Patient gender bias on the diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

BackgroundPatient sex has clinical and prognostic implications in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). It is not known if sex-related and gender-related discrepancies exist when establishing a diagnosis of IPF. The aim was to determine how patient gender influences the diagnosis of IPF and the physician’s diagnostic confidence.MethodsThis study was performed using clinical cases compiled from a single centre, then scored by respiratory physicians for a prior study. Using clinical information, physicians were asked to provide up to five diagnoses, together with their diagnostic confidence. Logistic regression was used to assess the odds of receiving a diagnosis of IPF based on patient gender. Prognostic discrimination between IPF and non-IPF was used to assess diagnostic accuracy with Cox proportional hazards modelling.ResultsSixty cases were scored by 404 physicians. IPF was diagnosed more frequently in men compared with women (37.8% vs 10.6%; p<0.0001), and with greater mean diagnostic confidence (p<0.001). The odds of a male patient receiving an IPF diagnosis was greater than that of female patients, after adjusting for confounders (OR=3.05, 95% CI: 2.81 to 3.31), especially if the scan was not definite for the usual interstitial pneumonia pattern. Mortality was higher in women (HR=2.21, 95% CI: 2.02 to 2.41) than in men with an IPF diagnosis (HR=1.26, 95% CI: 1.20 to 1.33), suggesting that men were more often misclassified as having IPF.ConclusionPatient gender influences diagnosis of IPF: women may be underdiagnosed and men overdiagnosed with IPF.

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FRI0485 RISK OF PROGRESSION OF IDIOPATHIC PULMONARY FIBROSIS TO CONNECTIVE TISSUE DISEASE

Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases ◽

10.1136/annrheumdis-2020-eular.1376 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 79 (Suppl 1) ◽

pp. 840-841

Author(s):

B. Ghang ◽

S. H. Nam ◽

Y. G. Kim ◽

B. Yoo ◽

C. K. Lee

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽

Connective Tissue ◽

Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽

Rheumatoid Factor ◽

Connective Tissue Disease ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Survival Duration ◽

Citrullinated Protein

Background:Connective tissue disease (CTD) may be observed during the course of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). However, clinical factors associated with the development of CTD in patients with IPF have not yet been identified. These factors might be valuable clues for determining the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis in patients with CTD. We hypothesize that some IPF patients have a clinically significant association with autoimmunity, and that autoantibodies are important biomarkers for identifying these patients.Objectives:Based on this hypothesis, we investigated whether the serology criteria (anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) or autoantibodies that met the serology criteria for interstitial pneumonitis with autoimmune features (IPAF)) were associated with the development of CTD during the clinical course of IPF in the patients from our previous study(1), with a particular focus on which antibodies have a significant association with the development of CTD.Methods:We retrospectively reviewed the records of 527 patients with a first diagnosis of IPF between January 2007 and March 2014, and investigated the length of time from first visit to the clinic for IPF diagnosis (baseline) to CTD diagnosis by an expert rheumatologist in patients with IPF. Multivariable Cox proportional-hazards models with backward elimination were used to investigate the risk factors for the development of CTD.Results:CTD developed in 15 patients at a median of 2.1 years (range 1.2 to 4.8) after IPF diagnosis. All these patients had ANCA or autoantibodies that met the serology criteria for IPAF. A significant number of IPF patients with high titers of RF, ACPA or MPO-ANCA tested at first visit to the clinic progressed to CTD(Figure 1). Survival duration for IPF patients with progression to CTD was 5.3 [3.8; 6.7] years, which was significantly longer than for the IPF patients without progression to CTD (2.9 [1.7; 4.8], p = 0.001). Independent risk factors for development of CTD in IPF patients included female gender (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 5.319, p = 0.0082), titer of rheumatoid factor (RF) (adjusted HR 1.006, p = 0.022), titer of anti-citrullinated protein antibody (ACPA) (adjusted HR 1.009, p = 0.0011), and titer of myeloperoxidase (MPO) ANCA (adjusted HR 1.02, p < 0.0001).Figure 1.Connective tissue disease development in each autoantibody positive IPF patient. ACPA = anti–citrullinated protein antibody; ANA = antinuclear antibody; CTD = connective tissue disease; MPA = microscopic polyangiitis; PAN = polyarteritis nodosa; RA = rheumatoid arthritis; RF = rheumatoid factor; UCTD = Undifferentiated connective tissue disease; SjS = Sjögren’s syndrome.Conclusion:We observed development of CTD in IPF patients with ANCA or autoantibodies that met the IPAF serology criteria. Among these autoantibodies, RF, ACPA, and MPO-ANCA were significantly associated with the development of CTD in IPF patients. Progression to CTD is uncommon in IPF patients, but a significant number of IPF patients with high titers of RF, ACPA or MPO-ANCA progressed to connective tissue disease. IPF with high titers of RF, ACPA or MPO-ANCA might be the initial clinical manifestation of connective tissue disease. Further studies are needed to investigate the role of RF, ACPA, and MPO-ANCA in development of pulmonary fibrosis.References:[1]Ghang B, Lee J, Chan Kwon O, Ahn SM, Oh JS, Hong S, et al. Clinical significance of autoantibody positivity in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Respir Med. 2019;155:43-8.Disclosure of Interests:None declared

