Evaluation of Relationship between Serum hs CRP and Pulmonary Hypertension in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

COPD is a common pulmonary disease. One of the inflammatory factors in COPD is CRP which has a pathogenic role in pulmonary hypertension; therefore, our aim was to investigate the relationship between the level of serum CRP and pulmonary hypertension in COPD Patients. This prospective study was done from 2007 to 2008 in patients of pulmonary ward. Initially, COPD was confirmed in patients; and active infections, collagen vascular disease, heart disease, cancers and other diseases were ruled out. Mean pulmonary pressure was measured by echocardiography. Quantitative serum CRP was measured and compared with pulmonary hypertension. From fifty five patients, forty were male and fifteen were female. Mean age was 63.67 year with SD of 9.94 years. According to the Gold Criteria, twenty-eight males and seven females had severe and very severe disease. Thirty-three males and thirteen females had mild pulmonary hypertension. Mean level of FEV1 percentage was 38.2 with SD of 17.39. Between the level of FEV1 percentage and hs CRP was seen an inverse linear correlation. Between quantitative serum CRP and mean pulmonary pressure a frank direct linear correlation was seen. CRP induces pulmonary hypertension in COPD and measurement of serum hs CRP for estimating severity of pulmonary hypertension is useful, cost efficient, easy and available.