Progression and mortality of patients with cystic fibrosis in China

Background: Patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) are rare in China and differ significantly from the Caucasian populations in terms of clinical and genetic characteristics. However, the progression and mortality of Chinese patients with CF have not been well described.

Results: This study included all 67 patients from the Peking Union Medical College Hospital CF cohort, with a median followed up time of 5.2 years. Compared to patients diagnosed with CF in childhood, adult-diagnosed patients exhibit a lower proportion of pancreatic exocrine insufficiency (25.0% vs. 77.8%, P = 0.001) and a higher body mass index (19.6 vs. 17.7 kg/m², P = 0.045). According to the mixed-effects model, for patients ≤ 30 years of age at diagnosis, FEV₁% predicted decreased 1.17% per year. The generalized linear regression model showed that higher baseline FEV₁% predicted and occurrence of pulmonary exacerbations were associated with the progression of patients with CF. The survival rates at 5 years and 10 years after the diagnosis were 96.7% and 80.6%, respectively. The log-rank test showed baseline FEV₁% predicted < 50%, and high CF-ABLE and 3-year prognostic scores were associated with mortality in patients with CF in China.

Conclusions: We reported the progression and mortality of patients with CF in China, which was a rare and relatively unknown population in the past. Baseline FEV₁% predicted is associated with progression and mortality. Pulmonary exacerbations can accelerate the decline in lung function. The CF-ABLE and 3-year prognostic scores are applicable for predicting poor prognosis in patients with CF in China.