Pulmonary dysfunction in 114 patients with inflammatory bowel disease

This study aimed to investigate the pulmonary function in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and its clinical feature and risk factors. One hundred fourteen patients with IBD and 120 healthy subjects were recruited. The medical information including general situation, biochemical examinations, lung function, and the treatment was recorded and analyzed. In 107 patients (107/114, 93.86%), lung function testing showed the pulmonary ventilation, residual volume, and pulmonary diffusion in IBD patients significantly increased as compared to controls (P< .05). No significant differences were observed between ulcerative colitis (UC) patients and Crohn disease (CD) patients (P> .05). However, the vital capacity, forced vital capacity, MVV, forced expiratory volume in first second, peak expiratory flow rate, and maximum mid-expiratory flow in IBD patients significantly decreased when compared with controls (P< .01). There was no significant correlation between pulmonary function and severity and extent of IBD. The chronicity of inflammation might probably reduce the possibility of developing pulmonary dysfunction, while the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was found as a harmful factor for developing pulmonary dysfunction. The pulmonary function significantly decreases in IBD patients and is characterized by either simple restrictive/obstructive dysfunction or mixed. The pulmonary function of IBD patients has no relationship with the severity and extent of IBD. IBD combined with pulmonary dysfunction was imperceptible, and clinicians could consider performing pulmonary function testing for IBD patient as many as possible, especially for those who have high level of ESR or any respiratory symptoms like cough, in order to avoid severe pulmonary damage.