The Relationship of Serum Triglyseride Level with Emphysema Pattern and the Parameters Which Indicate of Disease in Patients with Stable Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Purpose: When chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) deteriorates, lipid metabolism may worsen and serum triglyceride levels decrease in response to hypoxia. It was aimed to evaluate the relationship between severity of disease, emphysema pattern and serum triglyceride level. Material and Methods: The patients with stable COPD who had not additional clinical problem that could be the reason of malnutrition were included in the study. Serum triglyceride levels, spirometric, anthropometric and demographic characteristics of cases were recorded and evaluated prospectively. Results: A hundred patients (81/19 M/F) with stable COPD were evaluated. Mean serum triglyceride level was 109.7±12.2mg/dl. It was observed that serum triglyceride level correlated with the duration of disease (r=0.298; p=0.003), the number of hospitalization (r=0.199 p=0.047), retrosternal distance (r=0.214; p=0.033) negatively and with %FEV1(r=0.247; p=0.013), FEV1/FVC (r=0.212; p=0.035) and distances of intersinusal line to dome of diaphragm(r=0.286; p=0.004) positively. In 29 cases serum triglyceride levels were in normal range, but in 71 cases not. The values of %FEV1 (p=0.049) and %PEF (p=0.001) were found significantly lower than others in cases that serum triglyceride levels were out of normal range. Conclusion: Serum triglyceride level correlated with spirometric findings positively. It was observed that lower serum triglyceride level, so frequent emphysema pattern was. We think that serum triglyceride level might be effective parameter for evaluating severity of disease, emphysema pattern and systemic impacts of hypoxia.