COPD Exacerbation May Be Predicted With Inflammatory Markers

In patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), elevated levels of a combination of three inflammatory biomarkers may predict an increased risk of having serious exacerbations. According to a study published in the June 12 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, simultaneously elevated levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen, and leukocyte counts were tied to an increased risk of having exacerbations, even in those with milder COPD and in those without a history of previous exacerbations. Currently, the best predictor of exacerbations in all grades of COPD is a previous exacerbation; however this method has a low positive predictive value. Previous studies have found that elevated levels of inflammatory biomarkers like CRP (cutoff 3mg/L), fibrinogen (cutoff 14 μmol/L), and leukocytes (9 Χ109/L) during stable COPD are associated with poor outcomes and in this study the researchers sought to determine if there was also an association with exacerbations. The researchers examined a subcohort of 6,574 patients with COPD participating in two general population studies—the Copenhagen City Heart Study (2001-2003) and the Copenhagen General Population Study (2003-2008). The subset of COPD patients did not have self-reported asthma. Baseline biomarker levels were measured in participants when they were not […]