COPD-Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Relationship Between Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Osteoporosis: A Scoping Review
Penedones A, Mendes D, Alves C, Filipe A, Oliveira T and Batel-Marques F
Potential associations between Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and osteoporosis have been studied, but areas of uncertainty remain.
EQ-5D Based Utility Values for Adults with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Meta-Regression
Salant N, Mohiuddin S, Zhang Y, Ayiku L, Lokuge K, Jacklin P and Owen L
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common lung disease that negatively affects health-related quality of life (QoL). Utility values, which measure QoL by weighting health states with societal preferences, are required for the cost-utility models that drive economic evaluations and policy decisions. Moayeri et al. published a systematic review and meta-analysis of utilities (EQ-5D) in COPD in June 2016. The current study investigated changes in mean utilities in more recent studies thereafter, exploring heterogeneity in utilities across diverse clinical and study characteristics. Systematic searches of databases, such as MEDLINE and Embase were undertaken from 1 July 2015 until 20 May 2024. A random-effects meta-analysis of utilities (EQ-5D) was performed which addressed inter-study heterogeneity and subgroup analyses. The pooled general mean (95% CI) utility value was 0.761 (0.726-0.795) from 43 studies, whereas Moayeri et al. reported 0.673 (0.653-0.693) from 32 studies. This improvement in mean utilities could be due to increased awareness, early detection, and better medical interventions over the past decade, but demonstrates that a general utility value should be approached with caution given significant heterogeneity. Four meta-regressions were performed on each subgroup: region, method of elicitation, reported comorbidities, and disease stage; of which, method of elicitation, disease stage, and region were found to be significant moderators of utilities. It is, therefore, important to use meta-analysed utilities for cost-utility analyses that reflect the context and patient population of the model. Moreover, these results provide additional evidence for the precision and sensitivity of EQ-5D-5L over EQ-5D-3L.
Changes in Hospital Admissions of Patients with COPD in Poland: A 14-Year Nationwide Analysis (2006-2019)
Bochenek B, Jankowski M, Wieczorek J, Gruszczynska M, Jaczewski A, Goryński P, Figurski M and Pinkas J
Poland is a country with a high burden of COPD and its risk factors. This population-wide and geospatial study on COPD in Poland, aimed to analyze changes in hospitalizations of patients with a diagnosis of COPD between 2006 and 2019 as well as to identify changes in the demographic characteristics of patients hospitalized with COPD. This is a retrospective analysis of hospital discharge records of patients with a diagnosis of COPD (ICD-10 code J44 and age 40 and over), hospitalized in Poland between 2006 and 2019. Data were analyzed separately for all patients hospitalized with COPD (primary and secondary diagnosis), for patients admitted due to COPD (primary diagnosis) and patients hospitalized with COPD as a comorbidity (secondary diagnosis). Between 2006 and 2019, a total of 1,663,420 hospital admissions of patients with COPD were reported. Between 2006 and 2019, the annual number of patients hospitalized due to COPD decreased by 53.8%, including 57.3% among men and 46.6% among women. The number of patients hospitalized with COPD as comorbidity increased by 35.8%. The lowest hospital admissions rate was in north-western Poland and the highest in north-eastern Poland. Among patients admitted due to COPD, the percentage of women increased from 32.6% to 37.7%. The percentage of patients admitted due to COPD and living in rural areas decreased from 51.2% in 2006 to 40.8%in 2019. This study provided data on changes in sociodemographic characteristics of hospitalizations of patients with a diagnosis of COPD, including overall reduction in COPD admissions but an increase in COPD burden among women.
