Background and Purpose: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the most common chronic diseases that significantly increases the mortality rate. Air pollution is a known risk factor for lung diseases, including asthma and COPD. People who have greater exposure to air pollutants are more likely to develop COPD. This study examined the relationship between particulate matter (PM) and clinical and laboratory diagnostic markers in patients with COPD.
Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional analytical study, after obtaining the necessary permits from the medical records department and the hospital information system (HIS), and reviewing the files of patients hospitalized in educational hospitals in Abadan and Khorramshahr cities, Iran, information on 270 patients with COPD was obtained. Information about the amount of PM, from March 21, 2022, to March 20, 2023, was obtained from the Abadan Environment Department. To examine the relationships between PM10 and PM2.5 and clinical and laboratory variables, multiple linear regression analyses were performed. The data were entered into Excel, and the results were analyzed in SPSS.
Results: The results showed that among laboratory and clinical markers, blood urea nitrogen 22.99±13.99 (mg/dL), blood sugar 148.16±83.04 (mg/dL), prothrombin time 14.18±4.64 (s), alkaline phosphatase 249.49±67.21 (IU/L), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) 34.47±24.22 (mm/h) were higher than the normal mean, and oxygen saturation 90.19±8.28% was lower than the normal mean in COPD patients. Also, significant relationships were found between blood sugar (P=0.001), alanine transaminase (P=0.016), and ESR (P=0.039) and PM2.5.
Conclusion: In patients with COPD, some kidney, liver, and inflammatory laboratory markers were abnormal. A significant association was found between PM and markers such as blood sugar, alanine transaminase, and ESR. Implementing air pollution control measures is vital for the health of these patients, especially on high-pollution days.