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ORIGINAL RESEARCH

Sputum Biomarkers in Wood and Tobacco Smoke Etiotypes of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

, ORCID Icon, , , , , , & ORCID Icon show all
Pages 1-10 | Received 07 Sep 2023, Accepted 19 Dec 2023, Published online: 29 Dec 2023
 

Abstract

Introduction

There is a need to better understand the etiotypes of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) beyond the tobacco-smoke (TS-COPD). Wood smoke COPD (WS-COPD) is characterized by greater airway compromise, milder emphysema, and slower rate of lung function decline than TS-COPD. However, it is unclear if these two etiotypes of COPD have differences in sputum biomarker concentrations. Objective was to compare sputum levels of selected sputum biomarkers between WS-COPD and TS-COPD, and healthy controls.

Methods

Eighty-eight women (69±12 years) were recruited and classified into: WS-COPD (n=31), TS-COPD (n=29) and controls (n=28). Using ELISA, we determined induced sputum levels of metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9), chemokine ligand 5 (CCL5), interleukin-8 (IL-8), chemokine ligand 16 (CCL16/HCC-4) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF-1). Differences were analyzed by Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney-U tests and correlation between airflow limitation and biomarkers by Spearman’s test.

Results

At similar degree of airflow obstruction, anthropometrics and medications use, the level of sputum CCL5 was higher in TS-COPD than WS-COPD (p=0.03) without differences in MMP-9, IL-8, CCL16/HCC-4, and VEGF-1. Women with WS-COPD and TS-COPD showed significantly higher sputum levels of MMP-9, IL-8 and CCL5 compared with controls (p<0.001). FEV1% predicted correlated negatively with levels of MMP-9 (rho:-0.26; P=0.016), CCL5 (rho:-0.37; P=0.001), IL-8 (rho:-0.42; P<0.001) and VEGF (rho:-0.22; P=0.04).

Conclusion

While sputum concentrations of MMP-9, IL-8, and CCL5 were higher in COPD women compared with controls, women with TS-COPD had higher levels of CCL5 compared with those with WS-COPD. Whether this finding relates to differences in pathobiological pathways remains to be determined.

This article is part of the following collections:
Precision Medicine in COPD

Data Sharing Statement

The datasets generated and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Ethics Approval and Consent to Participate

This study was approved by the Ethics Review Committee of the Universidad de La Sabana School of (Proceedings 337-2015) and Fundación Neumológica Colombiana (Approval number 201505-21008).

Author Contributions

All authors made a significant contribution to the work reported, whether that is in the conception, study design, execution, acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation, or in all these areas; took part in drafting, revising or critically reviewing the article; gave final approval of the version to be published; have agreed on the journal to which the article has been submitted; and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Disclosure

Dr Luis F Giraldo-Cadavid reports grants from Universidad de La Sabana, during the conduct of the study.

Dr Maria E Laucho-Contreras is an Employee & Shareholder of GSK, outside the submitted work. All other authors declare that they have no competing interests in this work.

Additional information

Funding

This research was founded by Universidad de La Sabana (Grant: MED-202-2015).