The Application of Self-Made Disseminating and Descending Breathing Exercises in Home Rehabilitation of Stable COPD
Chen LX, Peng SL, Mao LP, Luo XW, He Q, Xiang JH, Long FJ and Jiao Y
To investigate the clinical effects and application value of self-made disseminating and descending breathing exercises on home rehabilitation of patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Seeking to generate concepts for creating novel, convenient, and efficient COPD prognosis rehabilitation exercises aimed at enhancing the well-being and rehabilitation confidence of both COPD patients and their families. A total of 70 COPD patients admitted to our outpatient department from July 2019 to September 2021 were randomly divided into the exercise group ( = 35) and the control group ( = 35). The control group received routine breathing training, while the exercise group was treated with self-made disseminating and descending breathing exercises. The respiratory function, including pulmonary function (FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC) and respiratory muscle strength (MIP, MEP), exercise tolerance (6-min walking distance, 6MWT), Modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale (mMRC, Borg), COPD quality of life score (CAT, SGRQ), anxiety and depression scores (HAMA, HAMD) were compared between the two groups after 12-week exercise. After 12-week training, the FEV1, MIP, and MEP in the exercise group were significantly higher than those in the control group ( < 0.001), and the 6MWT was significantly increased in the exercise group compared to the control group ( < 0.001); while the mMRC, Borg score, the scores of CAT, SGRQ, HAMA, and HAMD were found significantly lower than those in the control group ( < 0.001). The self-made disseminating and descending breathing exercises can improve respiratory function and reduce symptoms of dyspnea in COPD patients, while enhancing exercise tolerance and relieving anxiety and depression, and are worthy of clinical application.
Diagnosis and Severity Assessment of COPD Using a Novel Fast-Response Capnometer and Interpretable Machine Learning
Talker L, Dogan C, Neville D, Lim RH, Broomfield H, Lambert G, Selim A, Brown T, Wiffen L, Carter J, Ashdown HF, Hayward G, Vijaykumar E, Weiss ST, Chauhan A and Patel AX
Spirometry is the gold standard for COPD diagnosis and severity determination, but is technique-dependent, nonspecific, and requires administration by a trained healthcare professional. There is a need for a fast, reliable, and precise alternative diagnostic test. This study's aim was to use interpretable machine learning to diagnose COPD and assess severity using 75-second carbon dioxide (CO) breath records captured with TidalSense's N-Tidal capnometer.
A Study on the Association between Cough Sensitivity and Acute Exacerbations in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Bai H, Wang S, Sha B, Xu X and Yu L
To investigate the relationship between cough sensitivity and acute exacerbation in stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients.
Machine-Learning Model Identifies Patients With Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency Using Claims Records
Sharma R, Hogarth DK, Colbaugh R, Glass K, Mezine A, Liakoni V, Rudolf C, Himmelhan I, Hinson J and Sanchirico M
Identifying patients with rare diseases like alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) is challenging. Machine-learning models may be trained to identify patients with rare diseases using large-scale, real-world databases, whereas electronic medical records have low numbers of confirmed cases and have limited use in training such models. We applied a machine-learning model to a large US claims database to identify undiagnosed symptomatic patients with AATD. Using deidentified data from the Komodo US claims database (April 26, 2016-January 31, 2023), a model was trained to identify symptomatic patients with high probability of AATD. Eighty claims records for high-probability candidates identified by the model were independently reviewed and validated by 2 clinical experts. The experts independently indicated that of the 80 high-probability candidate patients, 65 (81%) and 62 (78%) patients, respectively, should be tested for AATD. Feedback from this validation step informed model optimization. The optimized model was applied to claims data to identify symptomatic patients with probable AATD. Eleven and 14 "features" of the claims data were informative in distinguishing patients with AATD from patients with COPD without AATD and from unspecified chronic liver diseases. Moreover, patients with diagnosed AATD and COPD without AATD had unique cadences of similar medical events in their diagnostic journeys. Our work shows that a machine-learning model trained on a large US claims database can accurately identify symptomatic patients with AATD and provides useful insights into the diagnostic journey of patients with AATD.
