Análisis de la proteína C reactiva en la población fumadora sana y con EPOC e influencia de las comorbilidades y del tiempo de abandono del tabaco

Objective

The smoking habit increases the C reactive protein in the serum. Values are studied in different populations: healthy (exsmokers, smokers and nonsmokers), chronic bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in different stages; in addition the influence according to the time of abandonment of the tobacco and the associate comorbidities.

Material and methods

Descriptive-transversal analysis. 401 persons we studied: 106 healthy not smokers (HNS), 104 healthy smokers (HS), 95 healthy nonsmoker (HN), 30 with chronic bronchitis, 30 with incipient COPD (COPDi) and 36 with advanced COPD (COPDa), with ages included between 45 and 80 years old, being detrmined CRP and the associate comorbidities.

Results

CRP's values were: 1.98 (2.1) mg/l in HN; 3.35 (4.39) mg/l in HS; 2 (2.2) mg/l in HE; 3 (3.8) mg/l in chronic bronchitis; 3.40 (2.23) in COPDi and 5.94 (1.76) in COPDa. The CRP in chronic bronchitis and COPD falls to 2.7 (6.8) after five years of abandonment of the tobacco, remaining constant after. There exist significant differences between the HS and HN populations, and between chronic bronchitis and COPD after five years of abstinence with the population HN (p=0.003). There are not significant differences between HE and HN (p > 0.05); between population HS and the population with chronic bronchitis and COPDi (p > 0.05), and between COPD's different stages and the indexes of comorbiditie.

Conclusions

The value of the CRP in the HS population is similar to that on the chronic bronchitis and COPDi population, but higher to that of the HN. After the abandon of the smoking habit, in HS the CRP returns to the value of the HN population. In the populations with pathologies is significantly elevated as compared to HN and not return to the HN level after five years of abstinence. Their level is independent of comorbidity index. The detection level of inflammatory disease is at a value of PCR: 3 mg/l.