RATIONALE: Increased levels of systemic markers of inflammation have been reported in patients with impaired lung function due to obstructive or restrictive lung disease. OBJECTIVE: We tested the hypothesis that a decline in lung function within the normal range may be associated with a systemic subclinical inflammation. METHODS: Pulmonary function tests, cardiorespiratory fitness, components of the metabolic syndrome, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) were determined in 1,131 subjects without known pulmonary disease. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Ninety-six of the study participants (8.5%) had FEV(1) of less than 80% of predicted values. There was a strong inverse association between CRP levels and quartiles of FEV(1). The median CRP levels in nonsmoking participants were 2.5, 1.8, 1.7, and 1.3 mg/L in the first, second, third, and forth FEV(1) quartiles, respectively (p < 0.0001). A similar inverse association was present in smoking subjects (median CRP levels were 3.8, 2.3, 2.0, and 1.9 mg/L in the first, second, third, and fourth FEV(1) quartiles, respectively; p < 0.0001). These associations remained highly significant after adjustment for age, sex, components of the metabolic syndrome, and fitness level (p = 0.0005). CONCLUSIONS: An inverse linear relationship exists between CRP concentrations and measures of pulmonary function in subjects without pulmonary disease and in never-smokers. These results indicate that systemic inflammation may be linked to early perturbations of pulmonary function.
RATIONALE: Increased levels of systemic markers of inflammation have been reported in patients with impaired lung function due to obstructive or restrictive lung disease. OBJECTIVE: We tested the hypothesis that a decline in lung function within the normal range may be associated with a systemic subclinical inflammation. METHODS: Pulmonary function tests, cardiorespiratory fitness, components of the metabolic syndrome, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) were determined in 1,131 subjects without known pulmonary disease. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Ninety-six of the study participants (8.5%) had FEV(1) of less than 80% of predicted values. There was a strong inverse association between CRP levels and quartiles of FEV(1). The median CRP levels in nonsmoking participants were 2.5, 1.8, 1.7, and 1.3 mg/L in the first, second, third, and forth FEV(1) quartiles, respectively (p < 0.0001). A similar inverse association was present in smoking subjects (median CRP levels were 3.8, 2.3, 2.0, and 1.9 mg/L in the first, second, third, and fourth FEV(1) quartiles, respectively; p < 0.0001). These associations remained highly significant after adjustment for age, sex, components of the metabolic syndrome, and fitness level (p = 0.0005). CONCLUSIONS: An inverse linear relationship exists between CRP concentrations and measures of pulmonary function in subjects without pulmonary disease and in never-smokers. These results indicate that systemic inflammation may be linked to early perturbations of pulmonary function.
Authors: Stacey E Alexeeff; Augusto A Litonjua; David Sparrow; Pantel S Vokonas; Joel Schwartz Journal: Am J Respir Crit Care Med Date: 2007-08-02 Impact factor: 21.405
Authors: DeMarc A Hickson; Jiankang Liu; Aurelian Bidulescu; Cecil M Burchfiel; Herman A Taylor; Marcy F Petrini Journal: Chest Date: 2011-07-07 Impact factor: 9.410
Authors: Kelly L Stolzmann; David R Gagnon; Robert Brown; Carlos G Tun; Eric Garshick Journal: Am J Respir Crit Care Med Date: 2008-01-17 Impact factor: 21.405
Authors: Evan L Stepp; Robert Brown; Carlos G Tun; David R Gagnon; Nitin B Jain; Eric Garshick Journal: Arch Phys Med Rehabil Date: 2008-08 Impact factor: 3.966
Authors: Ravi Kalhan; Betty T Tran; Laura A Colangelo; Sharon R Rosenberg; Kiang Liu; Bharat Thyagarajan; David R Jacobs; Lewis J Smith Journal: PLoS One Date: 2010-07-02 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Andrew W Fogarty; Sarah A Lewis; Tricia M McKeever; Gordon D O Lowe; Lorna Clark; John Britton Journal: PLoS One Date: 2010-11-16 Impact factor: 3.240