Authors : Bhartesh Sethiya, Nimisha Saxena, Harsh Sharma
DOI : 10.18231/j.ijirm.2020.062
Volume : 5
Issue : 4
Year : 2020
Page No : 223-227
Background: The motive of this study was to establish the role of various circulating biomarkers in identification of etiology of exacerbation in COPD and assessment of prognosis of COPD on the basis of these biomarkers i.e PCT, CRP and neopterin.
Materials and Methods: In this study 200 patients of COPD were enrolled 36 in the stable state, 116 in the exacerbation phase and 48 with pneumonia. Serum sample was collected in all the groups at the time of inclusion in the study and after one month 20 samples were collected from the exacerbation group. Sputum culture, microbiological findings, biomarkers levels and clinical characteristics were compared in each group. PCT and CRP levels were measured by immunofluorescence assay and neopterin by competitive assay.
Results: Significant differences were observed in the three groups with regard to PCT and CRP being increased in pneumonic and exacerbation groups as compared to stable group. (P = 0.0001). For paired samples of 20 patients in the exacerbation group PCT and CRP levels were found to be decreased after a period of one month whereas neopterin was found to be increased. All the three biomarkers were increased in patients who died within a month as compared to patients who died later on.
Conclusions: Our results showed that biomarker levels vary with the clinical status of the patients and this helps in identification of the aetiology of exacerbation which therefore helps in better assessment of prognosis and management of COPD patients.
Keywords: Creactive protein, COPD, Inflammation, Procalcitonin, Neopterin.