Predictors of pulmonary function response to treatment with salmeterol/fluticasone in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a heterogeneous disease and responses to therapies are highly variable. The aim of this study was to identify the predictors of pulmonary function response to 3 months of treatment with salmeterol/fluticasone in patients with COPD. A total of 127 patients with stable COPD from the Korean Obstructive Lung Disease (KOLD) Cohort, which were prospectively recruited from June 2005 to September 2009, were analyzed retrospectively. The prediction models for the FEV₁, FVC and IC/TLC changes after 3 months of treatment with salmeterol/fluticasone were constructed by using multiple, stepwise, linear regression analysis. The prediction model for the FEV₁ change after 3 months of treatment included wheezing history, pre-bronchodilator FEV₁, post-bronchodilator FEV₁ change and emphysema extent on CT (R = 0.578). The prediction models for the FVC change after 3 months of treatment included prebronchodilator FVC, post-bronchodilator FVC change (R = 0.533), and those of IC/TLC change after 3 months of treatment did pre-bronchodilator IC/TLC and post-bronchodilator FEV₁ change (R = 0.401). Wheezing history, pre-bronchodilator pulmonary function, bronchodilator responsiveness, and emphysema extent may be used for predicting the pulmonary function response to 3 months of treatment with salmeterol/fluticasone in patients with COPD.