Significance of diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide on chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension

Thorax 2026 Open access

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Authors: Shun Minatsuki, Masaru Hatano, Kouta Funakoshi, Yu Taniguchi, Shiro Adachi, Takumi Inami, Kazuya Hosokawa, Jun Yamashita, Hitoshi Ogino, Ichizo Tsujino, Nobuhiro Yaoita, Nobutaka Ikeda
+14 more Nobuhiro Tanabe, Hiroto Shimokawahara, Kayoko Kubota, Ayako Shigeta, Koichiro Tatsumi, Koshin Horimoto, Yoshito Ogihara, Yoshihiro Dohi, Takahiro Hiraide, Takashi Kawakami, Hidekazu Ikemiyagi, Yuichi Tamura, Y. Fukumoto, Kohtaro Abe
DOI: 10.1136/thorax-2025-223670
Cited by: 2
References: 10

Abstract

Reduced diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide (DLco) reflects microvasculopathy in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, yet its clinical value is uncertain. In a Japanese nationwide registry (2018-2023) we studied 1270 patients: 486 formed an event cohort and 299 a treatment cohort who underwent pulmonary endarterectomy or balloon pulmonary angioplasty. Lower baseline DLco was indicative of smaller postprocedural improvements in mean pulmonary artery pressure, pulmonary vascular resistance and cardiac index (all p≤0.023) and a higher risk of clinical events (HR 0.971, p=0.005). Outcomes deteriorated below 59.6%, indicating DLco may help stratify prognosis and treatment benefit.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Pulmonary Hypertension Research and Treatments Heme Oxygenase-1 and Carbon Monoxide Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Research

Publication details

Journal / source
Thorax
Publisher
BMJ
Volume
81
Issue
9
Pages
913–917
Publication date
7 January 2026
Language
EN