Inflamação das vias aéreas e envolvimento pulmonar intersticial na esclerose sistêmica: associação com alterações esofágicas e microaspiração

Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Médicas, Florianópolis, 2012INTRODUCAO: O envolvimento pulmonar na Esclerose Sistemica (ES) tem sido associado com refluxo gastroesofagico (RGE) causado por dismotilidade esofagica e microaspiracao. Entretanto, a microaspiracao ainda nao foi objetivamente demonstrada. Nos objetivamos demonstrar, em pacientes com ES, a ocorrencia de microaspiracao e investigar sua associacao com o envolvimento intersticial pulmonar e das vias aereas e as anormalidades esofagicas. METODOS: Quarenta e sete pacientes com ES e 38 controles pareados por idade foram incluidos no estudo. Todos foram submetidos a inducao do escarro, espirometria e teste de broncoprovocacao com metacolina. Os pacientes tambem realizaram pletismografia e tomografia de torax de alta resolucao (TCAR), a qual foi analisada de acordo com um escore tomografico (Indice Tomografico, IT), monitoramento do pH esofagico de 24 horas e esofagomanometria. O indice lipidico de macrofagos (ILM) no escarro induzido foi usado como metodo para aferir a microaspiracao. RESULTADOS: O grupo dos pacientes constituiu-se de 91,5% de mulheres, com idade media (DP) de 49,3 (11,8) anos e media (DP) de duracao de doenca de 8,1(7,4) anos, 68,1% deles com a forma limitada da doenca. Anormalidades manometricas esofagicas foram encontradas em 78,7% dos pacientes e 70,2% deles tinha RGE patologico. Cinquenta e um por cento dos casos apresentava envolvimento pulmonar intersticial (IT . 3) e alteracoes a espirometria ocorreram em 48,9% deles (23,4% com defeito restritivo e 21,3% com defeito obstrutivo leve). Os niveis de DLCO (corrigidos pelo volume alveolar, DLCO/VA) estavam reduzidos em 44,6% dos casos. Microaspiracao (ILM . 7) foi encontrada em 93,6% dos pacientes, sendo que 42,6% deles tinham microaspiracao considerada significativa (ILM . 50). Os pacientes apresentaram contagem celular total (CT) (p=0,007), contagem de neutrofilos (pAbstract : INTRODUCTION: Pulmonary involvement has been associated with gastroesophageal reflux (GER) caused by esophageal dysmotility and probably microaspiration in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). However, microaspiration was not objectively demonstrated. We aimed to demonstrate the occurrence of microaspiration and to investigate its association with airways and pulmonary interstitial involvement and with esophageal abnormalities in SSc patients. METHODS: We enrolled 47 SSc patients and 38 controls matched by age. They performed sputum induction, spirometry and methacholine bronchial provocation test. Patients also performed plethysmography, chest high resolution computed tomography (HRCT), scored according to a tomographic index (TIx), esophageal 24 hour pH monitoring and esophageal manometry. Lipid laden alveolar macrophage index (LLAM) in induced sputum was used to measure microaspiration. RESULTS: Patients were 91,5% women, with mean (SD) age of 49,3 (11,8) years and mean disease duration of 8,1(7,4) years, 61,8% of them with limited disease subset. Esophageal manometry abnormalities were found in 78,7% of the patients and 70,2% of them had pathological GER. Fifty one percent of the cases presented with interstitial lesions on HRCT (TIx . 3) and 44,6% of them had spirometric abnormalities (23,4% with restrictive defect and 21,3% with mild obstructive defect). DLCO (corrected by alveolar volume, DLCO/VA) levels were reduced in 48,9 % of the patients. Microaspiration (LLAM . 7) was found in 93,6% of the patients and in 42,6% % of them it was considered severe (LLAM . 50). Patients had higher sputum total cell (TCC) (p=0,007), neutrophil (p< 0,001) and eosinophil counts (p=0,008) than controls. There was a positive correlation between LLAM and neutrophil count (r=0,30, p=0,04) and between LLAM and TCC (r=0,37, p=0,006). Mean DLCO/VA was was negatively correlated with LLAM (r=0,33, p=0,02) and tended to be lower in patients with manometry abnormalities and/or moderate to severe GER (severe esophageal involvement, p=0,05). Those patients with severe esophageal involvement had higher TIx (p=0,03). Neutrophils were higher in patients with HRCT lesions (p=0,04), but no association was found between LLAM and TIx. About one third (27,7%)of the patients had airway hyperresponsiveness, compared with none of the controls (p