ABSTRACT
The aim of the study was to reveal the epidemiological features of disturbances in the intestinal microflora of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease suffering from excessive body weight (BW) or obesity. One hundred and fourteen COPD patients were examined. The diagnosis and the degree of severity were established according to GOLD program (2003) criteria. The COPD patients were distributed into three groups according to body mass index (BMI) (WHO classification, 1997): group I consisted of 36 patients with normal BW (a BMI of 19 to 25 kg/m2); group 2 consisted of 30 patients with excessive BW (a BMI of 25 to 29.9 kg/m2; 48 obese patients (a BMI of more than 30 kg/m2) constituted group 3. Changes in the intestinal microbiocenosis were found in most of the COPD patients; stages I and II of microbiological disturbances prevailed. Obesity, in addition to the severity of the degree and its phase, was a risk factor, determining the character and degree of disturbances in the intestinal microflora. The severity of dysbiotic intestinal changes was proportional to the degree of obesity.
