title: Systemic inflammation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma: Similarities and differences.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Wakayama Medical University Kihoku Hospital, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. yhigashi@wakayama-med.ac.jp
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Higashimoto
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamagata
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Taya
authors.forename: Takuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iwata
authors.forename: Morihiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.forename: Tadashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ishiguchi
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Hidekazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Itoh
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D016207:Cytokines; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D019715:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1; D019272:Leukocyte Elastase