Cytokine- and Airflow-Based Clustering Identifies COPD Phenotypes with Differing Quantitative CT Features

Introduction

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a heterogeneous disease with distinct inflammatory profiles that may be associated with key pathological features, including emphysema and airway wall remodeling. This study aimed to identify COPD subgroups based on circulating pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine activity and airflow limitation and to examine their clinical, physiological, and quantitative CT characteristics.