Normal pulmonary gas exchange efficiency and absence of exercise-induced arterial hypoxemia in adults with bronchopulmonary dysplasia

Cardiopulmonary function is reduced in adults born very preterm, but it is unknown if this results in reduced pulmonary gas exchange efficiency during exercise and, consequently, leads to reduced aerobic capacity in subjects with and without bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). We hypothesized that an excessively large alveolar to arterial oxygen difference (AaDO(2)) and resulting exercise-induced arterial hypoxemia (EIAH) would contribute to reduced aerobic fitness in adults born very preterm with and without BPD. Measurements of pulmonary function, lung volumes and diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide (DLco) were made at rest. Measurements of maximal oxygen consumption, peak workload, temperature-and tonometry-corrected arterial blood gases, and direct measure of hemoglobin saturation with oxygen (SaO(2)) were made preexercise and during cycle ergometer exercise in ex-preterm subjects <= 32-wk gestational age, with BPD (n = 12), without BPD (PRE; n = 12), and full term controls (CONT; n = 12) breathing room air. Both BPD and PRE had reduced pulmonary function and reduced DLco compared with CONT. The AaDO(2) was not significantly different between groups, and there was no evidence of EIAH (SaO(2) < 95% and/or AaDO(2) >= 40 Torr) in any subject group preexercise or at any workload. Arterial O-2 content was not significantly different between the groups preexercise or during exercise. However, peak power output was decreased in BPD and PRE subjects compared with CONT. We conclude that EIAH in adult subjects born very preterm with and without BPD does not likely contribute to the reduction in aerobic exercise capacity observed in these subjects.