Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of patients with airway-centered interstitial fibrosis (n = 68)
| Characteristic | Number |
|---|---|
| Sex, male/female | 29/39 |
| Age, years (mean ± SD) | 57 ± 12 |
| Duration of symptoms, in months, median (range) | 24 (3–132) |
| Smoking | |
| Never/ex-smoker/current smoker, n | 39/28/1 |
| Dyspnea | |
| Major/moderate/light tasks, n | 22/33/13 |
| Coughing, n (%) | 53 (78%) |
| Clubbing, n (%) | 12 (18%) |
| Velcro crackles, n (%) | 29 (43%) |
| Exposure to organic particles, n (%) | 42 (62%) |
| Molds/birds/both | 24/ 4/ 14 |
| Gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) symptoms | |
| None/past/current | 30/ 12/ 26 |
| Connective tissue disease (CTD), n (%)† | 12 (17%) |
| Lung function tests | |
| FVC, % predicted (mean ± SD) | 66 ± 18 |
| FEV1, % predicted (mean ± SD) | 69 ± 18 |
| FEV1/FVC, (mean ± SD) | 0.85 ± 0,08 |
| DLCO, % predicted (mean ± SD) (n = 43) | 59 ± 17 |
| Oxygen saturation at rest, % (mean ± SD) | 94 ± 4 |
| Oxygen saturation during exercise, % (mean ± SD) (n = 59) | 87 ± 7 |
| HRCT findings | |
| Reticular infiltrate, n (%) | 68 (100%) |
| Predominance: Upper lobe/lower lobe/diffuse, n | 10/38/20 |
| Predominance: Central/peripheral/both, n | 9/14/45 |
| Ground-glass opacities, n (%) | 57 (84%) |
| Peribronchovascular, n (%) | 54 (79%) |
| Bronchiectasis, n (%) | 43 (63%) |
| Mosaic pattern/airtrapping, n (%) | 25 (37%) |
| Centrilobular nodules, n (%) | 14 (21%) |
†Systemic sclerosis (2), Rheumatoid arthritis (3), Mixed connective tissue disease (3), Dermatomyositis (2), Antisynthetase syndrome (1), Systemic sclerosis and Sjögren’s syndrome (1), FEV1 = forced expiratory volume in 1 s; FVC = forced vital capacity; DLCO = monoxide carbon lung diffusion. HRCT = high resolution chest tomography.