Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2006 Jan;61(1):17-22.
doi: 10.1136/thx.2005.041996. Epub 2005 Jul 29.

Raised CRP levels mark metabolic and functional impairment in advanced COPD

R Broekhuizen  1 , E F M Wouters, E C Creutzberg, A M W J Schols
Affiliations

Raised CRP levels mark metabolic and functional impairment in advanced COPD

R Broekhuizen et al. Thorax. 2006 Jan.

Abstract

Background: C-reactive protein (CRP) is often used as a clinical marker of acute systemic inflammation. Since low grade inflammation is evident in chronic diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), new methods have been developed to enhance the sensitivity of CRP assays in the lower range. A study was undertaken to investigate the discriminative value of high sensitivity CRP in COPD with respect to markers of local and systemic impairment, disability, and handicap.

Methods: Plasma CRP levels, interleukin 6 (IL-6) levels, body composition, resting energy expenditure (REE), exercise capacity, health status, and lung function were determined in 102 patients with clinically stable COPD (GOLD stage II-IV). The cut off point for normal versus raised CRP levels was 4.21 mg/l.

Results: CRP levels were raised in 48 of 102 patients. In these patients, IL-6 (p<0.001) and REE (adjusted for fat-free mass, p = 0.002) were higher while maximal (p = 0.040) and submaximal exercise capacity (p = 0.017) and 6 minute walking distance (p = 0.014) were lower. The SGRQ symptom score (p = 0.003) was lower in patients with raised CRP levels, as were post-bronchodilator FEV1 (p = 0.031) and reversibility (p = 0.001). Regression analysis also showed that, when adjusted for FEV1, age and sex, CRP was a significant predictor for body mass index (p = 0.044) and fat mass index (p = 0.016).

Conclusions: High sensitivity CRP is a marker for impaired energy metabolism, functional capacity, and distress due to respiratory symptoms in COPD.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: EFMW serves as a consultant to GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and is a member of the scientific advisory board for GSK. He received lecture fees and research grants between 2001 and 2004 from GSK. None of the other authors has any conflict of interest to disclose.

Comment in

References

    1. ATS/ERS Skeletal muscle dysfunction in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. A statement of the American Thoracic Society and European Respiratory Society. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 1999159S1–40. - PubMed
    1. Gan W Q, Man S F, Senthilselvan A.et al Association between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and systemic inflammation: a systematic review and a meta‐analysis. Thorax 200459574–580. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Mannino D M, Ford E S, Redd S C. Obstructive and restrictive lung disease and markers of inflammation: data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination. Am J Med 2003114758–762. - PubMed
    1. American Thoracic Society Standards for the diagnosis and care of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 1995152S77–121. - PubMed
    1. Quanjer P H. Standardized lung function testing. Official statement of the European Respiratory Society. Eur Respir J 19936(Suppl 16)1–100. - PubMed

Publication types