Table 1.
Characteristics of participants
| Items | AECOPD patients (N = 136) | Stable COPD patients (N = 138) | HCs (N = 140) | P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (y) | 67.7 ± 7.9 | 66.9 ± 8.2 | 66.4 ± 10.2 | 0.469 |
| Gender (Male/Female) | 98/38 | 104/34 | 94/46 | 0.311 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 22.5 ± 2.9 | 22.2 ± 3.1 | 22.9 ± 3.3 | 0.171 |
| FEV1 (L) | 1.01 ± 0.44a | 0.99 ± 0.48 | 1.97 ± 0.39 | <0.001 |
| FEV1 (% predicted) | 45.5 ± 12.9a | 44.3 ± 13.7 | 92.8 ± 6.7 | <0.001 |
| FEV1/FVC (%) | 48.7 ± 10.8a | 47.9 ± 12.4 | 78.1 ± 3.3 | <0.001 |
| GOLD stage (n/%) | ||||
| I | 3 (2.2) | 3 (2.2) | ‐ | 0.970b |
| II | 44 (32.4) | 42 (30.4) | ‐ | |
| III | 80 (58.8) | 85 (61.6) | ||
| IV | 9 (6.6) | 8 (5.8) | ||
| Inflammatory cytokines | ||||
| TNF‐α (pg/mL) | 53.815 (22.606‐87.113) | 15.067 (7.020‐22.967) | ‐ | <0.001 b |
| IL‐1β (pg/mL) | 4.641 (2.990‐6.705) | 2.519 (1.342‐3.707) | ‐ | <0.001 b |
| IL‐6 (pg/mL) | 21.068 (13.586‐27.801) | 9.476 (6.807‐13.001) | ‐ | <0.001 b |
| IL‐8 (pg/mL) | 36.520 (17.147‐48.587) | 21.862 (9.781‐26.981) | ‐ | <0.001 b |
| IL‐17 (pg/mL) | 49.741 (17.190‐71.818) | 11.058 (5.062‐19.578) | ‐ | <0.001 b |
| LTB‐4 (pg/mL) | 49.996 (32.641‐79.249) | 11.669 (8.043‐17.366) | ‐ | <0.001 b |
AECOPD, acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; HCs, healthy controls; BMI, body mass index; FEV1, forced expiratory volume in one‐second; FVC, forced vital capacity; GOLD, global initiative for chronic obstructive lung disease; TNF‐α, tumor necrosis factor‐α; IL‐1β, interleukin‐1β; IL‐6, interleukin‐6; IL‐8, interleukin‐8; IL‐17, interleukin‐17; LTB‐4, leukotriene B4.
Data were presented as mean value ± standard deviation, mean value (25th‐75th quantiles) or count (percentage). Comparison among 3 groups was determined by one‐way ANOVA test or chi‐square test. Comparison between 2 groups was determined by Wilcoxon rank sum test or chi‐square test. P < 0.05 was considered significant.
Notice: FEV1, FEV1 predicted, and FEV1/FVC in AECOPD patients were determined postbronchodilator.
Comparison was determined between AECOPD patients and stable COPD patients.
The bold values was considered significant.