Early Diagnosis of COPD Could Soon Become a Reality

A new study reports the identification of a potential biomarker that could be used in development of a sputum test for early detection of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Researchers at the University of Oulu (Finland), the University of Helsinki (Finland), and Lapland Central Hospital (Rovaniemi, Finland) compared levels of a variety of proteins obtained from the lung tissues of healthy individuals, patients with COPD, and those with pulmonary fibrosis. They found that the lungs of COPD patients contained elevated levels of surfactant protein A (SP-A), which has a major role in fighting infections and inflammation in the lung. The results were confirmed by immunohistochemistry, morphometry, and Western blotting. Elevated SP-A protein levels were also detected in the induced sputum supernatants of the COPD patients. The levels of other surfactant proteins such as SP-B, SP-C, SP-D, however, were not altered. The study was published in the December 2008 issue of the Journal of Proteome Research.

"The level of SP-A protein is elevated not only in the COPD lung but also in the sputum specimens of these patients," concluded lead author Vuokko Kinnula, M.D., Ph.D., a professor of pulmonary medicine at the University of Helsinki, and colleagues. "This suggests that SP-A might represent a helpful biomarker in the early detection of COPD and other related disorders. The clinical significance of this finding still awaits future investigations."

COPD is a disease of the lungs in which the airways become narrowed, leading to a limitation of the flow of air to and from the lungs causing shortness of breath. COPD is one of the leading causes of chronic morbidity and mortality around the world, and is usually related to smoking; thus, COPD is generally preventable. The prognosis of COPD is improved after smoking cessation, though in some individuals inflammation persists. Anti-inflammatory strategies have only marginal beneficial effects on COPD, especially when the responses are compared to the impact of these drugs in asthma.

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University of Oulu
University of Helsinki
Lapland Central Hospital