No abstract

INTRODUCTION: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has systemic effects and is accompanied by numerous comorbidities. Systemic inflammation and endothelial dysfunction increase incidence of comorbidities in COPD. Endocan and Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 (ICAM-1) can be used as indicators for determining endothelial dysfunction and systemic inflammation. We aimed to investigate endothelial dysfunction and systemic inflammation using endocan and sICAM-1 levels and determine associations of these indicators with comorbidities in COPD patients. METHODS: COPD patients who presented to Outpatient Chest Diseases Clinic between May 2018 and May 2019 and a control group were included in the study. Demographic data, comorbidities, forced vital capacity (FVC)%, forced expiratory volume 1-second (FEV1)%, and FEV1/FVC, Modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnea scores, and COPD-assessment-questionnaire (CAT) scores of COPD patients were recorded. COPD patients were divided into two groups as those with/without comorbidities. Besides, they were classified into four groups (A-D) according to the GOLD classification. Serum endocan and soluble ICAM-1 (sICAM-1) levels were measured by the ELISA method. RESULTS: Endocan and sICAM-1 levels of the COPD group were higher (p<0.001 and p=0.031, respectively). COPD and Control Groups had similar incidences of comorbidities except for coronary artery disease. Serum endocan and sICAM-1 levels of COPD patients with/without comorbidities and COPD subgroups were similar. Endocan had negative correlations with FVC% and FEV1% and was positively correlated with CAT, mMRC, and smoking, whereas sICAM-1 was positively correlated with the amount of smoking. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Endothelial dysfunction and systemic inflammation are present independent of comorbidities and disease severity in COPD patients. Endocan and sICAM-1 can be used to indicate this situation. Endocan can be used, but sICAM-1 is insufficient to predict airway obstruction severity.