One Health Research Group, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de las Américas, Calle de los Colimes y Avenida De los Granados, 170137, Quito, Ecuador.
Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Universidad de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
BMC Pulm Med. 2022 Mar 21;22(1):100. doi: 10.1186/s12890-022-01889-0.
The reference values for lung function are associated to anatomical and lung morphology parameters, but anthropometry it is not the only influencing factor: altitude and genetics are two important agents affecting respiratory physiology. Altitude and its influence on respiratory function has been studied independently of genetics, considering early and long-term acclimatization.
The objective of this study is to evaluate lung function through a spirometry study in autochthonous Kichwas permanently living at low and high-altitude.
A cross-sectional study of spirometry differences between genetically matched lowland Kichwas from Limoncocha (230 m) at Amazonian basin and high-altitude Kichwas from Oyacachi (3180 m) in Andean highlands. The sample size estimates permitted to recruited 118 patients (40 men and 78 women) from Limoncocha and 95 (39 men and 56 women) from Oyacachi. Chi-square method was used to analyze association or independence of categorical variables, while Student's t test was applied to comparison of means within quantitative variables. ANOVA, or in the case that the variables didn't meet the criteria of normality, Kruskal Wallis test were used to compare more than two groups.
The FVC and the FEV were significantly greater among highlanders than lowlanders (p value < 0.001), with a proportion difference of 15.2% for men and 8.5% for women. The FEV/FVC was significantly higher among lowlanders than highlanders for men and women. A restrictive pattern was found in 12.9% of the participants.
Residents of Oyacachi had greater FVC and FEV than their peers from Limoncocha, a finding physiologically plausible according to published literature. Lung size and greater ventilatory capacities could be an adaptive mechanism developed by the highlander in response to hypoxia. Our results support the fact that this difference in FVC and FEV is a compensatory mechanism towards lower barometric and alveolar partial pressure of oxygen pressure.
肺功能的参考值与解剖学和肺形态参数有关，但人体测量并不是唯一的影响因素：海拔和遗传是影响呼吸生理的两个重要因素。海拔及其对呼吸功能的影响已在不考虑遗传因素的情况下，分别对早期和长期适应进行了研究。
本研究旨在通过对长期生活在低海拔和高海拔地区的本地克丘亚人进行肺功能测定来评估其肺功能。
对来自亚马孙盆地利蒙科查（230 米）的低地克丘亚人和安第斯高地奥亚卡奇（3180 米）的高地克丘亚人进行了一项基于肺活量测定法的研究，以评估两者之间的差异。样本量估计允许从利蒙科查招募 118 名患者（40 名男性和 78 名女性），从奥亚卡奇招募 95 名（39 名男性和 56 名女性）。卡方检验用于分析分类变量的相关性或独立性，而学生 t 检验用于比较定量变量的均值。方差分析（ANOVA），或者当变量不符合正态性标准时，采用克鲁斯卡尔-沃利斯检验来比较两个以上的组。
与低地居民相比，高海拔居民的 FVC 和 FEV 明显更高（p 值均<0.001），男性和女性的比例差异分别为 15.2%和 8.5%。男女高海拔居民的 FEV/FVC 均明显高于低海拔居民。12.9%的参与者存在限制模式。
与来自利蒙科查的同龄人相比，奥亚卡奇的居民 FVC 和 FEV 更大，这一发现与已发表的文献相符。肺容积和更大的通气能力可能是高海拔居民对低氧的一种适应机制。我们的结果支持这样一个事实，即 FVC 和 FEV 的这种差异是对较低的气压和肺泡氧分压的一种补偿机制。
