DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2020.v08i04.022

Pages: 1148-1151

Background: Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have raised serum levels of C- reactive protein (CRP). This may be related directly to COPD and its associated systemic inflammation or secondary to other factors such as concomitant smoking status. The aim of this study was to evaluate infection and inflammation are potential causes of raised CRP levels in COPD and also evaluate relationship between increased counts of inflammatory cells in circulation and serum CRP levels. Results: Patients with COPD acute exacerbation were characterized by a systemic inflammatory process indicated by an increased leucocyte count (15.2 ± 6.4) vs (8.6 ± 3.1) × 103 cells/µl), raised levels of CRP (32.1 ± 26.0) vs (3.42 ± 2.70) µg/ml). After treatment of disease exacerbations, systemic levels of CRP (on the day of discharge) was significantly reduced (5.42 ± 3.20) compared with day of admission and with the control group (3.42 ± 2.70). Conclusion: CRP levels are raised in COPD patients with acute exacerbation and also in stable patients at the time of discharge without clinically relevant any other chronic inflammatory diseases. CRP may be a systemic marker of the inflammatory process that occurs in patients with COPD.