Abstract:
Background Previous studies have found that the ratio of maximal mid-expiratory flow (MMEF) to forced vital capacity (FVC) can reflect the function of small airway in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). But the correlation between MMEF/FVC, fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), and serum biomarkers, and their clinical significance in patients with COPD are still unclear.
Objective To investigate the correlation between MMEF/FVC, FeNO, and serum biomarkers, and their significance in patients with COPD.
Methods From January 2020 to January 2021, 149 subjects in the Sixth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital were enrolled. There were 58 cases in the COPD group, 44 cases in the COPD risk group, and 47 cases in the healthy control group. The values of MMEF/FVC, FeNO, interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), and surface protein D (SP-D) among the three groups were compared, and then the correlation between them and the predictive value of MMEF/FVC were analyzed.
Results The value of MMEF/FVC was the highest in the healthy control group, followed by the COPD risk group, and the lowest in the COPD group (P < 0.05), while the FeNO level was the highest in the COPD group, followed by the COPD risk group, and the lowest in the healthy control group (P < 0.05). The levels of serum IL-6 and SP-D in the COPD group were higher than those in the COPD risk group and healthy control group (all P < 0.05). FeNO (r=-0.289, P<0.001), serum biomarkers (IL-6 r=-0.296, P<0.001, CRP r=-0.255, P=0.002, SP-D r=-0.177, P=0.031) were all lowly negatively correlated with MMEF/FVC in the three groups of subjects. Serum biomarkers (IL-6 r=0.323, P<0.001, CRP r= 0.434, P<0.001 ) were moderately positively correlated with FeNO. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of diagnosing COPD risk group by combing MMEF/FVC with FeNO and serum biomarkers was 0.696, and the 95% confidence interval was 0.588-0.804.
Conclusion There are correlations between MMEF/FVC, FeNO and serum biomarkers, which can be used as indicators to reflect the severity of COPD. The combined screening can improve the ability to identify high-risk groups of COPD.