The association of serum neuron-specific enolase with other disease markers in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A case-control study

Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between serum neuron-specific enolase (sNSE) levels and gender, age, body mass index (BMI) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Methods: This case-control study was carried out among 182 participants in Jiangxi Provincial chest hospital, Nanchang, China, in 2017. One hundred and two patients diagnosed with COPD based on the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) grading classification and 80 Non-COPD participants were recruited. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was employed to examine whether or not sNSE and other indicators were independently associated with COPD.

Results: Serum NSE levels were not significantly different between the two groups (P=0.08). Whereas in COPD sub-groups, the levels of sNSE increased parallelly in a GOLD stage-dependent manner. There was a positive correlation between PH, PO2, pack-years, FEV1 and the presence of COPD, but there was no significant correlation between sNSE, PCO2 and the presence of COPD.

Conclusions: Serum NSE gradually increased with the severity of COPD and its change reflected changes in brain cells. PH, PO2, pack-years and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), were independent risk factors for COPD patients.