Introduction: Inflammation and oxidative stress play an essential role in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD).
Objectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate the echocardiographic parameters of the left and right ventricular functions in patients with COPD with or without CVD and in healthy controls, and to establish their relationships with biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress.
Patients and methods: The study included 24 patients with COPD and CVD, 20 patients with COPD, and 16 healthy controls. Physical examination, spirometry, and echocardiography were performed in all participants, and blood samples were collected. The levels of 8‑isoprostane, leukotriene B4, and interleukin 8 were determined in the blood and exhaled breath condensate (EBC).
Results: In patients with COPD, the left ventricular ejection fraction was lower than in healthy controls (58.84% ±9.57% vs. 65.50% ±3.35%, P <0.01); moreover, it was lower in patients with COPD and CVD than in those without comorbidities (54.29% ±10.58% vs. 64.30% ±3.74%, P <0.01). The systolic and diastolic functions of the right ventricle were lower in patients with COPD than in the control group, while systolic pulmonary arterial pressure was significantly higher in patients with COPD than in the control group (37.04 ±7.6 mmHg vs. 28.12 ±4.44 mmHg, P = 0.01). Some echocardiographic parameters of the left and right ventricular functions correlated with the concentrations of inflammatory markers both in serum and EBC.
Conclusions: The echocardiographic parameters of cardiac function correlate with the markers of inflammation in patients with COPD, which emphasizes the inflammatory background of CVD.