Contribution of pulmonary function tests (PFTs) to the diagnosis and follow up of connective tissue diseases

Table 2 Significance of PFTs in Chronic Lung involvement due to CTDs

Disease	Items	Correlation
RA
ILD	Decline of FVC ≥ 10% from 68.7 or any time from baseline Decline of DL_CO% ≥ 10% from 48.1 or any time from baseline	Mortality
ILD	DL_CO% ≤ 54 FVC decline ≥10% DL_CO decline ≥15%	Progression
SSDs
ILD	Decline of FVC ≥10% or comprised between 5 and 10% with a decline of DL_CO≥15%	Progression
ILD	DL_CO < 80	Clinical and NVC DA
PAH	DL_CO ≤55	diagnosis
PAH	FVC/DL_CO> 1.6	diagnosis
IIMs
ILD	FVC ≤ 60	prognosis
ILD	TLC	Disease extent in FU
SjS
OLD	Reduction of VC, FEV₁, FEV₁/VC, DL_CO	Diagnosis and prognosis
ILD	DL_CO, TLC	Correlation with disease extent
SLE
PAH	HRR < 16	prognosis

DA Disease Activity, DLCO diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide, FEV1 Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 s, FVC forced vital Capacity, HRR heart Rate Recovery, IIMs Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies, ILD Interstitial Lung Disease, NVC Nailfold Videocapillaroscopy, PAH Pulmonary Artery Hypertension, PFT Pulmonary Function Test, RA Rheumatoid Arthritis, SjS Sjögren Syndrome, SLE Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, SSDs Scleroderma Spectrum Disorders, TLC Total Lung Capacity, VC Vital Capacity

ISSN: 2049-6958