Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterised by inflammatory and oxidative alterations in the lung and extrapulmonary compartments, through involvement of the immune system. Several leukocyte functions are health markers and good predictors of longevity, and high pro-inflammatory and oxidative states are related to more aged profiles. Here, we aimed to investigate the aging rate in terms of immunosenescence in COPD men with respect to healthy age-matched controls.

Several neutrophil (adherence, chemotaxis, phagocytosis, superoxide anion stimulated production) and lymphocyte (adherence, chemotaxis, lymphoproliferation, natural killer activity) functions, cytokine concentrations released in response to lipopolysaccharide (tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, IL-10) and redox parameters (intracellular glutathione content, basal superoxide anion level) were assessed in circulating leukocytes of men with moderate and severe stages of COPD, and compared to healthy age-matched volunteers. The biological age or aging rate in each participant was determined using the values of leukocyte functions.

The results indicated impairment of immune functions in COPD patients, both in innate and adaptive immunity, and higher pro-inflammatory and oxidative states in peripheral leukocytes than controls. In general, these changes were more remarkable at the severe stage of airway obstruction. Importantly, COPD patients were found to be aging at a faster rate than age-matched healthy counterparts.

慢性阻塞性肺疾病 (COPD) 的特征是通过免疫系统的参与，肺和肺外腔室发生炎症和氧化改变。几种白细胞功能是健康标志物和长寿的良好预测因子，高促炎和氧化状态与更老的特征有关。在这里，我们旨在调查与健康年龄匹配的对照相比，COPD 男性在免疫衰老方面的衰老率。

几种中性粒细胞（粘附、趋化、吞噬、超氧阴离子刺激产生）和淋巴细胞（粘附、趋化、淋巴增殖、自然杀伤活性）功能，响应脂多糖（肿瘤坏死因子-α，白细胞介素（IL）-6）释放的细胞因子浓度， IL-8、IL-10）和氧化还原参数（细胞内谷胱甘肽含量、基础超氧阴离子水平）在患有中度和重度 COPD 的男性的循环白细胞中进行评估，并与健康的年龄匹配的志愿者进行比较。使用白细胞功能值确定每个参与者的生物学年龄或老化率。

结果表明 COPD 患者的免疫功能受损，包括先天免疫和适应性免疫，外周白细胞的促炎和氧化状态高于对照组。总的来说，这些变化在气道阻塞重度阶段更为显着。重要的是，发现 COPD 患者比年龄匹配的健康患者衰老得更快。