Transfer factor for the lung, airway obstruction and hyperinflation in chronic bronchitis and emphysema

The interrelationships of breath holding lung transfer factor (TCO) and transfer coefficient (KCO) with ventilatory obstruction (FEV1.0) and FEV1.0/VC) and hyperinflation (RV and RV/TLC) were studied in 37 patients with chronic nonspecific lung disease with a FEV1.0 of 1.5 litre or less classified as "bronchitic", "emphysematous" or "intermediate" according to Nash, Briscoe and Cournand (1965). No relationships could be found between TCO and airway obstruction or hyperinflation. KCO tended to decrease as RV increased (r=-0.26) and was weakly related to the FEV1.0/VC ratio in "intermediate" (r=0.34) and "emphysema" (r=0.29) patients but these relationships were nonsignificant.