title: [The relationship between inflammatory mediators and pulmonary hypertension in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) were investigated to analyze the systemic inflammation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients with and without pulmonary hypertension.
  
  
  METHODS
  From January 2006 to December 2010, 89 patients with COPD were enrolled in our hospital. There were 67 males and 22 females, with a mean age of (70 ± 7) and a mean FEV(1) of (47 ± 13)%. Pulmonary pressure was assessed by Doppler echocardiography. The levels of plasma BNP, TNF-α and ET-1 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. High-sensitivity plasma CRP level was assessed by chemiluminescent immunoassay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-two patients were classified as COPD with pulmonary hypertension group and 47 patients as COPD without pulmonary hypertension group. The level of CRP [51.4 mg/L (20.1 - 92.0) mg/L], ET-1 [5.9 ng/L (3.7 - 10.4) ng/L] and BNP [303.2 ng/L (112.5 - 824.7) ng/L] in patients with pulmonary hypertension were significantly higher than in that in patients without hypertension, CRP [26.7 mg/L (11.5 - 62.9) mg/L], ET-1 [2.1 ng/L (1.3 - 4.7) ng/L] and BNP [143.7 ng/L (85.5 - 306.7) ng/L]. The level of TNF-α showed no difference between the 2 groups [8.5 ng/L (4.8 - 13.7) ng/L and 6.7 ng/L (3.2 - 10.3) ng/L], respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that PaO₂ (P < 0.05), CRP (P < 0.05) and BNP (P < 0.05) could predict pulmonary hypertension independently.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The level of CRP, ET-1 and BNP were related to pulmonary hypertension in COPD patients, suggesting that systemic inflammation play a role in the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension in COPD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, China.
authors.forename: Yan-wen
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pang
authors.forename: Qiu-hong
authors.initials: QH
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Ying-min
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Ma
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000209:etiology*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D019332:Endothelin-1; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; D002097:C-Reactive Protein