The relationship between inflammatory markers and disability in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
OBJECTIVE
To examine relationships between markers of systemic inflammation and functional status in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).


METHODS
41 COPD patients were stratified using the Medical Research Council (MRC) dyspnoea scale. Six-minute walking distance (6MWD), Quadriceps (% body weight) (QBW), St George's Hospital Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), London Chest Activity of Daily Living Scale (LCADL), C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin 6 (IL6), tumour necrosis factor alpha, and neopterin were measured. Relationships between variables and differences in inflammatory markers between MRC categories were tested.


RESULTS
Inflammation increased with MRC grade and was significantly different across grades; CRP (p=0.002) and IL6 (p=0.04). Relationships were evident between CRP, 6MWD, LCADL and SGRQ, r=-0.47, 0.50, 0.43 (all p<0.01) respectively, and between IL6, QBW and LCADL, rho=-0.36, 0.51 (p<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Measures of systemic inflammation, and in particular CRP, may prove to be useful markers in the assessment of COPD severity in primary care.
School of Physiotherapy, St Georges Hospital, University of London, London, UK. garrod@hscs.sgul.ac.uk
Rachel
R
Garrod
Johanna
J
Marshall
Elizabeth
E
Barley
Salim
S
Fredericks
Gerry
G
Hagan
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000145:classification; D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019798:Neopterin / Q000097:blood; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood
D015415:Biomarkers; C508600:IL6 protein, human; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D019798:Neopterin; D002097:C-Reactive Protein