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Clinical Outcomes of Patients with Combined Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis and Emphysema in the IPF-PRO Registry

Lung ◽

10.1007/s00408-021-00506-x ◽

2022 ◽

Author(s):

Hyun J. Kim ◽

Laurie D. Snyder ◽

Megan L. Neely ◽

Anne S. Hellkamp ◽

David L. Hotchkin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽

Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽

Clinical Outcomes ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards Models ◽

Baseline Variable ◽

Former Smokers ◽

The Impact ◽

Baseline Covariates

Abstract Purpose To assess the impact of concomitant emphysema on outcomes in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Methods The IPF-PRO Registry is a US registry of patients with IPF. The presence of combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE) at enrollment was determined by investigators’ review of an HRCT scan. Associations between emphysema and clinical outcomes were analyzed using Cox proportional hazards models. Results Of 934 patients, 119 (12.7%) had CPFE. Compared with patients with IPF alone, patients with CPFE were older (median 72 vs 70 years); higher proportions were current/former smokers (88.2% vs 63.7%), used oxygen with activity (49.6% vs 31.9%) or at rest (30.8% vs 18.4%), had congestive heart failure (13.6% vs 4.8%) and had prior respiratory hospitalization (25.0% vs 16.7%); they had higher FVC (median 71.8 vs 69.4% predicted) and lower DLco (median 35.3 vs 43.6% predicted). In patients with CPFE and IPF alone, respectively, at 1 year, rates of death or lung transplant were 17.5% (95% CI: 11.7, 25.8) and 11.2% (9.2, 13.6) and rates of hospitalization were 21.6% (14.6, 29.6) and 20.6% (17.9, 23.5). There were no significant associations between emphysema and any outcome after adjustment for baseline variables. No baseline variable predicted outcomes better in IPF alone than in CPFE. Conclusion Approximately 13% of patients in the IPF-PRO Registry had CPFE. Physiologic characteristics and comorbidities of patients with CPFE differed from those of patients with IPF alone, but the presence of emphysema did not drive outcomes after adjustment for baseline covariates. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01915511; registered August 5, 2013.

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Plasma Leptin Is Elevated in Acute Exacerbation of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

Mediators of Inflammation ◽

10.1155/2016/6940480 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 2016 ◽

pp. 1-7 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Mengshu Cao ◽

Jeffery J. Swigris ◽

Xin Wang ◽

Min Cao ◽

Yuying Qiu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽

Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽

Acute Exacerbation ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Cox Regression ◽

Plasma Concentrations ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Cox Regression Analysis ◽

Plasma Leptin

Background. The natural history of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is very complex and unpredictable. Some patients will experience acute exacerbation (AE) and fatal outcomes.Methods. The study included 30 AE-IPF patients, 32 stable IPF (S-IPF) patients, and 12 healthy controls. We measured the plasma concentrations of leptin and KL-6. Simple correlation was used to assess associations between leptin and other variables. Plasma leptin levels were compared between AE-IPF and S-IPF subjects, decedents, and survivors. Kaplan-Meier curves were used to display survival and Cox proportional hazards regression was used to examine risk factors for survival.Results. In subjects with AE-IPF, plasma leptin was significantly greater than in subjects with S-IPF (p=0.0003) or healthy controls (p<0.0001). Plasma leptin was correlated with BMI, KL-6, LDH, CRP, and PaO2/FiO2(p=0.007;p=0.005;p=0.003;p=0.033;andp=0.032,resp.). Plasma leptin was significantly greater in 33 decedents than in the 23 survivors (p=0.007). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed leptin (>13.79 ng/mL) was an independent predictor of survival (p=0.004).Conclusions. Leptin could be a promising plasma biomarker of AE-IPF occurrence and predictor of survival in IPF patients.

