ArticleChronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (Miami, Fla.)2025
Association of Mucus Plugging and Body Mass Index in Patients With Advanced COPD GOLD 3/4 With Emphysema.
Article in Chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (Miami, Fla.), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is classified by its clinical phenotypes-chronic bronchitis and emphysema. A computed tomography (CT)-based mucus plug score (MPS) was recently identified as a biomarker to a subgroup of COPD patients with increased airway mucus plugs. While not necessarily linked to more pronounced symptoms or structural lung changes, mucus plugs are associated with increased mortality. Interestingly, a higher MPS seems to be associated with a lower body mass index (BMI), likewise associated with increased mortality. This study aims to characterize patients with advanced emphysema presenting for lung volume reduction therapy with a special focus on mucus plug occurrence. Material and Methods: This retrospective, monocentric study assessed MPS in advanced COPD (Global initiative for chronic Obstructive Lung Disease [GOLD] stages 3 or 4) and emphysema patients evaluated for lung volume reduction therapy at Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin. CT scans were analyzed for mucus plugging, and clinical data were obtained from the emphysema registry. Results: A total of 127 CT scans were assessed for MPS. About 50% had no mucus plugs (score = 0), 25% had an intermediate burden (score 1-2), and 25% had a high burden (score ≥3). A higher MPS correlated with a lower BMI, more pronounced emphysema, and worse lung function, including forced expiratory volume in 1 second, vital capacity, and diffusing capacity of carbon monoxide. Residual volume, partial pressure of carbon dioxide, the 6-minute walk test, and quality-of-life parameters were unaffected. Multivariate regression analysis found a strong association between mucus plugs and BMI, showing that a decrease in BMI was associated with a higher mucus burden ( Interpretation: This study supports an association between high MPS and BMI in a vulnerable subgroup of advanced COPD patients. Further research is needed to understand the pathophysiology and consequences of mucus plugs, aiming for individualized risk assessments and treatment strategies.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.