Comparing Serum Procalcitonin Levels Between Patients with Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Patients with Acute Exacerbation of Asthma

Background and purpose: Serum procalcitonin (PCT) indicates a bacterial infection that can reduce the administration of antibiotics. The aim of this study was to compare serum procalcitonin levels in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma and its relationship with lung function and inflammatory factors. Materials and methods: In this cross-sectional study, patients with acute exacerbation of asthma (n= 46) and COPD (n= 23) attending Shahrekord Kashani Hospital were included. After obtaining clinical and demographic information, the participants underwent spirometry and the levels of procalcitonin, ESR, white blood cell and PMN counts were determined. Data were analyzed in SPSS V19. Results: There were significant differences between patients with exacerbation of COPD and asthma in age, sex, ICU hospitalization, and FEV1 percentage (P 0.05). PCT results in asthma and COPD patients were 8.7% and 56.5%, respectively (P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that gender and FEV1 had significant effects on PCT level (odds ratio 0.192 and 0.958, respectively (P