Study of Serum C-Reactive Protein Level in Patients with COPD

Aim of the Work: The aim of this work was to study the usefulness of serum CRP as a systemic inflammatory marker for COPD patients and to evaluate ischemic heart diseases (IHD) and smoking as potential causes of raised CRP levels in COPD.Subjects and Methods: Forty male patients with COPD were admitted to chest department, Benha University Hospital were included in this study and 40 healthy male of the same age and sex as a control group (20 smokers and 20 non-smokers) with no history of ischemic heart diseases and with normal ventilatory function tests. The patients and controls were subjected for full clinical evaluation including a full clinical and family history, History of any other comorbidities that may raise the C-reactive protein as ischemic heart diseases, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, tuberculosis, malignancy, hepatic cirrhosis, end-stage renal disease, rheumatoid arthritis and any systemic infection or inflammation that could be associated with increased CRP values. General local examination, routine laboratory tests, plain chest X-ray (P.A. and lateral view), Body mass index, Pulmonary function tests (spirometry) before and after bronchodilatation, Electrocardiography, complete blood count, liver function tests, kidney function tests and fasting blood sugar and venous blood samples for C-reactive protein measurement.Results: The level of CRP was higher in COPD cases compared to normal controls (smokers and non smokers) and the difference between them was statistically significant (p 0.05). Also the level of CRP was proportionally related to the stage of the disease as there was a significant increase in CRP level with increasing the severity of COPD. Very severeCOPD cases have higher level of CRP than severe and moderate cases. CRP was also raised in severe cases than moderate cases and the difference between them was highly statistically significant (p 0.01).Conclusions: Serum CRP levels are raised in COPD patients without clinically relevant IHD and independent of cigarette smoking.