Effects of Mud Bath Therapy in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Rehabilitation and physical therapy strategies targeting extra pulmonary manifestations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)are far from being well defined. Studies, performed in healthy subjects using threshold breathing device \[a simple method to increase inspiratory muscle load\] have shown that ventilatory muscle overactivation during loaded breathing may prime reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, thus initiating an inflammatory response that results in elevation of pro-inflammatory cytokines, particularly IL_6. Increase of cytokine IL_6 in turn, elicits a cascade of systemic responses, involving hormone like glucoregulatory mechanisms, lipolysis and fat oxidation, as well as control of breathing.

Thermal mud bath therapy has been acknowledged for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in several chronic diseases. However, it is not considered among treatment options of chronic pulmonary disease. Previous experimental studies indicate that trace elements of thermal treatments, particularly iodide and bromide, may positively intervene in the setup and maintenance of active state in skeletal muscle. These findings suggest that in COPD patients these elements may improve the loading and endurance of respiratory muscles and therefore blunt ventilatory muscle overactivation and the ensuing inflammatory cytokine response.

In this study the investigators want to test two major hypotheses. First, that mud bath therapy reduces systemic inflammatory processes in COPD patients, increases respiratory muscle endurance and normalizes the ventilatory response. Second, that the increase in systemic inflammation after IRB exercise is blunted by mud bath therapy.

The impact of extra pulmonary manifestations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) on physical performance and quality of life, together with the notion that plasma cytokines in COPD is not due to an overflow of inflammatory mediators from the lung compartment, raise interest in understanding the potential link between lung and systemic inflammation.

Recent studies, performed in normal subjects using threshold breathing device \[a simple method to increase respiratory resistance and inspiratory muscle load\] have shown that ventilatory muscle activation during loaded breathing may prime reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, thus initiating an inflammatory response within diaphragm that results in systemic elevation of pro-inflammatory cytokines. These findings provide a sound working hypothesis about the origin of systemic inflammation in COPD. Endurance and task failure of inspiratory muscles can be challenged during inspiratory resistive breathing (IRB) exercise performed with either nonlinear or threshold loading devices \[4-6\], thus allowing to simulate resistive breathing caused by airway narrowing occurring during COPD exacerbations Therapy with mineral water is a widely used modality of physical therapy in countries rich in mineral water. Up to date, however, it is not considered among treatment options of chronic pulmonary disease by recent guidelines. Mud bath therapy has been acknowledged for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in several chronic diseases. Although full mechanisms of such effects have not yet been fully elucidated, previous in vivo studies on the effects of several anions on the duration of active state in skeletal muscle indicate that trace elements of thermal treatments, particularly iodide and bromide, may positively intervene in the setup and maintenance of this active state. These findings suggest that in COPD patients these elements may improve the loading and endurance of respiratory muscles and therefore blunt ventilatory muscle overactivation and the ensuing inflammatory cytokine response.

In this study the investigators want to test two major hypotheses. First, that mud bath therapy reduces systemic inflammatory processes in COPD patients, increases respiratory muscle endurance and normalizes the ventilatory response. Second, that the increase in systemic inflammation after IRB exercise is blunted by mud bath therapy.

Eligibility Criteria:
Inclusion Criteria:

* Age \>/= 45 years
* 34% \</= FEV1 \</= 70%
* stable clinical conditions

Exclusion Criteria:

* idiopathic or acquired bronchiectasis
* cardiovascular, peripheral vascular or cerebrovascular disease
* systemic confounding inflammatory disease (e.g rheumatoid arthritis,Crohn's disease, systemic vasculitis etc.)
* malignancies