Janet G Shaw, Annalicia Vaughan, Annette G Dent, Phoebe E O'Hare, Felicia Goh, Rayleen V Bowman, Kwun M Fong, Ian A Yang
Disease progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is variable, with some patients having a relatively stable course, while others suffer relentless progression leading to severe breathlessness, frequent acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD), respiratory failure and death. Radiological markers such as CT emphysema index, bronchiectasis and coronary artery calcification (CAC) have been linked with increased mortality in COPD patients. Molecular changes in lung tissue reflect alterations in lung pathology that occur with disease progression; however, lung tissue is not routinely accessible...
November 2014: Journal of Thoracic Disease