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Improved Prognostic Prediction by Combination of Early Initiation of Polymyxin B Hemoperfusion with Modified Gender-Age-Physiology Index in Acute Exacerbation of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

Blood Purification ◽

10.1159/000518705 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-7

Author(s):

Keiji Oishi ◽

Arata Azuma ◽

Shinji Abe ◽

Yoriyuki Murata ◽

Kenji Sakamoto ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽

Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽

Acute Exacerbation ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Survival Rates ◽

Chronic Phase ◽

Polymyxin B ◽

Pulse Therapy ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Steroid Pulse

Introduction: Respiratory failure from acute exacerbation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (AE-IPF) is associated with high mortality. Direct hemoperfusion with polymyxin B-immobilized fiber column (PMX-DHP) has been reported to have beneficial effects on patients with AE-IPF. Whether patient characteristics influence the extent of this benefit remains unclear. Methods: We retrospectively examined the records of 30 patients with AE-IPF who underwent PMX-DHP. The favorable factors of survival were determined using Cox proportional hazards analyses. Results: The 1- and 12-month survival rates after PMX-DHP were 70.0% and 50.0%, respectively. The multivariate analysis revealed that low modified Gender-Age-Physiology (GAP) index (≤8 points) (hazard ratio [HR] 0.317, p = 0.015) and PMX-DHP received within 48 h of steroid pulse (HR 0.289, p = 0.012) were favorable factors. Notably, even in the patients with high modified GAP index (>8 points), that is, more advanced IPF, those who received PMX-DHP within 48 h of steroid pulse had a better prognosis than those who did after 48 h of the steroid pulse (p = 0.032). Conclusions: Early PMX-DHP initiation in patients with AE-IPF, specifically within 48 h after the steroid pulse therapy, may improve prognosis regardless of the severity of chronic phase of IPF before AE-IPF.

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Prognostic Value of Serum Osteopontin in Acute Exacerbation of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2020/3424208 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

Xianhua Gui ◽

Xiaohua Qiu ◽

Miaomiao Xie ◽

Yaqiong Tian ◽

Cao Min ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽

Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽

Acute Exacerbation ◽

Prognostic Value ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Cox Regression ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Alveolar Epithelial Cells ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Alveolar Epithelial

Background. Acute exacerbation (AE) is a common cause of rapid deterioration and high mortality in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients. Osteopontin (OPN) plays an important role in IPF, but the studies about serum OPN in AE-IPF are unclear. We aimed to investigate whether OPN had a potential prognostic value in acute exacerbation and mortality in IPF. Methods. Thirty-two patients with AE-IPF, 39 with S-IPF, and 20 healthy controls were included. Serum OPN and KL-6 levels were compared between AE-IPF and S-IPF. Logistic regression analysis was applied to identify the predicted value of OPN for AE. Kaplan–Meier curves were used to display survival, and Cox proportional hazards regression was used to identify risk for mortality. Results. In AE-IPF patients, serum OPN levels were significantly higher than in S-IPF subjects (p<0.001) or healthy controls (p<0.001). Immunohistochemical staining in lung transplant specimens of IPF showed strong expression of OPN in the alveolar epithelial cells lining honeycomb space and alveolar macrophages accumulating in interalveolar spaces adjacent to the fibrotic lesion. Serum OPN was correlated with higher C-reactive protein (CRP) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Serum OPN, KL-6, CRP, LDH, percent forced vital capacity (FVC%), and percent diffusing capacity (DLCO%) in IPF were correlated with AE status, with respective odds ratios of 1.305 (p=0.004), 1.001 (p=0.010), 1.039 (p=0.002), 1.035 (p<0.001), 0.950 (p=0.024), and 0.929 (p=0.010). Serum OPN (above 3.24 ng/ml) was associated with an increasing risk of mortality (p=0.019). Multivariate Cox regression demonstrated an association of OPN levels with mortality risk (p=0.036). Conclusion. Elevated OPN could be a potential serum predictor for AE status and survival in IPF patients.

