[Activity of systemic inflammatory reaction in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in regard to small intestinal absorption function].

Aim: To study the effect of systemic inflammatory reaction in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in association with absorption of the small intestine.

Material And Methods: Small intestinal absorption was studied in 93 COPD patients (22, 36 and 35 patients at stage I, II and III, respectively) in a clinically stable stage of the disease and in 35 healthy controls. The absorption was investigated biochemically and with application of radionuclide methods, blood concentration of TNF alpha was measured with enzyme immunoassay.