Systemic inflammation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma: Similarities and differences.
OBJECTIVE
While recent studies have shown that patients with COPD and patients with asthma exhibit evidence of airway and systemic inflammation, markers of systemic inflammation have not been compared between the two diseases.


METHODS
To evaluate circulating inflammatory markers, blood was sampled from 111 patients with COPD, 75 control subjects and 46 asthmatic patients (some of whom were smokers). Measurements of WCC, serum levels of fibrinogen, high-sensitivity (hs)-CRP, IL-8, IL-6, tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1, tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1, neutrophil elastase and alpha1-antitrypsin (alpha1-AT) were performed.


RESULTS
Serum TNF-alpha, IL-6 and TIMP-1 concentrations were significantly higher in patients with stable COPD and patients with asthma than in control patients. Serum alpha1-AT levels were significantly higher in COPD patients than in asthmatic patients and control subjects, and serum TGF-beta1 levels were higher in asthma patients than in COPD patients. Smoking status had no effect on markers in COPD and asthmatic patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Although COPD and asthma share common markers of systemic inflammation, serum levels of TGF-beta1 and alpha1-AT may reflect differences between the diseases.
Higashimoto
Yuji
Y
Department of Internal Medicine, Wakayama Medical University Kihoku Hospital, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. yhigashi@wakayama-med.ac.jp
Yamagata
Yuko
Y
Taya
Satoshi
S
Iwata
Takuya
T
Okada
Morihiro
M
Ishiguchi
Tadashi
T
Sato
Hiroaki
H
Itoh
Hidekazu
H
D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D000368:Aged; D001249:Asthma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000097:blood*; D019272:Leukocyte Elastase / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D019715:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 / Q000097:blood
D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D016207:Cytokines; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D019715:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1; D019272:Leukocyte Elastase