Study objective: The present study was carried out to
study the changes in plasma ANP in stable and decompensated
cases of COPD and to correlate these
changes with the ventilatory and right atrial and right
ventricular functions.
Subjects: 70 subjects, 60 COPD patients and 10 healthy
control subjects.
Design: The COPD cases were classified into 3 groups.
Group I: Included 20 cases on hospital admission with
acute infective exacerbation (Group Ia), those cases
were reinvestigated 6 weeks after medical treatment
(Group Ib). Group II: Included 20 patients with COPD
cor pulmonale and right sided heart failure. Group III:
Included 20 patients with COPD without cor pulmonale.
Investigations: Ventilatory functions, echocardiography
and plasma ANP were done to all subjects.
Main results: In cases of COPD, ANP was significantly
elevated in all groups in comparison to the control
group. The highest level was found in group la, the lowest
level was in group III. ANP was significantly elevated
in group II in comparison to lb and HI groups. ANP was
correlated with PAP, RAsa, RAD, RVD and RVAW.
The decrease of ANP in group lb was associated with
improvement in the ventilatory and cardiac functions.
Conclusion: ANP was elevated in COPD cases and it was
correlated with the severity of the disease and with the
degree of PAP, right atrial and right ventricular dimensions. |