Proposal for a 4-Level Classification System of Severe COPD Exacerbation According to Healthcare Resource Utilization
Hillas G, Loukides S, Gogali A and Kostikas K
A Scoping Review of Factors Influencing Smoking Cessation in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Huimin T, Zheng T, Jingchun H, Dajun L, Zhijun Z, Yuan L, Nan Z and Lan W
To provide a scoping review of studies on factors affecting smoking cessation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), so as to provide a basis for healthcare professionals to intervene early in the process of cessation of smoking in patients with COPD, and to formulate personalized interventions for smoking cessation. Arksey and O'Malley's scoping review methodology as a framework, searched databases including CNKI, Wanfang Data, VIP, China Biomedical Database, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, ProQuest, CINAHL, and Cochrane Library to collect literature on factors influencing smoking cessation among COPD patients. The literature was screened, data extracted, and summarized accordingly. A total of 28 papers were included. The socio-demographic related factors affecting smoking cessation in patients with COPD were age, educational level, residence, marital status, occupational status, economic status, race, and sex; tobacco related factors included smoking index, smoking duration (years), cumulative smoking (packs/year), smoking intensity (packs/day), and tobacco addiction; disease related factors included mMRC score, GOLD level, severity of airflow restrictions, symptom, activity limitation due to lung problems, history of deterioration in outpatient care, receipt of COPD medication, receipt of lung CT, receipt of pulmonary function tests, receipt of surgery, and comorbid comorbidities; psychologically related factors included mental health status, quit smoking health beliefs, smoking cessation self-efficacy, motivation to quit smoking, stress, and adverse emotions; environmental/Interpersonal network related factors-included environmental impacts, social support, family support, tobacco control policies, and satisfaction with cessation care; and behavior related factors included alcohol consumption, coffee consumption, eating, physical activity, and have a hobby. Healthcare professionals should avoid critical education of COPD patients in the process of smoking cessation management, pay attention to the adverse effects of medication side effects on patients, emphasize the improvement of patients' health beliefs and self-efficacy in smoking cessation, and help patients to establish a correct cognition of smoking cessation.
Recognizing the Shades of Grey in the Diagnosis of COPD
Neder JA
Risk Factors for Adults with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in the United States, Utilizing State-Based Surveillance
Workman B and Nabors L
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a complex and heterogeneous condition. Exposure to tobacco smoke and air pollutants are key risk factors for COPD development; however, other risk factors include race/ethnicity, sex of adults, a history of asthma, occupational exposures, and chronic respiratory infections. Data for the current study were from the 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey. Chi-squares and multinomial logistic regression analyses, adjusted with the survey's sampling weight, were used to examine how critical health indicators impacted a COPD diagnosis. Participants ( = 311,175) were adults aged 45 years and older. Adjusted multinomial regression analyses showed adults who reported asthma, current and former smoking, poor physical health, depression, less physical activity, and fatigue were more likely to report COPD. Those with COPD were more likely to be male than female. Moreover, those with COPD reported higher rates of health insurance coverage, and yet had lower income and more financial difficulty affording a doctor for health services. In a follow up regression analysis, examining racial differences in COPD for participants, American Indian adults had a higher odds of reporting COPD than the "other" race groups. Because COPD remains a leading cause of death and disability in the U.S., and racial disparities persist in respiratory outcomes, continuing to identify risk factors for vulnerable groups could assist health program planners with development of successful health messaging.
Comorbidity Patterns in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Their Associations with Service Utilization
Duan Y, Fu H, Chen C, Zhao Y, Jiang S and Wang C
The prevalence of combinations of comorbidities and their associations with inpatient service utilization and readmission among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have not been extensively examined. To address this gap in knowledge, an observational prospective study was conducted using retrospective data.
