Plasma homocysteine is elevated in COPD patients and is related to COPD severity.

BACKGROUND: Although recent studies have found that total plasma homocysteine (tHCY) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are both risk factors for cardiac disease, there have been few studies of plasma homocysteine levels in COPD patients. We tested the hypothesis that total plasma homocysteine (tHCY) would be elevated in patients diagnosed with COPD compared with controls. METHODS: We studied 29 COPD outpatients and 25 asymptomatic subjects (controls) over age 55 years with measurement of forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), St. Georges Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) score, tHCY and serum C-reactive protein (sCRP). RESULTS: There was no difference between controls vs. COPD patients in mean age or gender but mean (SD) FEV1 was 2.25 (0.77) vs. 1.43 (0.60) L; FEV1 per cent predicted 76.1 (17.2) vs. 49.1 (16.3) p < 0.001 in both cases. Median (IQR) tHCY was 8.22 (6.63, 9.55) in controls vs. 10.96 (7.56, 13.60) micromol/l for COPD, p = 0.006 and sCRP 0.89 (0.47, 2.55) vs. 2.05 (0.86, 6.19) mg/l, p = 0.023. tHCY(log) was also higher in (r, p) smokers (0.448, 0.001), patients with low FEV1 per cent (-0.397, 0.003), males (0.475, < 0.001), but high SGRQ Total score (0.289, 0.034), and high sCRP (0.316, 0.038). tHCY(log) was independently related to (regression coefficient, p) sCRP(log) (0.087, 0.024), male gender (0.345, < 0.001) and presence of COPD (0.194, 0.031). Median (IQR) tHCY GOLD Stage I and II 8.05 (7.28, 11.04), GOLD Stage III and IV: 11.83 (9.30, 18.30); p = 0.023. CONCLUSIONS: Plasma homocysteine is significantly elevated in COPD patients relative to age and sex-matched controls and is related to serum CRP and COPD severity.

Pulmonary function in cement industry workers

Pulmonary function studies, including one second forced expiratory volume (FEV 1.0 percent) and mean transit time, were carried out in 217 persons employed in the cement manufacturing industry. The results showed that abnormal pulmonary functions were positively correlated with the length of employment and dust concentration. The highest incidence of low FEV 1.0 percent, peak expiratory flow rate and mid-expiratory flow rate were found in the high dust areas where the dust concentration exceeded the threshold limit value (TLV) by 2620 per cent. Most of the abnormalities were of the restrictive type. It is suggested that the quartz content of the raw and finished product may be a causative factor in the disease entity (AU)

Lung function of healthy boys and girls in Jamaica in relation to ethnic composition, test exercise performance, and habitual physical activity

The relationships of forced expiratory volume and forced vital capacity of height, age, sex, area of residence, and ethnic composition were assessed in 622 children in Jamaica. Rural children in hill-farming communities were judged to have a higher habitual physical activity than urban children. Allowing for differences in body size, forced vital capacity averaged 3 percent greater in rural children than in urban children, 7 percent less in girls than in boys, and 16 percent greater in children of European origin than in children of African descent. Lung volumes, indices of gas transfer, and sub-maximal-exercise responses were measured in a subgroup of 108 children of African descent believed to be of common genetic stock. Total lung capacity and vital capacity averaged respectively 6 percent greater and 7 percent greater in rural than in urban children of equal height but residual volume and transfer factor did not differ significantly between localities. Rural children had a lower average cardiac and respiratory components of the oxygen transport system, consonant with the demand for muscular work. Increased habitual physical capacity, total lung capacity, and transfer factor (AU)