Evaluation of C-Reactive Protein in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

BACKGROUND: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is associated with evidence of systemic oxidative stress, activation of circulating inflammatory cells and increased plasma level of proinflamatory cytokines which include C-reactive protein (CRP). CRP is one biomarker of extrapulmonary or systemic consequences of COPD that can be detected.

AIM: The aim of this research is to determine whether the level of CRP statistically significantly correlates with the level of bronchial obstruction and the accompanying co-morbidities in patients with COPD.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study included 80 patients with exacerbation of COPD, hospitalised at the Institute for Lung Diseases and Tuberculosis in Skopje. We measured the level of CRP in the blood in all of these patients in fasting conditions. The classification of COPD patients by the severity of airflow limitation was made according to the actual version of the Global initiative for chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD). The Student's Independent Samples t-test was used for the statistic analysis of the data.

RESULTS: In 52 (65%) of the patients with exacerbation of COPD we detected an increase of the mean value of CRP. The statistical analysis using the Student's t-test showed statistically significant differences in the mean value of CRP in patients with different level of bronchial obstruction. Hypertension, heart failure, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, coronary disease, and CVI were confirmed as co-morbidities in 45 (73.1%) of the patients, hypertension being the most frequent one (40%). The statistical analysis using the Student's t-test showed statistically significant difference of the mean value of CRP (p< 0.01) depending on the number of co-morbidities.

CONCLUSION: In 52 (65%) of the patients with exacerbation of COPD, were detected an increase of the mean value of CRP. The mean values of CRP statistically significantly correlate with the level of bronchial obstruction and the number of co-morbidities in patients with COPD.