IPF (Wald=5.76-21.48, P<0.05).ConclusionsTLC%, DLCO%, cell differentials of BALF and the degree of pulmonary fibrosis were the main factors affecting the prognosis of patients with IPF. TLC% and DLCO% showed a negative correlation with the prognosis of patients with IPF. Glucocorticoids and/or cytotoxic drug therapy had no effect on the prognosis of patients with IPF.

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