• J S Lee, J W Huh, E J Chae, J B Seo, S W Ra, J-H Lee, E-K Kim, Y K Lee, T-H Kim, W J Kim, J H Lee, S-M Lee, S Lee, S Y Lim, T R Shin, H I Yoon, S S Sheen, Y-M Oh, and S-D Lee.
• Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
• Int. J. Tuberc. Lung Dis. 2011 Aug 1;15(8):1104-10.

SettingEleven referring hospitals in South Korea.ObjectiveTo compare therapeutic responses in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) subgroups, classified by diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DL(CO)) and lung volume.DesignA total of 130 stable male COPD patients were classified into four subgroups according to baseline DL(CO) and residual volume/total lung capacity (RV/TLC) ratio. We compared therapeutic responses to short acting β(2)-agonist (SABA) and 3-month combined inhalation of long-acting β(2)-agonist (LABA) and corticosteroid among patients with these subgroups.ResultsAmong the 130 COPD patients, 41 (31.5%) had normal DL(CO) and RV/TLC, 28 (21.5%) low DL(CO) and normal RV/TLC, 31 (23.8%) normal DL(CO) and high RV/TLC, and 30 (23.1%) low DL(CO) and high RV/TLC. The normal DL(CO)/high RV/TLC subgroup showed a significantly larger flow response (changes in forced expiratory volume in 1 s) to salbutamol than the normal DL(CO)/RV/TLC subgroups, and a larger volume response (changes in forced vital capacity) than the two normal RV/TLC subgroups. The normal DL(CO)/high RV/TLC subgroup also showed significantly larger flow and volume response to 3-month combined inhalation of LABA and corticosteroid than the two normal RV/TLC subgroups.ConclusionCOPD subgroups classified by DL(CO) and RV/TLC may have different pulmonary function responses to pharmacological treatment.

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