Nuñez A, Marras V, Harlander M, et al. - Researchers undertook cross-sectional, multicentre study in four centres in Spain, Italy, Bulgaria, and Slovenia, to examine links between easy-to-obtain blood biomarkers and the frequency and severity of exacerbations in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This study included 355 patients with a mean age 66 years. Two groups were defined: non-exacerbator group including 196 (55.2%) patients and the exacerbator group with 159 (44.8%) patients. Lower haemoglobin levels and eosinophil/basophil ratio (EBR) but higher C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were detected in patients in the exacerbators group. In COPD, female gender, having a more severe impairment of lung function, higher CRP levels as well as a lower EBR were identified to be related to an exacerbator phenotype.