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Usual Interstitial Pneumonia in Contemporary Surgical Pathology Practice: Impact of International Consensus Guidelines for Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis on Pathologists

Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine ◽

10.5858/arpa.2020-0100-oa ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Jordan M. Eldersveld ◽

Eunhee S. Yi ◽

Katie L. Kunze ◽

Maxwell L. Smith ◽

Henry D. Tazelaar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽

Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽

Interstitial Pneumonia ◽

Usual Interstitial Pneumonia ◽

Clinical Information ◽

Clinical Syndrome ◽

International Consensus ◽

Before And After ◽

Lung Biopsies ◽

The Impact

Context.— Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a clinical syndrome characterized by the presence of usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) radiologically and pathologically. Per consensus criteria adopted in 2011, diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis no longer requires a biopsy in an appropriate context if UIP is seen on imaging. As a result, lung biopsies are now typically reserved for patients having indeterminate clinical or imaging findings or suspicion for alternative diagnoses, but the impact of updated guidelines on pathology practice remains unclear. Objective.— To determine the frequency of histologic UIP before and after 2011. Design.— Surgical lung biopsies from adults were studied within two 4-year periods: July 1, 2006, through June 30, 2010, and January 1, 2012, through December 31, 2015. Pathology slides were reviewed in a fashion blinded to clinical information and were classified using current guidelines. Results.— Biopsies from 177 and 86 patients (mean [SD] age, 62 [12] and 59 [14] years; 50.3% [89 of 177] and 48.8% [42 of 86] men) before and after 2011, respectively, were reviewed. Probable UIP or UIP was less-frequently encountered after 2011 in all patients with fibrosis (9 of 54 [16.7%] versus 41 of 119 [34.5%] before 2011, P = .02) and also in patients 50 years old and older (8 of 46 [17.4%] versus 39 of 109 [35.8%] before 2011, P = .02), with a concomitant rise in cases indeterminate for UIP or showing alternative diagnoses. Conclusions.— Histology for UIP is less frequently encountered in our contemporary practice compared with the historic era. The pretest probability of a non-UIP diagnosis is now high, even in elderly patients, underscoring the need for pathologists to be familiar with the histologic features of alternative diagnoses.

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Medication persistence rates and predictive factors for discontinuation of antifibrotic agents in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: a real-world observational study

Therapeutic Advances in Respiratory Disease ◽

10.1177/1753466619872890 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 13 ◽

pp. 175346661987289

Author(s):

Keiji Oishi ◽

Tsunahiko Hirano ◽

Yoriyuki Murata ◽

Kazuki Hamada ◽

Sho Uehara ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽

Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽

Predictive Factors ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Performance Status ◽

Poor Performance ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Poor Performance Status ◽

Auc Value ◽

Antifibrotic Agents

Background: In patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), continuing treatment with antifibrotic agents is crucial to decrease the reduction of forced vital capacity and mortality rate. However, predictive factors for the discontinuation of antifibrotic agents are unknown. This study aims to investigate the clinical characteristics and predictive factors for the discontinuation of antifibrotic agents in patients with IPF. Methods: This was a double-center retrospective study that enrolled patients with IPF treated with pirfenidone or nintedanib between 2009 and 2017. We compared clinical parameters between the medication-continuing group and the discontinued group. The predictive factors were determined using Cox proportional hazards analyses. Results: A total of 66 subjects were included: 43 received pirfenidone and 23 received nintedanib. At 1 year, 23 of 66 patients had discontinued due to adverse events ( n = 12), disease progression ( n = 9), or death ( n = 2). The characteristics of the discontinuation group were poor performance status (PS) and delay from diagnosis to treatment. In the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis associated with the discontinuation of antifibrotic agents, PS was the highest area under the ROC curve (AUC) value (cut-off value, 2; AUC, 0.83; specificity, 63%; sensitivity, 87%). This finding was consistent even when analyzing, except for examples of death and adjusting for the type of antifibrotic agent. The treatment persistence rate by PS was PS 0–1 = 90%, PS 2 = 65%, and PS 3 = 19%. Analysis of the relationship between PS and administration period of antifibrotic agents revealed that delays from diagnosis to treatment led to worsening of dyspnea, a decline in lung function, and deterioration of PS. Conclusions: PS may be informative for predicting discontinuation of medication. Our data reinforced the importance of early initiation of antifibrotic treatment, and we suggest PS should be used as a guide for starting antifibrotic agents in everyday practice. The reviews of this paper are available via the supplementary material section.

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Impact of smoking on the development of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: results from a nationwide population-based cohort study

Thorax ◽

10.1136/thoraxjnl-2020-215386 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. thoraxjnl-2020-215386

Author(s):

Won Bae ◽

Chang-Hoon Lee ◽

Jinwoo Lee ◽

Young Whan Kim ◽

Kyungdo Han ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽

Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽

Large Scale ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Smoking Status ◽

Population Based ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Smoking Intensity ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards Models ◽

