Markers of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease constitutes a crucial public health issue. The diagnostic and therapeutic methods that have been used so far do not fully allow researchers to determine the patients' state, choose the individualised treatment and predict the course of the disease. In order to achieve these goals chronic obstructive pulmonary disease markers can be used. These markers are possible to be objectively measured. However, the numerous studies showed the limited usefulness of the cytologic and biochemical examination of blood, sputum and exhaled air. The aim of this article is the review of the ways of this examination. Despite of the fact that this examination reveals the pathogenesis of the disease, still, it does not fulfill the basic criteria such as repeatability, accessibility and clinical usefulness, which should probably be expected in the future.