Multidimensional Inflammatory Biomarker Profiling in COPD: A Latent Inflammatory Construct Associated with Disease Severity and Exacerbation Burden

Background/Objectives: Systemic inflammation is a widely recognised feature of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The combined contribution of acute-phase reactants and pro-inflammatory cytokines to disease severity and exacerbation risk remains incompletely understood. This study evaluated the associations of TNF-α, IL-8, C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and fibrinogen with clinical outcomes in COPD and investigated whether a latent systemic inflammation construct provides additional information on exacerbation burden beyond individual biomarkers.