Clinical evaluation of idiopathic interstitial pneumonia and interstitial pneumonia associated with collagen vascular disease using logistic regression analysis.

OBJECTIVE

To clarify the differences in the clinical features between idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (IIP) and interstitial pneumonia associated with collagen vascular diseases (CVD-IP).

METHODS

Symptoms, radiographic findings, pulmonary function, blood chemistry data including autoantibody, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) findings were compared using multiple logistic regression analysis.

PATIENTS: The subjects were 44 patients clinically diagnosed with IIP and 33 patients with CVD-IP.

RESULTS

The clinical features related to IIP were as follows: male sex, advanced age, past history of hypertension, presence of cough, exertional dyspnea, digital clubbing, an increased level of gamma-globulin, decreased lung volume on chest X-ray, and typical type according to the criteria for IIP on chest X-ray. Increased levels of rheumatoid factor and total cell number in BALF were related to CVD-IP.

CONCLUSION

These findings are considered to be useful to differentiate IIP and CVD-IP.