Impact of vaccination on the course of bronchial and systemic inflammation in patients with COPD and CHD

Abstract

Aim. To investigate the effect of 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV-13) on the clinical and functional manifestations of systemic inflammation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and coronary heart disease (CHD). Subjects and methods. The protocol included 36 patients with COPD and 36 patients with COPD concurrent with CHD. The number of COPD exacerbations, hospital admissions, pneumonia cases, degree of dyspnea, and functional indicators were analyzed. The levels of markers for inflammation, such as C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen, and procalcitonin (PCT), were investigated. Results. A year after vaccination, the COPD group showed decreases in the level of CRP, fibrinogen, and PCT by 11, 6, and 2%, respectively; the COPD + CHD group did by 12, 24, and 19%. PCT levels demonstrated the closest correlation with clinical and functional parameters; the other indicators showed moderate (CRP) and low (fibrinogen) correlations. Conclusion. PCV-13 vaccination can reduce systemic inflammation just a year later.