Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a pulmonary inflammatory disease characterised by airflow limitation. The role of various inflammatory mediators such as interleukin-1beta (IL-beta) and Immunoglobulin E (IgE) have been implicated in COPD. In present study we aimed to establish if there is an association between the serum levels of IL-1beta and IgE and the severity of airway obstruction.
Materials and methods: The study group comprised of 30 non atopic smokers, suffering from COPD and 30 non smoker, healthy controls. Serum levels of IgE and IL-1beta were assayed by ELISA in all subjects along with their pulmonary function tests.
Results: Serum IgE and IL-1beta levels were significantly raised in COPD patients as compared to healthy controls. IL-1beta was negatively correlated with FEV1 (r = -0.624, p = 0.003) and IgE showed a negative correlation with FVC (r = -0.477, p = 0.034).
Conclusion: Our study suggests that in COPD IL-1beta and IgE serum levels correlate with clinical aspects of disease severity. We suggest that the production of IgE and IL-1beta in the airways of patients with COPD may be related to smoking which affects airway obstruction.