[Adipose tissue hormones and nutritional status in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].

AIM: To study nutritional status in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in relation to the serum content of adipose tissue hormones.

SUBJECTS AND

METHODS

Ninety-four patients with Stages II and III COPD and 20 gender- and age-matched healthy non-smoking volunteers were examined. Interviews, analysis of laboratory data, enzyme immunoassay, and somatometry were made.

RESULTS

The patients with COPD are characterized by the development of malnutrition, even in the absence of body weight loss and in the presence of normal body mass index (BMI) with predominant lean body mass (LBM) loss, normal serum concentrations of adipose tissue hormones. With more advanced COPD and a worse nutritional status, the level of leptin decreases and that of adiponectin increases. The content of adiponectins is closely related to the indicators of nutritional status, mainly to the value of body weight loss, BMI, LBM, absolute blood lymphocyte count, and degree of malnutrition. The COPD patients with emphysema show the most pronounced changes in nutritional status and higher adiponectin levels.

CONCLUSION

An integrated assessment of the degree of protein-energy malnutrition and measurement of the level of adipose tissue hormones should be made when nutritional status is studied in patients with COPD.