The Effects of Fluticasone with or without Salmeterol on Systemic Biomarkers of Inflammation in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

ICS in conjunction with long-acting beta(2)-adrenergic agonist do not reduce CRP or IL-6 levels in serum of patients with COPD over 4 weeks. They do, however, significantly reduce serum SP-D levels. These data suggest that these drugs reduce lung-specific but not generalized biomarkers of systemic inflammation in COPD.