Former Smokers

BackgroundSmoking has been considered an important risk factor for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) incidence. However, there are no population-based large-scale studies demonstrating the effects of smoking on the development of IPF. We aimed to evaluate the effect of smoking on IPF development using a nationwide population-based cohort.MethodsUsing the Korean National Health Information Database, we enrolled individuals who had participated in the health check-up service between 2009 and 2012. Participants having a prior diagnosis of IPF were excluded. The history of smoking status and quantity was collected by a questionnaire. We identified all cases of incident IPF through 2016 on the basis of ICD-10 codes for IPF and medical claims. Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate the adjusted HR (aHR) of the development of IPF.ResultsA total of 25 113 individuals (0.11%) with incident IPF were identified out of 23 242 836 participants registered in the database. The risk of IPF was significantly higher in current and former smokers than in never smokers, with an aHR of 1.66 (95% CI 1.61 to 1.72) and 1.42 (95% CI 1.37 to 1.48), respectively. Current smokers had a higher risk of IPF than former smokers (aHR 1.17, 95% CI 1.13 to 1.21). The risk of IPF development increased as the smoking intensity and duration increased.ConclusionSmoking significantly increased the risk of IPF development. Current smokers had a higher risk of IPF than former smokers. A dose–response relationship was observed between smoking and the development of IPF.

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A comparison of published multidimensional indices to predict outcome in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

ERJ Open Research ◽

10.1183/23120541.00096-2016 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 00096-2016 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Charles Sharp ◽

Huzaifa I. Adamali ◽

Ann B. Millar

Keyword(s):

Prognostic Factors ◽

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽

Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽

Exercise Testing ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Characteristic Curve ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Pulmonary Physiology ◽

Multidimensional Indices ◽

The Uk

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) has an unpredictable course and prognostic factors are incompletely understood. We aimed to identify prognostic factors, including multidimensional indices from a significant IPF cohort at the Bristol Interstitial Lung Disease Centre in the UK.Patients diagnosed with IPF between 2007 and 2014 were identified. Longitudinal pulmonary physiology and exercise testing results were collated, with all-cause mortality used as the primary outcome. Factors influencing overall, 12- and 24-month survival were identified using Cox proportional hazards modelling and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis.We found in this real-world cohort of 167 patients, diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) and initiation of long-term oxygen were independent markers of poor prognosis. Exercise testing results predicted 12-month mortality as well as DLCO, but did not perform as well for overall survival. The Composite Physiological Index was the best performing multidimensional index, but did not outperform DLCO. Our data confirmed that patients who experienced a fall in forced vital capacity (FVC) >10% had significantly worse survival after that point (p=0.024).Our data from longitudinal follow-up in IPF show that DLCO is the best individual prognostic marker, outperforming FVC. Exercise testing is important in predicting early poor outcome. Regular and complete review should be conducted to ensure appropriate care is delivered in a timely fashion.

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The European MultiPartner IPF registry (EMPIRE): validating long-term prognostic factors in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Respiratory Research ◽

10.1186/s12931-019-1271-z ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Tanja Tran ◽

◽

Martina Šterclová ◽

Nesrin Mogulkoc ◽

Katarzyna Lewandowska ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Prognostic Factors ◽

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽

Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Fine Tuning ◽

Smoking History ◽

Term Survival ◽

Eastern European Countries

Abstract Background Several registries of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) have been established to better understand its natural history, though their size and duration of follow-up are limited. Here, we describe the large European MultiPartner IPF Registry (EMPIRE) and validate predictors of long-term survival in IPF. Methods The multinational prospective EMPIRE registry enrolled IPF patients from 48 sites in 10 Central and Eastern European countries since 2014. Survival from IPF diagnosis until death was estimated, accounting for left-truncation. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HR) of death for prognostic factors, using restricted cubic splines to fit continuous factors. Results The cohort included 1620 patients (mean age at diagnosis 67.6 years, 71% male, 63% smoking history), including 75% enrolled within 6 months of diagnosis. Median survival was 4.5 years, with 45% surviving 5 years post-diagnosis. Compared with GAP stage I, mortality was higher with GAP stages II (HR 2.9; 95% CI: 2.3–3.7) and III (HR 4.0; 95% CI: 2.8–5.7) while, with redefined cut-offs, the corresponding HRs were 2.7 (95% CI: 1.8–4.0) and 5.8 (95% CI: 4.0–8.3) respectively. Mortality was higher with concurrent pulmonary hypertension (HR 2.0; 95% CI: 1.5–2.9) and lung cancer (HR 2.6; 95% CI: 1.3–4.9). Conclusions EMPIRE, one of the largest long-term registries of patients with IPF, provides a more accurate confirmation of prognostic factors and co-morbidities on longer term five-year mortality. It also suggests that some fine-tuning of the indices for mortality may provide a more accurate long-term prognostic profile for these patients.

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