title: Systemic inflammation after inspiratory loading in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) present systemic inflammation. Strenuous resistive breathing induces systemic inflammation in healthy subjects. We hypothesized that the increased respiratory load that characterizes COPD can contribute to systemic inflammation in these patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  To test this hypothesis, we compared leukocyte numbers and levels of circulating cytokines (tumor necrosis factor alpha [TNFalpha], interleukin-1beta [IL-1beta], IL-6, IL-8, and IL-10), before and 1 hour after maximal incremental inspiratory loading in 13 patients with stable COPD (forced expiratory volume in one second [FEV1] 29 +/- 2.5% ref) and in 8 healthy sedentary subjects (FEV1 98 +/- 5% ref).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that: (1) at baseline, patients with COPD showed higher leukocyte counts and IL-8 levels than controls (p < 0.01); and, (2) one hour after maximal inspiratory loading these values were unchanged, except for IL-10, which increased in controls (p < 0.05) but not in patients with COPD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study confirms the presence of systemic inflammation in COPD, shows that maximal inspiratory loading does not increase the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1beta, IL-8) in COPD patients or controls, but suggests that the former may be unable to mount an appropriate systemic anti-inflammatory response to exercise.
authors.affiliation: Serveis de Pneumologia, Hospital Universitari Son Dureta, Fundación Caubet-Cimera, Mallorca, Spain.
authors.forename: Antonia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fuster
authors.forename: Jaume
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sauleda
authors.forename: Ernest
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sala
authors.forename: Bernardí
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Barceló
authors.forename: Jaume
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pons
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carrera
authors.forename: Aina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Noguera
authors.forename: Bernat
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Togores
authors.forename: Alvar G N
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Agustí
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000403:Airway Resistance / Q000502:physiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D001239:Inhalation / Q000502:physiology; D007378:Interleukins / Q000097:blood*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood*; D014939:Work of Breathing / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D007378:Interleukins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha