High-sensitive C-reactive protein is associated with reduced lung function in young adults

¹ Dept of Respiratory Diseases, Odense University Hospital, Denmark
² Dept of Cardiology, Odense University Hospital, Denmark
³ Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Research Unit, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
⁴ Dept of Medicine, Svendborg Hospital, Denmark
⁵ Dept of Biochemistry, Pharmacology and Genetics, Odense University Hospital, Denmark

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: Finn.Rasmussen{at}dadlnet.dk.

	Abstract

Systemic inflammation has been associated with low lung function. However, data on the inter-relationships between lung function and inflammation are sparse, and it is not clear if low-grade inflammation leads to reduced lung function.

Associations between high-sensitive CRP, and spirometric lung function were assessed in a population-based cohort of approximately 1000 Danes at ages 20.

In men, the average decline in FEV₁ in the highest CRP quintile was 23ml·year^-1 versus 1.6ml·year^-1 in the lowest quintile (p<0.0001). In women, the average decline was -6.2ml·year^-1 in the highest CRP quintile versus an increase of 1.8ml·year^-1 in the lowest CRP quintile (p=0.25). In a multiple regression analysis adjusted for sex, body mass index, cardio-respiratory fitness, smoking, asthma, airway hyperresponsiveness, and serum eosinophil cationic protein, higher levels of CRP at age 20 were associated with a greater reduction in both FEV₁ (p=0.04) and FVC (p=0.04) between ages 20 and 29 years.

Our findings shows that higher levels of CRP in young adults are associated with subsequent decline in lung function, suggesting that low-grade systemic inflammation in young adulthood may lead to impaired lung function independently of the effects of smoking, obesity, cardio-respiratory fitness, asthma and eosinophilic inflammation.