Dong X, et al. - In order to assess the clinical characteristics of autoimmune rheumatic disease-related organizing pneumonia (AIRD-OP), experts evaluated the clinical presentation, radiological findings, treatment, and outcome of AIRD-OP patients, in comparison with patients having cryptogenic organizing pneumonia (COP). The most common cause of OP could be AIRD-OP with OP being the initial presentation of AIRD. AIRD-OP patients were characterized by occult onset but more severe lung involvement and higher recurrence rate than COP patients.

Methods

• Experts identified a total of 131 OP patients, including 57 cases of AIRD-OP, 35 cases of COP, and 39 cases of other disease-related OPs.
• Out of the AIRD-OP patients, 36 (63%) presented the symptoms of OP at onset.
• Sjogren’s syndrome (38%), polymyositis/dermatomyositis (23%), rheumatoid arthritis (23%), and undifferentiated AIRD were included as the primary disease of AIRDs.

Results

• The prevalence of patients having cough and malaise at baseline was significantly lower (54.4 vs 82.9%, P < 0.05; 49.1 vs 70.6%,P < 0.05), and the signs of moist rales and crackles were more common in AIRD-OP patients (54.4 vs 32.4%, P < 0.05; 49.1 vs 26.5%, P < 0.05) than in COP patients.
• Results suggested the lung function (TLC%, FVC%) to be more significantly reduced in AIRD-OP patients (72 vs 97%,P < 0.05;75 vs 96%, P < 0.05).
• A significantly higher dosage of corticosteroids was prescribed in AIRD-OP patients (44 vs 37 mg/day, P < 0.05).
• As per the data, the complete recovery rate was slightly lower in AIRD-OP patients (22.2 vs 29%, P > 0.05) with a tendency towards higher recurrence rate in AIRD-OP patients (32.7 vs 14.3%, P < 0.05).