Risk factors for pulmonary arterial hypertension in patients with tuberculosis-destroyed lungs and their clinical characteristics compared with patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE There are limited data on pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in patients with tuberculosis-destroyed lung (TDL), a sequela of pulmonary tuberculosis. We identified the risk factors for PAH and their effects on acute exacerbation and mortality in patients with TDL, as well as the clinical differences in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and PAH. METHODS A retrospective cohort study was conducted from 2010 through 2015 in a municipal referral hospital in South Korea. PAH was defined when echocardiographic pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) was >40 mmHg. The clinical features and course of TDL patients with or without PAH were evaluated and differences between patients with COPD and PAH were analyzed. RESULTS Among the 195 patients with TDL, echocardiographic data were available in 53 patients, and their mean PAP was 50.72±23.99 mmHg. The PAH group (n=37) had a smaller lung volume (forced vital capacity % predicted, 51.55% vs 72.37%, P<0.001) and more extensively destroyed lungs (3.27 lobes vs 2 lobes, P<0.001) than those in the non-PAH group (n=16). A higher PAP was significantly correlated with a higher frequency of acute exacerbation (r=0.32, P=0.02). Multivariate analyses did not reveal any significant risk factors contributing to PAH in patients with TDL. Compared to COPD patients with PAH, TDL patients with PAH have smaller lung volume but a less severe airflow limitation. Tricuspid regurgitation and a D-shaped left ventricle during diastole were more frequently observed in TDL patients. The risk of exacerbation was not different between patients with PAH in COPD and TDL. CONCLUSION PAH in patients with TDL was associated with severity of lung destruction but risk of exacerbation and mortality did not significantly differ between patients with PAH and without PAH.