The Proceedings of the American Thoracic Society 1:115-120 (2004)
© 2004 The American Thoracic Society
Role of Viruses in Exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Jadwiga A. Wedzicha
Academic Unit of Respiratory Medicine, St. Bartholomew's and Royal London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Dominion House, St. Bartholomew's Hospital, West Smithfield, London, United Kingdom
Correspondence and requests for reprints should be addressed to Jadwiga A. Wedzicha, M.D., Academic Unit of Respiratory Medicine, St. Bartholomew's and Royal London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Dominion House, St. Bartholomew's Hospital, West Smithfield, London EC1A 7BE, UK. E-mail: j.a.wedzicha{at}qmul.ac.uk
Exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality and hospital admission. Respiratory viral infections, especially rhinoviruses, are a major cause of COPD exacerbations, with upper respiratory tract infections being associated with over 50% of COPD exacerbations. The presence of an upper respiratory tract infection leads to a more severe exacerbation and a longer symptom recovery time at exacerbation. Respiratory viral infections occurring during COPD exacerbations are more likely to lead to hospitalization. Sputum inflammatory markers were found to be higher in those patients with symptoms of a common cold or where rhinovirus was detected at exacerbation, thus suggesting that viral infections lead to greater airway inflammation and thus more severe exacerbations. COPD exacerbations are associated also with systemic inflammatory effects with increases in markers such as plasma fibrinogen and interleukin-6. Respiratory viruses have also been detected when the patients are stable, and this suggests that chronic viral infection may occur. Strategies to prevent viral infection will have a significant effect on the morbidity of COPD and will improve quality of life.
Key Words: respiratory viruses chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases exacerbations
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Copyright © 2004 by the American Thoracic Society.
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