Abstract
Background
The markers that characterize local and systemic inflammation in chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease (COPD) remain unclear, as do their correlations with smoking status
and presence of disease. The aim of this study was to assess markers of inflammation
in the peripheral blood and airways of current smokers without COPD, of current smokers
with COPD and of ex-smokers with COPD.
Methods
In this study, 17 current smokers with COPD (mean age: 58.2 ± 9.6 years; mean forced
expiratory volume in 1 second [FEV1]: 56.1 ± 15.9%), 35 ex-smokers with COPD (mean age: 66.3 ± 7.3 years; mean FEV1: 47.9 ± 17.2%) and 20 current smokers without COPD (mean age: 49.1 ± 6.2 years; mean
FEV1: 106.5 ± 15.8%) were evaluated. Spirometry findings, body composition and serum/induced
sputum concentrations of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8
and IL-10, together with serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, were assessed.
Results
Serum TNF-α concentration was higher in all current smokers than in ex-smokers with
COPD. In current smokers without COPD, serum CRP level was lower than in ex-smokers
with COPD and significantly lower than in current smokers with COPD. Sputum TNF-α
concentration was higher in current and ex-smokers with COPD than in current smokers
without COPD. Multiple regression analyses showed that serum TNF-α was associated
with active smoking, and serum CRP and sputum TNF-α were associated with COPD diagnosis.
Conclusions
Smoking is associated with higher systemic inflammation in patients with COPD. Current
findings also support the hypothesis that smoking and COPD have different effects
on the regulation of airway and systemic inflammatory processes.
Key Indexing Terms
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
January 11,
2012
Received:
March 23,
2011
Footnotes
The study received financial support in the form of a research grant from the Brazilian governmental agency Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (Foundation for Research Support of the State of São Paulo; Grant 04/00517-4).
Identification
Copyright
© 2012 Southern Society for Clinical Investigation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
