Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comparative Study
. 2013 Nov 1;64(3):271-8.
doi: 10.1097/QAI.0b013e3182a9215a.

HIV infection is associated with reduced pulmonary diffusing capacity

Kristina Crothers  1 , Kathleen McGinnis, Eric Kleerup, Cherry Wongtrakool, Guy S Hoo, Joon Kim, Amir Sharafkhaneh, Laurence Huang, Zhaoyu Luo, Bruce Thompson, Philip Diaz, Gregory D Kirk, William Rom, Roger Detels, Lawrence Kingsley, Alison Morris
Affiliations
Comparative Study

HIV infection is associated with reduced pulmonary diffusing capacity

Kristina Crothers et al. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. .

Abstract

Introduction: Prior studies comparing abnormalities in pulmonary function between HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected persons in the current era are limited.

Objectives: To determine the pattern and severity of impairment in pulmonary function in HIV-infected compared with HIV-uninfected individuals.

Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of 300 HIV-infected men and 289 HIV-uninfected men enrolled from 2009 to 2011 in 2 clinical centers of the Lung HIV Study. Participants completed pre- and postbronchodilator spirometry, diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO) measurement, and standardized questionnaires.

Results: Most participants had normal airflow; 18% of HIV-infected and 16% of HIV-uninfected men had airflow obstruction. The mean percent predicted DLCO was 69% in HIV-infected vs. 76% in HIV-uninfected men (P < 0.001). A moderately to severely reduced DLCO of ≤60% was observed in 30% of HIV-infected compared with 18% of HIV-uninfected men (P < 0.001), despite the fact that 89% of those with HIV were on antiretroviral therapy. A reduced DLCO was significantly associated with HIV and CD4 cell count in linear regression adjusting for smoking and other confounders. The DLCO was lowest in HIV-infected men with CD4 cell counts <200 cells per microliter compared with those with CD4 cell counts ≥200 cells per microliter and to HIV-uninfected men. Respiratory symptoms of cough, phlegm and dyspnea were more prevalent in HIV-infected patients particularly those with abnormal pulmonary function compared with HIV-uninfected patients.

Conclusions: HIV infection is an independent risk factor for reduced DLCO, particularly in individuals with a CD4 cell count below 200 cells per microliter. Abnormalities in pulmonary function among HIV-infected patients manifest clinically with increased respiratory symptoms. Mechanisms accounting for the reduced DLCO require further evaluation.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Palella FJ, Jr., Delaney KM, Moorman AC, et al. Declining morbidity and mortality among patients with advanced human immunodeficiency virus infection. HIV Outpatient Study Investigators. N Engl J Med. 1998 Mar 26;338(13):853–860. - PubMed
    1. Mocroft A, Brettle R, Kirk O, et al. Changes in the cause of death among HIV positive subjects across Europe: results from the EuroSIDA study. AIDS. 2002 Aug 16;16(12):1663–1671. - PubMed
    1. Crum NF, Riffenburgh RH, Wegner S, et al. Comparisons of causes of death and mortality rates among HIV-infected persons: analysis of the pre-, early, and late HAART (highly active antiretroviral therapy) eras. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2006 Feb 1;41(2):194–200. - PubMed
    1. Braithwaite RS, Justice AC, Chang CC, et al. Estimating the proportion of patients infected with HIV who will die of comorbid diseases. Am J Med. 2005 Aug;118(8):890–898. - PubMed
    1. Lau B, Gange SJ, Moore RD. Risk of non-AIDS-related mortality may exceed risk of AIDS-related mortality among individuals enrolling into care with CD4+ counts greater than 200 cells/mm3. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2007 Feb 1;44(2):179–187. - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms