title: Cross-sectional associations of pulmonary function with systemic inflammation and oxidative stress in individuals with chronic spinal cord injury.
abstract: Systemic inflammation, and to a lesser extent oxidative stress, have been associated with reduced pulmonary function. Our objective was to evaluate the associations between biomarkers of inflammation (C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6)) and novel makers of global oxidative stress (fluorescent oxidation products (FLOx)) with spirometric and lung volume measures in individuals with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI).
  
  
  
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  
  Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
  
  
  
  One-hundred thirty-seven men with chronic SCI participating in an epidemiologic study.
  
  
  
  Participants provided a blood sample, completed health questionnaires, and underwent pulmonary function testing, including helium dilution measurement of functional residual capacity (FRC). General linear models were used to model associations between increasing quartiles of inflammation or oxidative stress with each outcome measure, after adjustment for a number of potential confounders.
  
  
  
  Percent-predicted forced vital capacity in one second (FEV1), percent-predicted forced vital capacity (FVC), FEV1/FVC, percent-predicted residual volume (RV), percent-predicted FRC, and percent-predicted total lung capacity (TLC).
  
  
  
  After adjustment for a number of confounders, participants with higher levels of CRP and IL-6 had lower percent-predicted FEV1 and FVC measurements. There were no clear patterns of association with any of the oxidative stress biomarkers or other outcome measures.
  
  
  
  Increased systemic inflammation was associated with reductions in FEV1 and FVC independent of a number of covariates. Although the mechanism is uncertain, these results suggest that reductions in pulmonary function in SCI are associated with systemic inflammation.
authors.affiliation: a Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine , Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School , Boston , MA , USA.|b Exposure, Epidemiology and Risk Program, Department of Environmental Health , Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health , Boston , MA , USA.
authors.forename: Jaime E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Hart
authors.affiliation: c Spaulding-Harvard SCI Model System, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation , Harvard Medical School , Charlestown , MA , USA.
authors.forename: Leslie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Morse
authors.affiliation: d Rehabilitation Medicine Service , VA Boston Healthcare System , West Roxbury , MA , USA.
authors.forename: Carlos G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Tun
authors.affiliation: e Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Unit and Department of Medicine , Massachusetts General Hospital , Boston , MA , USA.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: a Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine , Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School , Boston , MA , USA.|f Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Section, Medical Service , VA Boston Healthcare System , West Roxbury , MA , USA.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Garshick
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014109:Total Lung Capacity
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D015850:Interleukin-6; D002097:C-Reactive Protein
keywords: Inflammation; Oxidative stress; Pulmonary function; Spinal cord injury