Latent
PFT findings in the absence of clinical or radiological lung disease
Normal
Reduced transfer factor for CO (DLco)
Airway obstruction
Hyperinflation
Restrictive pattern
Studies
investigating latent PFT findings
Abnormal PFTS (restrictive/obstructive) 9, 10
No impairment in PFTs 2, 11
Reduced FEV1 3
Reduced DLco 1, 4, 7, 10, 11
Increased bronchial responsiveness 12
Effect
of treatment on latent PFT findings:
Normal
PFTs were found in subjects with IBD. DLco was decreased in active disease.
Dysfunction of small airways, measured by density dependence to calculate
maximal expiratory flow rates, was shown.13 Normalization of this small
airway dysfunction occurred with steroid treatment.
Additional
points to be make note of:
Role of treatment side-effects e.g. hypersensitivity pneumonitis is
seen with Sulfasalazine up to 7 months after start date. Abnormalities
improve with cessation of drug.
TNFalpha and IL6 are elevated in crohns disease and have also been shown
to play a role in sarcoid.
Raised CD4/CD8 levels have been shown in active disease. Abnormally
high CD4/CD8 have also been shown in induced sputum in active disease
compared with remission. 14, 15
Expired nitric oxide (eNO) is increased in active disease and correlates
with disease activity in 55 adults with IBD (31 CD). eNO was obtained
from aspirated colonic gas. A negative correlation was shown between
disease activity and spirometry. Findings were stronger for UC than
for CD. 16
Published
cases of pulmonary crohns disease in children
13 year old girl with CD and recent onset asthma 17
15 year old girl with exercise dyspnea, abdominal pain, ÆRML
18
3 year old boy swollen gums and CXR changes 19
17 year old boy with abdominal symptoms and consolidation LLL 20
Munck
A et al "Latent pulmonary function abnormalities in children with Crohns
disease. ERJ 1995
1
This is the main published study of pulmonary involvement of Crohns
disease in children.
26 children with CD (mean 14 years)
None with pulmonary symptoms
20 acute, 10 remission (using LLoyd-Still index)
CXR, PFT, DLco on all
CXR normal in all
Lung volumes not different overall (3/20 acute showed restrictive pattern)
(DLco in acute disease (53±15%)
Higher DLco in remission (81±19%) although some DLco levels still abnormally
low.
No relationship between DLco and disease severity
Study suggests latent pulmonary involvement in children with crohns
disease
IN SUMMARY
Pulmonary symptoms are found in Crohns disease Pulmonary symptoms usually follow the onset of GI disease by days to decades
Subclinical pulmonary dysfunction is common, as measured by DLco and PFTs
This dysfunction persists even during remission
Unclear whether DLco/PFTs are dependent on disease severity
Bibliography on the next page.