Evaluation of plasma leptin, tumor necrosis factor-α, and prealbumin as prognostic biomarkers during clinical recovery from acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory and nutritional biomarkers have an important bearing on outcomes of acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD), but the temporal profile of these compounds during an acute episode is unclear. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Plasma leptin, prealbumin, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were estimated at baseline and before hospital discharge in patients with AECOPD. RESULTS: A total of 82 patients were evaluated (66 males; mean (standard deviation) age, 61.6 (10.1) years. Of these, 74 subjects (90.2%) were current or former smokers, with median (range) pack-years of 15 (0–96), duration of COPD of 8 years (range, 2–25 years) and duration of current symptoms being 5 days (range, 1–30 days). Majority (41.5%) had type I (severe) exacerbation. During the current episode, 46 patients (58.9%) required mechanical ventilation for a median of 6 days (range, 1–34). The median duration of hospital stay was 13 days, (range, 1–110). At discharge, significant reduction was observed in dyspnea, total leukocyte count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), partial pressure of carbon dioxide, hemoglobin, urea, creatinine, potassium, aspartate transferase, and TNF-α levels compared to baseline, whereas arterial pH, PO(2), serum albumin, prealbumin, and leptin significantly improved. No difference was seen in leptin, prealbumin, and TNF-α between patients with mild/moderate and severe exacerbation, or between patients who required or did not require mechanical ventilation. Change in leptin correlated with body mass index and change in ESR; no associations were observed between leptin, prealbumin, and TNF-α with other clinico-laboratory variables. CONCLUSION: Plasma levels of novel inflammatory and nutritional biomarkers, i.e., leptin, TNF-α, and prealbumin are altered in AECOPD episodes and lag behind other parameters during recovery. These biomarkers are not reliable predictors of clinical outcomes in these patients.