Dynamic hyperinflation, arterial blood oxygen, and airway oxidative stress in stable patients with COPD

There is considerable evidence that oxidative stress is increased in patients with COPD, although little information is available about its relationship with the structural and functional alterations produced by COPD. In this study, we evaluated the relationship between 8-isoprostane in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) of stable patients with COPD and the main parameters of the disease (such as dyspnea), stages of severity, lung parenchyma densities, lung function impairment, and exercise tolerance in order to identify the predictors of airway oxidative stress.

In a cross-sectional study, we included 76 men with moderate to very severe COPD. 8-Isoprostane levels in EBC were measured by enzyme immunoassay. Regional lung densities were measured by lung densitometry with high-resolution CT scanning. Arterial blood gas levels, lung volumes, and diffusing capacity were determined. Patients performed a 6-min walk test and an incremental exercise test with measurement of breathing pattern and operating lung volumes.

Significant severity-related differences in 8-isoprostane were identified according to the BMI, obstruction, dyspnea, and exercise (BODE) index. 8-Isoprostane levels were related to smoking intensity, lung densities in expiration, static lung volumes, PaO(2), diffusion capacity, distance walked in 6 min, peak oxygen uptake, and anaerobic threshold. Concentration of 8-isoprostane was higher in the 60 patients (79%) who developed dynamic hyperinflation than in the remaining 16 (21%) who did not. In a multivariate linear regression analysis using 8-isoprostane as a dependent variable, end-expiratory lung volume change and PaO(2) were retained in the prediction model (r(2) = 0.734, P < .001).

In stable patients with COPD, oxygen level and dynamic hyperinflation are related to airway oxidative stress.