Beclometasone Dipropionate/Formoterol Fumarate is Similarly Effective to Budesonide/Formoterol Fumarate in Chinese Patients with COPD: The FORSYYN Double-Blind, Randomised Study
Wen F, Wu Y, Xing C, Zhu Y, Chen Y, Mei X, Corradi M, Cappellini G, Calabro E, Amodio S, Zhu C and Galkin D
The fixed-dose combination of beclometasone dipropionate/formoterol fumarate (BDP/FF) delivered pressurised metered-dose inhaler (pMDI) has demonstrated efficacy in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), in studies predominantly conducted in Caucasian adults. The current study evaluated the efficacy and safety of BDP/FF pMDI in Chinese patients with COPD, as part of registration for COPD in China. This double-blind, double-dummy, randomised, parallel-group study was conducted in patients with COPD of Chinese ethnicity aged ≥40 years. After a 4-week open-label budesonide/formoterol fumarate (BUD/FF) run-in period, patients were randomised to BUD/FF or BDP/FF for 24 weeks. The primary objective was to demonstrate non-inferiority of BDP/FF to BUD/FF in terms of change from baseline in pre-dose morning forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV) at Week 24 (i.e. the lower 95% CI limit of the difference was above the pre-defined non-inferiority margin of -0.07 L). Of 750 patients randomised (377 BDP/FF; 373 BUD/FF), 87.6% completed the study. The primary endpoint was met in both the per-protocol (adjusted mean difference -0.001 L [95% CI: -0.025, 0.022], non-inferiority  < 0.001) and intention-to-treat populations (-0.001 L [-0.024, 0.022]; non-inferiority  < 0.001). There were no statistically significant BDP/FF-BUD/FF differences for the secondary endpoints, and a similar proportion of patients had adverse events (BDP/FF, 51.7%; BUD/FF, 51.2%), with most mild/moderate in severity. In conclusion, BDP/FF pMDI was non-inferior to BUD/FF in terms of pre-dose morning FEV, supported by a range of secondary endpoints. Both treatments were similarly tolerated. The study supports the use of BDP/FF pMDI in Chinese patients with COPD.
Clinical Significance of Long Non-Coding RNA SNHG5 in the Diagnosis and Prognosis of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Yao XT, Feng WP, Gong ZP and Li XP
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is preventable and requires early screening. The study aimed to examine the clinical values of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) SNHG5 in COPD diagnosis and prognosis. Out of 160 COPD patients, 80 were in the stable stage and 80 were in the acute exacerbation of COPD stage (AECOPD). SNHG5 expression was detected qRT-PCR. The survival analysis was conducted using Cox regression analysis and K-M curve. SNHG5 levels significantly reduced in both stable COPD and AECOPD groups compared with the control group, with AECOPD group recording the lowest values. SNHG5 levels were negatively correlated with GOLD stage. Serum SNHG5 can differentiate stable COPD patients from healthy individuals (AUC = 0.805), and can screen AECOPD from stable ones (AUC = 0.910). SNHG5 negatively influenced the release of inflammatory cytokines. For AECOPD patients, those with severe cough and wheezing dyspnea symptoms exhibited the lowest values of SNUG5. Among the 80 AECOPD patients, 16 cases died in the one-year follow-up, all of whom had low levels of SNHG5. SNHG5 levels independently influenced survival outcomes, patients with low SNHG5 levels had a poor prognosis. Thus, lncRNA SNHG5, which is downregulated in patients with COPD (especially AECOPD), can potentially protect against AECOPD and serve as a novel prognostic biomarker for AECOPD.
Chest CT Airway and Vascular Measurements in Females with COPD or Long-COVID
Kooner HK, Wyszkiewicz PV, Matheson AM, McIntosh MJ, Abdelrazek M, Dhaliwal I, Nicholson JM, Kirby M, Svenningsen S and Parraga G
Chest CT provides a way to quantify pulmonary airway and vascular tree measurements. In patients with COPD, CT airway measurement differences in females are concomitant with worse quality-of-life and other outcomes. CT total airway count (TAC), airway lumen area (LA), and wall thickness (WT) also differ in females with long-COVID. Our objective was to evaluate CT airway and pulmonary vascular and quality-of-life measurements in females with COPD as compared to ex-smokers and patients with long-COVID. Chest CT was acquired 3-months post-COVID-19 infection in females with long-COVID for comparison with the same inspiratory CT in female ex-smokers and COPD patients. TAC, LA, WT, and pulmonary vascular measurements were quantified. Linear regression models were adjusted for confounders including age, height, body-mass-index, lung volume, pack-years and asthma diagnosis. Twenty-one females (53 ± 14 years) with long-COVID, 17 female ex-smokers (69 ± 9 years) and 13 female COPD (67 ± 6 years) patients were evaluated. In the absence of differences in quality-of-life scores, females with long-COVID reported significantly different LA ( = 0.006) compared to ex-smokers but not COPD ( = 0.7); WT% was also different compared to COPD ( = 0.009) but not ex-smokers ( = 0.5). In addition, there was significantly greater pulmonary small vessel volume (BV) in long-COVID as compared to female ex-smokers ( = 0.045) and COPD ( = 0.003) patients and different large (BV) vessel volume as compared to COPD ( = 0.03). In females with long-COVID and highly abnormal quality-of-life scores, there was CT evidence of airway remodelling, similar to ex-smokers and patients with COPD, but there was no evidence of pulmonary vascular remodelling. www.clinicaltrials.gov NCT05014516 and NCT02279329.
