Short-term changes in serum total protein and albumin and clinical outcomes in acute exacerbation of interstitial lung diseases
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Introduction: Acute exacerbation (AE) of interstitial lung disease (ILD) is associated with high short-term mortality. Although decreases in serum albumin are frequently observed around AE onset, the clinical significance of shortterm dynamic changes in albumin has not been fully evaluated. We investigated whether changes in serum albumin around AE onset are associated with short-term outcomes. Materials and Methods: We conducted retrospective study including patients diagnosed with ILD between May 2015 and June 2025. Among patients who developed AE, laboratory data obtained at AE onset and 1-3 months prior were analyzed. Changes in serum total protein (ΔTP) and albumin (ΔAlb) were calculated. Associations between these changes and 30-day mortality, as well as prognosis factor, were examined. Correlations between albumin levels at AE onset and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were also evaluated. Result: In 103 ILD patients, both TP and albumin significantly decreased at AE onset compared with pre-AE levels. Patients who died within 30 days showed a greater decline in albumin than survivors, whereas ΔTP was not associated with mortality. Albumin levels at AE onset were inversely correlated with LDH levels (ρ= -0.381), suggesting an association with acute physiological stress that may partly reflect enhanced protein catabolism. Marked hypoalbuminemia at the time of AE onset was an unfavorable factor. Conclusions: At the onset of AE, there was a rapid and marked decrease in serum albumin levels, which was associated with a poor prognosis. This dynamic change might reflect increased catabolism, but further research is needed to determine its causal relationship.
Source: Tuberkuloz ve Toraks
Language: English
Subfield: Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7166306404