Effects of Fine Particulate Matter on Systemic Inflammatory Biomarkers in Elderly Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Versus the Healthy Elderly: A Pilot Study

Older adults and individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are vulnerable to the harmful health effects of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), which are partly driven by systemic inflammation. This study examined whether older adults with COPD exhibit greater inflammatory responses to PM2.5 than age-matched healthy controls. We compared circulating high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha in 38 patients with COPD (73.6 ± 7.1 years) and 20 controls (70.9 ± 5.2 years) during high- and low-pollution periods. In the COPD group, 65.8% used inhaled corticosteroids and 42.1% used statins; 65.0% of controls used statins. Mean PM2.5 concentrations were higher in the high-pollution period than the low-pollution period (79.1 ± 23.3 vs 13.9 ± 3.6 µg/m3; p < 0.001). Across both periods, IL-8 was higher in COPD than in controls, without significant within-group increases during high pollution. These findings indicate higher baseline systemic inflammation in COPD, while pollution-associated increases may be attenuated by anti-inflammatory medications. However, this should be interpreted cautiously given the observational design.