title: The cardiopulmonary continuum systemic inflammation as 'common soil' of heart and lung disease.
abstract: Coronary artery disease (CAD), chronic heart failure (CHF) or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) occur commonly in the presence of each other and are associated with similar systemic inflammatory reactions. Inflammation plays a central role in the pathogenesis of these diseases. C-reactive protein (CRP) could represent the sentinel biomarker to all chronic diseases. Also, interleukin (IL)-6 may play a causal role in systemic inflammatory diseases. These complex interactions between heart and lung can be denoted as 'cardiopulmonary continuum'. Common risk factors induce systemic inflammatory processes which lead to progression of atherosclerotic diseases as well as COPD.
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Innere Medizin III, Universitätsklinikum des Saarlandes, Homburg/Saar, Germany. Electronic address: Christian.Ukena@UKS.eu.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ukena
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Innere Medizin III, Universitätsklinikum des Saarlandes, Homburg/Saar, Germany.
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mahfoud
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Innere Medizin III, Universitätsklinikum des Saarlandes, Homburg/Saar, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kindermann
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Innere Medizin III, Universitätsklinikum des Saarlandes, Homburg/Saar, Germany.
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kindermann
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Innere Medizin V, Universitätsklinikum des Saarlandes, Homburg/Saar, Germany.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bals
authors.affiliation: University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Adriaan A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Voors
authors.affiliation: University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Dirk J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: van Veldhuisen
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Innere Medizin III, Universitätsklinikum des Saarlandes, Homburg/Saar, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Böhm
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D018746:Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology