A total of 40 patients with COPD (excluding those with correlated/relevant diseases) were measured for inflammation parameters of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and c-reactive protein (CRP) after hospital admission and some coagulation/fibrinolysis parameters including D-dimer, thrombin-antithrombin (TAT), prothrombin fragment 1+ 2, (tissue plasminogen activator) tPA, plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1), von Willebrand factor (von WF), endothelin receptor A, thromboxane B2, P-selectin and pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) by ultrasonic cardiography after the settling of the symptoms of acute period. All patients were then divided into 2 groups according to PAP [≤40 mm Hg (1 mm Hg=0.133 kPa) (n=24), >40 mm Hg (n=16)]. The values of CRP and ESR in the group with PAP>40 mm Hg were significantly higher than those in another group (P=0.044 and P=0.002 respectively) while tPA was lower (P=0.04). A moderate positive correlation existed between tPA and TXB2 (r=0.547). Moreover, a highly positive correlation was found between TXB2 and PAI-1 (r=0.929). The results indicated that the COPD patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) tend to have a higher level of inflammation, and their fibrinolysis becomes impaired leading to a prothrombotic state.

Pulmonary disease, chronic obstructive; Hypertension, pulmonary