Combination of community acquired pneumonia with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: clinical peculiarities, production of active oxygen forms, general antioxidant blood status.

Aim: The objective is to study clinical peculiarities, production of active oxygen forms and general antioxidant blood status in patients with community acquired pneumonia and in its combination with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Materials And Methods: 59 patients hospitalized in patient department took part in the study. The first group included 32 patients with community acquired pneumonia (CAP).The second group included 27 patients with combination of community acquired pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (CAP+COPD). Symptoms of the disease, clinico-laboratory data and findings of the instrumental investigations were analyzed in the patients. Production of active oxygen forms (AOF) in the whole blood was studied. General antioxidant status (AOS) was analyzed in the blood serum.

Results: The values of prognostic CRB-65 scale and clinical index of the severity of the condition were higher in patients with CAP+COPD compared to the patients with CAP. The reduction of spontaneous and induced by pyrogenal chemiluminescence (ChL) of blood has been found in the patients; this fact indicates decreased production of AOF by the cells. In patients with CAP general AOS of the blood was found to be increased but in patients with CAP+COPD it was decreased. After the course of treatment in patients with CAP+COPD symptoms of the disease remained, the level of C-reactive protein in serum was high and the level of AOS of blood was low, disturbances in the AOF production were observed.

Conclusion: In patients with CAP+COPD in comparison with CAP patients the intensity of clinical symptoms was higher, the inflammatory process had a prolonged character, disturbances in the production of AOF and AOS of blood were more marked.