الفهرس | Only 14 pages are availabe for public view |
Abstract Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a common preventable and treatable disease, is characterized by persistent airflow limitation that is usually progressive and associated with an enhanced chronic inflammatory response in the airways and the lung to noxious particles or gases. Exacerbation and comorbidities contribute to the overall severity in individual patients. Patients with COPD have an ongoing systemic inflammation. In addition, it is believed that many of the systemic manifestations of COPD are mediated through increased systemic levels of inflammatory proteins such as interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8(IL-8), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and C-reactive protein(CRP). |