[Systemic inflammation among stable ex smokers with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].

Background: Low grade systemic inflammation is commonly observed in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Aim: To evaluate the extent of systemic inflammation in a group of ex-smokers with COPD in stable condition and its relation with pulmonary function and clinical manifestations.

Patients And Methods: We studied 104 ex-smokers aged 69 ± 8 years (62 males) with mild to very severe COPD and 52 healthy non-smoker subjects aged 66 ± 11 years (13 males) as control group.