In a Strained Healthcare System, Patients with Advanced COPD Struggle to Access the Needed Support from the Healthcare Professionals - A Qualitative Study
Lavesen M, Paine M and Bove DG
This study aimed to explore the self-management strategies of Danish patients living with advanced Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), with a particular focus on their daily life and their interactions with the respiratory outpatient clinic. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 11 patients with COPD affiliated with a Danish respiratory outpatient clinic. The data were thematically analyzed as suggested by Braun & Clarke. The analysis revealed one overarching theme, three main themes, and six subthemes. The overarching theme 'In a strained healthcare system patients with COPD struggle to access needed support to be able to self-manage their disease' revolved around the challenges that patients face in an overburdened healthcare system as they seek support to effectively self-manage their condition. The three main themes were: (1) Only physical symptoms provide legal access to the respiratory outpatient clinic, (2) For patients, the measurements serve as indicators of their health status and overall well-being, (3) Healthcare professionals' skills and not the mode of contact matters to the patients. Healthcare professionals should be aware that the rhetoric surrounding a busy healthcare system with a stressed-out staff also affects patients. Patients with COPD may be particularly sensitive to this message and try to avoid burdening the healthcare system further by setting aside their own needs. However, this approach can lead to neglecting symptoms of deterioration and mental symptoms, which increase the risk of disease progression and subsequent risk of hospital admission.
Dendritic Cells Promote the Differentiation of ILCs into NCRILC3s in the Lungs of Mice Exposed to Cigarette Smoke
Liang C, Shen Y, Xu Y, Liang Y, Qiu S, Tang H and Zhong X
The involvement of Group 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3s) and dendritic cells (DCs) in chronic lung inflammation has been increasingly regarded as the key to understand the inflammatory mechanisms of smoke-related chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, the mechanism underlying the engagement of both remains unclear. Our study aimed to explore NCRILC3 differentiation in the lungs of mice exposed to cigarette smoke (CS) and to further investigate whether DCs activated by CS exposure contribute to the differentiation of ILCs into NCRILC3s. The study involved both and experiments. In the former, the frequencies of lung NCRILC3s and NKp46IL-17A ILCs and the expression of DCs, CD40, CD86, IL-23, and IL-1β quantified by flow cytometry were compared between CS-exposed mice and air-exposed mice. In the latter, NKp46IL-17A ILC frequencies quantified by flow cytometry were compared after two cocultures, one involving lung CD45LinCD127 ILCs sorted from air-exposed mice and DCs sifted by CD11c magnetic beads from CS-exposed mice and another including identical CD45LinCD127 ILCs and DCs from air-exposed mice. The results indicated significant increases in the frequencies of NCRILC3s and NKp46IL-17A ILCs; in the expression of DCs, CD40, CD86, IL-23, and IL-1β in CS-exposed mice; and in the frequency of NKp46IL-17A ILCs after the coculture with DCs from CS-exposed mice. In conclusion, CS exposure increases the frequency of lung ILCs and NCRILC3s. CS-induced DC activation enhances the differentiation of ILCs into NCRILC3s, which likely acts as a mediating step in the involvement of NCR-ILC3s in chronic lung inflammation.
