Sputum VEGF level increases with treatment of COPD acute exacerbation

Introduction: The role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in COPD pathogenesis has been studied widely; however the change in blood and airway VEGF levels during the treatment of an acute exacerbation has not been investigated. In this study we aimed to evaluate the changes in plasma and sputum VEGF levels during COPD exacerbation. Methods: 14 subjects (64±10 years) with established COPD participated in the study. Spontaneous sputa and EDTA-plasma samples were collected for VEGF measurement at admission to hospital due to an acute exacerbation of COPD (Anthonisen type I-II) and also at discharge from h…