Pulmonary vessels remodeling in COPD

Our aim was to measure pulmonary vessels loss and pulmonary artery pressure in the different GOLD stages .Patients affected by COPD with PH (n=39,FEV1 39±15%,PaO2 60±12mmHg,PaCO2 46±10mmHg , PAP 33±8mmHg) and without PH (n=39, FEV1 43±21% ,PaO2 62±12mmHg, PaCO2 39±9mmHg,PAP17±5mmHg) were divided in three groups belonging to stage I-II , III and IV GOLD stage . Each subset was compared to healthy people (n=13) . Airways obstruction was measured by pletismography , Pulmonary Artery Pressure(PAP) by catheterization of pulmonary artery , vessels involvement by perfusion scintigraphy.Lung vessels loss is significant even in former stages of COPD (27±4) , showing a progressive trend (20±4, 28±4, 30±5 in stages I-II, III and IV respectively; 3±1%in healthy people) in not hypertensive patients with a significant relationship with airways obstruction (% of unperfused areas = 35- .241 FEV %;±4; p