Departments of Pathology, Fukuoka University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan.
Respirology. 2013 Feb;18(2):278-83. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1843.2012.02272.x.
Fibroblastic foci (FF) composed of an accumulation of fibroblasts or myofibroblasts may be related to the progression of pulmonary fibrosis leading to respiratory insufficiency. Several studies have shown that the number of FF is a significant prognostic factor in usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP). The purpose of the present study was to examine whether the extent of FF is related to impairment of respiratory function and prognosis in patients with biopsy-proven fibrosing interstitial pneumonia, including UIP and fibrotic non-specific interstitial pneumonia (fNSIP).
Fifty patients with histologically confirmed interstitial pneumonia including UIP or fNSIP were investigated, and correlations between FF and pulmonary function were evaluated. FF area was calculated as the proportion of total area (%FF) and the number of FF (FF/cm(2)) in the whole histological specimen from each patient.
The UIP group showed significantly higher %FF and FF/cm(2) than the fNSIP group. When UIP and fNSIP patients were analysed together, the group of patients who had died (death group) revealed significantly higher %FF and FF/cm(2) compared with the group of survivors, and the impairment of vital capacity and diffusing capacity of carbon monoxide was correlated with %FF and FF/cm(2).
FF correlated with impaired pulmonary function and may be a useful parameter to predict prognosis in patients with UIP and fNSIP.
成纤维细胞灶（FF）由成纤维细胞或肌成纤维细胞的积累组成，可能与导致呼吸功能不全的肺纤维化进展有关。几项研究表明，FF 的数量是寻常型间质性肺炎（UIP）的重要预后因素。本研究的目的是检查在组织学证实的纤维化间质性肺炎（包括 UIP 和纤维化非特异性间质性肺炎（fNSIP））患者中，FF 的程度是否与呼吸功能障碍和预后相关。
研究了 50 名组织学证实的间质性肺炎患者，包括 UIP 或 fNSIP，并评估了 FF 与肺功能之间的相关性。FF 面积计算为总面积的比例（%FF）和每个患者整个组织学标本中的 FF 数量（FF/cm2）。
UIP 组的%FF 和 FF/cm2 明显高于 fNSIP 组。当 UIP 和 fNSIP 患者一起分析时，死亡组（死亡组）的%FF 和 FF/cm2 明显高于存活组，而肺活量和一氧化碳弥散量的损害与%FF 和 FF/cm2 相关。
FF 与肺功能受损相关，可能是预测 UIP 和 fNSIP 患者预后的有用参数。
