The impact of smoking on inflammatory biomarkers in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Conclusions The circulating levels of the inflammatory markers hs-CRP and TNF-alpha are significantly elevated in patients with stable COPD and these biomarkers could be used as predictor factors for severity of inflammation in COPD patients. Longitudinal studies evaluating the effects of smoking cessation on bronchial and systemic inflammation are needed to allow better understanding of these relationships and their consequences.
Source: Egyptian Journal of Chest Diseases and Tuberculosis - Category: Respiratory Medicine Source Type: research