FBXL19 Targeted STK11 Degradation Enhances Cigarette Smoke-Induced Airway Epithelial Cell Cytotoxicity
Li X, Lakshmi SP, Uemasu K, Lane Z, Reddy RT, Chandra D, Zou C, Jiang Y and Nyunoya T
To investigate the effects of cigarette smoke (CS) on Serine/Threonine Kinase 11 (STK11) and to determine STK11's role in CS-induced airway epithelial cell cytotoxicity. STK11 expression levels in the lung tissues of smokers with or without COPD and mice exposed to CS or room air (RA) were determined by immunoblotting and RT-PCR. BEAS-2Bs-human bronchial airway epithelial cells were exposed to CS extract (CSE), and the changes in STK11 expression levels were determined by immunoblotting and RT-PCR. BEAS-2B cells were transfected with STK11-specific siRNA or STK11 expression plasmid, and the effects of CSE on airway epithelial cell cytotoxicity were measured. To determine the specific STK11 degradation-proteolytic pathway, BEAS-2Bs were treated with cycloheximide alone or combined with MG132 or leupeptin. Finally, to identify the F-box protein mediating the STK11 degradation, a screening assay was performed using transfection with a panel of FBXL E3 ligase subunits. STK11 protein levels were significantly decreased in the lung tissues of smokers with COPD relative to smokers without COPD. STK11 protein levels were also significantly decreased in mouse lung tissues exposed to CS compared to RA. Exposure to CSE shortened the STK11 mRNA and protein half-life to 4 h in BEAS-2B cells. STK11 protein overexpression attenuated the CSE-induced cytotoxicity; in contrast, its knockdown augmented CSE-induced cytotoxicity. FBXL19 mediates CSE-induced STK11 protein degradation the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway in cultured BEAS-2B cells. FBXL19 overexpression led to accelerated STK11 ubiquitination and degradation in a dose-dependent manner. Our results suggest that CSE enhances the degradation of STK11 protein in airway epithelial cells the FBXL19-mediated ubiquitin-proteasomal pathway, leading to augmented cell death.HIGHLIGHTSLung tissues of COPD-smokers exhibited a decreased STK11 RNA and protein expression.STK11 overexpression attenuates CS-induced airway epithelial cell cytotoxicity.STK11 depletion augments CS-induced airway epithelial cell cytotoxicity.CS diminishes STK11 via FBXL19-mediated ubiquitin-proteasome degradation.
Identification and Validation of Aging Related Genes Signature in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Li TT, Bai HY, Zhang JH, Kang XH and Qu YQ
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is regarded as an accelerated aging disease. Aging-related genes in COPD are still poorly understood.
The Application of Diaphragm Ultrasound in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Narrative Review
Mu H and Zhang Q
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a prevalent condition that poses a significant burden on individuals and society due to its high morbidity and mortality rates. The diaphragm is the main respiratory muscle, its function has a direct impact on the quality of life and prognosis of COPD patients. This article aims to review the structural measurement and functional evaluation methods through the use of diaphragmatic ultrasound and relevant research on its application in clinical practice for COPD patients. Thus, it serves to provide valuable insights for clinical monitoring of diaphragm function in COPD patients, facilitating early clinical intervention and aiding in the recovery of diaphragm function.
Real World Study on the Reasons for eScalation or de-Escalation of Inhaled ThEraPies in COPD Patients: the STEPINCOPD Multicenter Observational Study
Tzouvelekis A, Kyriakopoulos C, Gerogianni I, Rapti A, Michailidis V, Dimoulis A, Papakosta D, Steiropoulos P, Styliara P, Kostikas K and Gogali A
There is limited data on the reasons for escalation or de-escalation of COPD inhaled therapies in routine clinical practice, especially after the follow-up pharmacological treatment guidance on the 2019 GOLD report and the 2020 ERS guideline on ICS withdrawal.