Clinical features of asthma with comorbid bronchiectasis: a systematic
review and meta-analysis.
Abstract
Objective: This meta-analysis aimed to systematically estimate the
prevalence of comorbid bronchiectasis in patients with asthma and to
summarize its clinical impact. Data sources: Embase, PubMed, and
Cochrane Library electronic databases were searched to identify relevant
studies published from inception until March 2020. Study Selection:
Studies were included if bronchiectasis was identified by
high-resolution computed tomography. Outcomes included prevalence of
bronchiectasis and its association with demographic characteristics and
indicators of asthma severity, including results of lung function tests
and number of exacerbations. Results: Five observational studies with
839 patients were included. Overall, the mean prevalence of
bronchiectasis in patients with asthma was 36.6% (307/839). Patients
with comorbid bronchiectasis had lower forced expiratory volume
(FEV1)/forced vital capacity (FVC) (MD: -2.71; 95% CI: -3.72 to -1.69)
and more frequent exacerbations (MD: 0.68; 95% CI: 0.03 to 1.33) than
those with asthma alone, there was no significant difference of sex,
duration of asthma and serum levels of immunoglobulin(Ig)Es between
asthmatic patients with or without bronchiectasis. Conclusion: The
presence of bronchiectasis in patients with asthma was associated with
greater asthma severity. There are important therapeutic implications of
identifying bronchiectasis in asthmatic patients.