[Relation between serum myostatin with BMI and PaO2/PaCO2 in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relation between serum myostatin with body mass index (BMI) and PaO2/PaCO2 in men with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). METHODS: A cohort of outpatients with stable COPD was evaluated. We evaluated the myostatin, PaO2/PaCO2 and BMI, and the patients were stratified by BMI. The plasma level of myostatin and PaO2/PaCO2 was measured by high sensitivity ELISA or blood gas analysis. RESULTS: PaCO2 and myostatin increased significantly compared with those in the control group (P<0.05), but PaO2 decreased significantly. There was positive correlation between myostatin and PaCO2 (P<0.05), and negative correlation between myostatin and BMI/FEV1/pred value/PaO2 (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Patients with higher myostatin levels had a lower BMI, lower PaO2 and higher PaCO2, with poor pathogenetic condition and prognosis. Myostatin may be a potential treatment target in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.