ObjectiveTo explore the changes of plasma prealbumin (PA), homocysteine (Hcy) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels before and after treatment in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD), and analyze the correlation of PA and Hcy with hs-CRP and body mass index (BMI).MethodsA total of 132 hospitalized AECOPD patients with GOLD lung function as grade III-IV were recruited as an experimental group and 45 healthy subjects as a control group. The levels of plasma PA, Hcy and hs-CRP were measured by automatic biochemical analyzer, and the main indexes of pulmonary function were determined in all subjects.ResultsCompared with the control group, the level of plasma PA before and after treatment in the experimental group decreased significantly [(146.49±36.53) mg/L and (219.60±41.29) mg/L vs. (269.48±42.63) mg/L], the level of plasma Hcy before and after treatment increased significantly [(16.44±5.21) μmol/L and (12.61±4.56) μmol /L vs. (10.13±3.25) μmol/L], and the levels of plasma hs-CRP before and after treatment increased significantly [(45.24±29.94) mg/L and (7.71±3.41) mg/L vs. (5.01±1.52) mg/L] (all P<0.05). The levels of plasma PA, Hcy and hs-CRP after treatment were significantly better than before treatment in the experimental group (allP<0.01). The plasma PA values before and after treatment were negatively correlated with the level of hs-CRP before and after treatment, and positively correlated with BMI (bothP<0.05).ConclusionsThe levels of plasma PA, Hcy and hs-CRP are significantly different before and after the treatment in AECOPD patients and the healthy controls. PA is negatively correlated with hs-CRP and positively correlated with BMI. The detection of plasma PA and Hcy can help to determine the condition and efficacy of patients with COPD, and PA can reflect the level of inflammation and nutritional status to a certain extent.