Evaluation of IL-8 nasal lavage levels and the effects of nasal involvement on disease severity in patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Interleukin 8 (IL-8) is used to evaluate the severity of inflammation in the airways. The aim of this study was to evaluate patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) for the presence of upper respiratory tract involvement by questioning patients regarding nasal symptoms and by measuring levels of IL-8 in nasal lavage material. A total of 47 COPD patients and 23 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. Pulmonary function tests were performed for all participants who were asked to complete a Sinonasal Outcome Test-20 (SNOT-20) questionnaire on the same day, as a measure of quality of life. Median IL-8 level in nasal lavage specimens of COPD patients with stable disease was higher than that of healthy controls. An increase in cigarette pack-years was significantly associated with an increase in nasal IL-8 levels. Similarly, IL-8 levels correlated positively with stage of COPD. A significant link between number of visits to the emergency department and stage of disease was observed. Patients with COPD had a significantly higher mean SNOT-20 severity score compared to healthy controls. Proper management of sinonasal disease may help to decrease the number of COPD attacks and consequently improve quality of life.