Systematic review of anaemia and inflammatory markers in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

• Published in: Clinical and experimental pharmacology & physiology Vol. 42; no. 3; pp. 231 - 239
• Main Authors: Hoepers, Andrea Thives de Carvalho, Menezes, Marcia Margarete, Fröde, Tânia Silvia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Australia Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-03-2015; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: anaemia; Anemia - complications; Anemia - metabolism; Biomarkers - metabolism; Brachial Artery - pathology; Brachial Artery - physiopathology; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Drug therapy; Hemodynamics; Humans; inflammation; Inflammation - complications; Inflammation - metabolism; Medical prognosis; Mortality; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive - complications; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive - metabolism; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive - pathology; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive - physiopathology; systematic review; anaemia; systematic review; inflammation; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• ISSN: 0305-1870; 1440-1681
• DOI: 10.1111/1440-1681.12357

Summary
This systematic review synthesizes the relevant published articles on the prevalence of anaemia in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and its relationship with inflammatory markers. The upregulation of erythropoietin in anaemia maintains homeostasis. However, anaemic COPD patients do not respond to increased levels of erythropoietin. The increased levels could be an indicator of the peripheral erythropoietin resistance in COPD. Anaemia and inflammation are associated with an increased risk of hospitalization and mortality in these patients. The understanding of anaemia in chronic inflammation is that anaemia is at least partially due to the excessive production of inflammatory cytokines, which can contribute to improvements in the management, prognosis, and survival of patients with COPD and anaemia.