Effects of Exercise Training in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Versus Alpha-1-Antitrypsin-deficiency-patients

Effects of Exercise Training on Quadriceps Gene Expression in COPD-patients in Comparison to Alpha-1-Antitrypsin-deficiency-patients

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)-patients (caused by smoking-level) and Alpha-1-Antitrypsin-deficiency patients showed different developments during rehabilitation in regard to improvement of 6-minute-walking distance. The aim of this study is to investigate differences between training adaptations in COPD-patients and Alpha-1-deficiency patients. Both groups take part in a standardized multimodal 3-week-rehabilitation with strength and endurance training. In addition to conventional diagnostic procedures, muscle biopsies from the M. vastus lateralis will be conducted before and after rehabilitation program followed by biochemical, histochemical and immunohistochemical analysis of the probes.

Inclusion Criteria:

• COPD
• Alpha-1-Antitrypsine-deficiency, phenotype: ZZ
• FEV1%pred. <50

Exclusion Criteria:

• acute exacerbation
• exacerbation in the last 4 weeks