Objectives: Chlamydophila pneumoniae is one of the common causative agents of respiratory system infections. The present study aims to find out the role of Chlamydophila pneumoniae infection in infectious exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).Material & Methods: 65 nasopharyngeal swab specimens of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients were studied using fluorescent antibody staining with Chlamydia specific conjugated antibody and with fluorescent microscopes. The patient’s data was analyzing by using SPSS Softwear (version 13).Results: A total number of 65 COPD patients (as defined by the American thoracic society), 53 (81.5%) male and 12 (18.5%) female were included in the study.46 (70.7%) subjects had COPD in exacerbation period, 19 (29.3%) were stable COPD patients. We found 4 positive cases of Chlamydophila infection (6.15%), 3 of which (2 men and 1 woman) belonged to the exacerbation group and 1 to the stable COPD patients.Conclusion: Data analysis revealed that there wasn't any significant correlation between Chlamydophila infection and COPD exacerbation. (P= 0.848)

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) also termed chronic airflow limitations (CAL) is a group of diseases of the respiratory tract that produce an obstruction to airflow. COPD is the fifth leading cause of death and the second leading cause of morbidity in United States. COPD includes bronchitis, emphysema, asthma, exercised induced bronchospasm and cystic fibrosis. Exercise prescription for patients with mild lung disease can be the same as that used for normal subjects, for patients with moderate lung disease exercise is usually performed at an intensity no greater than 75% of the ventilatory reserve. Exercise duration is 20 minutes, and frequency is 3 times per week. Patients with severe lung disease (PVC and PEV below 55% of predicted Values) require a modified approach to exercise testing and prescription. Results of studies revealed that high- Intensity exercise training (associated with lactic acidosis is more effective than low- Intensity training (not associated with lactic acidosis) in producing physiological training effects in COPD patients, and diseases verity did not influence that ability of COPD patients to achieve physiological benefits from exercise training. There is a consensus that there is a threshold intensity below which not raining effect will occur. On the whole, better results are obtained after programmes featuring larger number of sessions performed at higher work rates. Patients eligible for an exercise training programme should have had no recent exacerbation of disease and receiving appropriate bronchodilator therapy. In conclusion, exercise training should be regarded as a mainstay of pulmonary rehabilitation. It certainly improves the quality of life of patients suffering from chronic airways obstruction.

The immunopathology of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is based on the innate and adaptive inflammatory immune responses to the chronic inhalation of cigarette smoking. In the last quarter of the century, the analysis of specimens obtained from the lower airways of COPD patients compared with those from a control group of age-matched smokers with normal lung function has provided novel insights on the potential pathogenetic role of the different cells of the innate and acquired immune responses and their pro/anti-inflammatory mediators and intracellular signalling pathways, contributing to a better knowledge of the immunopathology of COPD both during its stable phase and during its exacerbations. This also has provided a scientific rationale for new drugs discovery and targeting to the lower airways. This review summarises and discusses the immunopathology of COPD patients, of different severity, compared with control smokers with normal lung function.

Given finite healthcare resources it is important to ensure that they are put to the best use. Value in health care represents the relationship between health outcomes achieved and resources used. In a highly prevalent condition it is important to ensure that the highest value interventions are employed effectively In COPD these are influenza vaccination, smoking cessation and pulmonary rehabilitation...

COPD is a common inflammatory disease of the airways, alveoli and microvasculature that is under-diagnosed in smokers at risk for the disease. The majority of COPD patients have mild airway obstruction. Symptomatic smokers with mild COPD are at higher risk for earlier mortality and poorer perceived quality of life than non-smokers. Moreover, dyspnoea and activity restriction are common among smokers with minor spirometric abnormalities. Tobacco-related inflammatory injury of the lungs manifests as heterogeneous physiological impairment with highly variable clinical expression. Thus, simple spirometry provides only a crude assessment of disease pathophysiology, especially in the early stages of the disease.

Introduction: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in both industrialized and developing countries and is projected to be the third most common cause of death in both men and women by the year 2020.Methods: This descriptive (case series) study evaluated risk factors of 300 COPD patients admitted in Shahid Sadoughi and Shohadaye Kargar hospitals of Yazd using the respiratory disease questionnaires.Results: 81.34% were men, 18.66% were women and their age range was between 33-92 years; but majority of patients were in the 65-74 years age group (41.34%). Mean age of women were more than men which was significant (70.85±8.68). The results were as follows: Cigarette smoking was the only risk factor in 18.7% (23% of men), 43.6% had occupational COPD(87.5% of Women & 33.6% of Men), while 35% had both the risk factors (5.4% of Women & 41.7% of Men) and 2.7% had an underling disease as the only risk factor.55% of patients had only one risk factor (76.8% of Women & 50% of Men), 39.3% had two and 5.6% of patients had more than two risk factors. 77.7% of patients had occupational exposure; overall, the most frequent occupation was farming but in women it was bread making in the bakery. The most frequent underling disease was HTN (29%) but the most frequent related disease was allergy (9.3%). There was a relationship between number of risk factors, duration of symptoms and disease severity but sex, type of job and different risk factors had no significant effects on it. Mean of FEV1 did not differ significantly in men and women (35.74±16.57).Conclusion: Majority of patients were more than 65 years of age. The most frequent risk factor was occupational exposure that shows its important role in development of disease in both men & women. It is therefore necessary to perform screening tests like spirometry in this high risk group. Type of job, risk factor and sex had no effects on disease severity but number of risk factors had a significant effect; this indicates that combination of risk factors is more important than type of risk factor; for example we should try to prevent smoking in people with occupational exposure. Duration of symptoms also had a significant effect on severity and therefore emotional support, intensive treatment and rehabilitation programs should be considered in patients with chronic symptoms.