Objective?To investigate the relationship between syndromes of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and lung function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) at stable phase. MethodsBased on diagnostic criterion of TCM, five groups of symptoms of TCM about stable COPD were established including lung Qi deficiency, lung and spleen Qi deficiency, lung and kidney Qi deficiency, lung Spleen Kidney Qi deficiency, and deficiency of both Qi and Yin. A total of 300 cases which were up to the standard were differentiated into 5 groups by the symptoms. Some basic details and lung function of the patients were recorded, and then statistical analysis was performed to analyze the differences of lung function among groups. ResultsForced expiratory volume in the first second in descending order was lung Qi deficiency group, lung and spleen Qi deficiency group, lung and kidney Qi deficiency group, and lung spleen kidney Qi deficiency group (P<0.05). ConclusionThese findings suggest that with the progressing of COPD, the symptom type of TCM for COPD patients at stable phase may vary from lung Qi deficiency to lung and spleen Qi deficiency, or to lung and kidney Qi deficiency, and even lung, spleen and kidney Qi deficiency. Lung function tests help reveal substance and pathogenesis of TCM syndromes of patients with stable COPD, and provide evidence for the clinical syndrome.
ObjectiveTo explore the relationship of levels of serum interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) and C-reactive protein (CRP) with lung function in elderly patients with stable COPD and whose pulmonary function classification was levelⅡor above. MethodsSixty elderly patients with stable COPD and with the pulmonary function classification of levelⅡor above and 35 age-matched healthy subjects in the Gansu Provincial Hospital from November 2012 to March in 2014 were recruited in the study.Serum IL-6, TNF-αand CRP levels were detected by electro-chemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLI), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunoturbidimetric assay, respectively.And their relationships with lung function were explored by Spearman correlation analysis. ResultsThe levels of serum IL-6[(33.0±15.1) mg/L vs.(15.9±8.7) mg/L], TNF-α[(53.8±20.1) pg/mL vs.(22.2±8.0) pg/mL] and CRP[(8.7±3.9) mg/L vs.(5.8±2.3) mg/L] were significantly higher in the stable COPD patients than those in the healthy controls (P < 0.01).With the increase of COPD severity grade, the levels of serum IL-6, TNF-αand CRP increased gradually, and the lung function of FEV1%pred and FEV1/FVC decreased gradually (P < 0.05).The levels of serum IL-6, TNF-αand CRP were negatively correlated with lung function (P < 0.05). ConclusionsThere is airway inflammation in elderly patients with stable COPD.Airway inflammation may be the reason of the decline of pulmonary function in patients with stable COPD.