Plasma brain natriuretic peptide, platelet parameters, and cardiopulmonary function in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic respiratory disease with worldwide occurrence and high disability and mortality rate. It occurs mostly in the elderly population with pulmonary heart disease, type II respiratory failure, and other serious complications.

Aim: To investigate the correlation of plasma brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and platelet parameters with cardiac function and pulmonary hypertension in patients with COPD and pulmonary heart disease.

Methods: From June 2016 to June 2019, 52 patients with COPD-pulmonary heart disease (pulmonary heart disease group), 30 patients with COPD (COPD group), and 30 healthy individuals (control group) in our hospital were enrolled in the study. The pulmonary heart disease group was further divided into subgroups according to cardiac function classification and pulmonary artery pressure. Plasma BNP and platelet parameters were estimated and compared among each group and subgroup. The correlation of plasma BNP and platelet parameters with cardiac function classification and pulmonary artery pressure was then analyzed.

Results: In the pulmonary heart disease group, the COPD group, and the control group, the levels of plasma BNP, platelet distribution width (PDW), and mean platelet volume (MPV) showed a decreasing trend ( < 0.05), while an increasing trend was found in platelet count (PLT) and plateletcrit (PCT) levels among the three groups ( < 0.05). In the pulmonary hypertension mild, moderate, and severe subgroups, the levels of plasma BNP, PDW, and MPV showed an increasing trend ( < 0.05), while a decreasing trend was observed in PLT levels ( < 0.05); however, PCT levels showed no significant difference among the three subgroups ( > 0.05). In the cardiac function grade I, II, III, and IV subgroups, the levels of plasma BNP, PDW, and MPV showed an increasing trend ( < 0.05), while a decreasing trend was noted in PLT and PCT levels among the four subgroups ( < 0.05). Correlation analysis showed that the levels of plasma BNP, PDW, and MPV in patients with pulmonary heart disease were positively correlated with their pulmonary artery pressure ( < 0.05), while PLT was negatively correlated with their pulmonary artery pressure ( < 0.05). Moreover, plasma BNP, PDW, and MPV levels were positively correlated with cardiac function grade ( < 0.05) of these patients, while PLT and PCT levels were negatively correlated with their cardiac function grade ( < 0.05).

Conclusion: Plasma BNP and PLT parameters are significantly correlated with the cardiac function and pulmonary hypertension in patients with COPD and pulmonary heart disease, indicating that these parameters have high clinical relevance in reflecting the health condition of these patients and for guiding their treatment.