Leptin and Adiponectin in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Has the Fat Lady Sung?

摘要

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an inflammatory lung disease characterized by progressively worsening airflow limitation. The injury is initiated by an abnormal inflammatory reaction to environmental noxious stimuli that often continues even after removal of the offending agent. The mechanisms responsible for this self-perpetuating insult to the lung may be related to latent viral infection (1), impaired histone deacetylase activity (2), or oxidative stress (3) causing an amplified and continued inflammatory response. The reported range of lung function decline in COPD is highly variable. Several factors have been associated with more rapid lung function decline, such as chronic bronchitis, the presence of emphysema, current smoking, bronchodilator reversibility, and frequent exacerbations (4-6). To date, few interventions have been shown to decrease the progression of lung function decline other than smoking cessation (7).