Peculiarities of inflammatory process and markers of inflammation in patients with bronchial asthma and COPD

Abstract

The investigation concerned the diagnostic value of following inflammation markers in patients with mild or moderate bronchial asthma (BA), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic bronchitis and pneumonia: expired air nitric oxide (Feno) and serum levels of α 1-antitripsin and neutrophilic elastase. 93 patients were included: 6 with mild BA, 11 - with moderate BA, 17 - with mild BA and chronic bronchitis, 25 - with moderate BA and COPD, 25 - with COPD, 9 - with pneumonia. The control group consisted of 21 healthy donors. We revealed that Feno, α 1-antitripsin and neutrophilic elasthase indicate the presence of the inflammation: Feno elevation mostly related to allelrgic one, α 1-antitripsin and neutrophilic elasthase - to infection-dependent inflammation. Treatmentinduced remission of the disease leads to the decrease of α 1-antitripsin and neutrophilic elasthase, but levels are not reaching the normal values. This confirms the presence of airways inflammation during clinical remission of the disease. Elevated levels of α 1-antitripsin and neutrophilic elasthase are associated with the decreased forced expiratory volume during the first second (FEV 1 - % to the predicted values).