الفهرس 
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Abstract
Summary
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the most important respiratory causes of chronic morbidity and mortality throughout the world. Currently, COPD ranks fourth as a cause of death in the United States, behind heart disease, cancer, and stroke and further increases in its prevalence and mortality are expected in the near future.
Although COPD affects the lungs, it also produces significant systemic consequences. These consequences can be detected clinically and appear to be associated with the presence of different groups of systemic inflammatory markers. The interleukin 6 is one of the newly investigated inflammatory markers that increased in COPD patients.
This work aimed to evaluate serum IL-6 level in patients with stable COPD and those who are in exacerbation and its relation with disease severity.
This study was carried out in Beni Suef University hospital Faculty of Medicine, Beni Suef University, including 45 COPD patients and 45 apparently healthy age and sex matched volunteers as a control group from Mars 2020 to November 2020. An informed consent was taken from all participants.
Inclusion criteria
All patients aged >40 years and <80 years, of both gender who diagnosed to have COPD according to GOLD 2019 by spirometry and given the consent for participation in the study.
Exclusion criteria
Any patient with systemic inflammation as Bronchial asthma, rheumatoid arthritis.
All subjects underwent:
1- Full history taking including previous exacerbations and estimation of modified medical research counseling (mMRC) scale
2- Full Clinical examination including general and local chest examinations.
3- Pulmonary function tests. (FVC maneuver with reversibility testing)
4- Serum IL-6 measurement by ELISA method.
Results of this study revealed that:
• There was a highly significant statistical difference between both groups as regards the serum IL-6 level that became higher in COPD group and lower in the control group.
• There was a statistical significant positive correlation between serum levels of IL-6 and the severity of COPD.
• There was also a significant positive correlation between mMRC dyspnea scale and serum IL-6 level in COPD patients.
• The serum IL-6 level did not show a significant difference in smokers and nonsmokers in both COPD patients and controls.
• The serum IL-6 level was increased significantly with increasing age in COPD group.