Pneumologie 2016; 70 - P34
DOI: 10.1055/s-0036-1584638

Identification of biomarkers predicting COPD exacerbations

M Wolff 1, B Hammer 1, S Reuter 1, S Bartel 1, S Krauss-Etschmann 1, H Fehrenbach 1
  • 1Research Center Borstel, Borstel

Introduction: COPD affects 600 million patients worldwide (WHO). The disease is mainly caused by long-term smoking of cigarettes. Symptoms include progressive airflow limitation and chronic airway inflammation. Several triggers (e.g. bacterial or viral infections) can induce acute exacerbations. These episodes of acute worsening of disease symptoms are a significant burden for both patients and health care systems. Moreover, frequent exacerbations lead to more rapid lung function decline and increased mortality.

Early prediction of exacerbations could help to initiate treatment before symptoms reach a critical level. Therefore, the aim of this study is to identify biomarkers which predict an imminent COPD exacerbation. In a first step, we aimed to set up an animal smoke model mimicking COPD airway inflammation to serve as a basis for future exacerbation experiments.

Methods: Animals were exposed for 24 days to two doses of cigarette smoke (1 or 4 puffs/min) for 1 hour daily (Inexpose®Scireq, CA). Smoke exposure concentrations and animal weight course were recorded daily and compared to air exposed handling controls. 24 hours after the last exposure, lung function, BAL and lung inflammation, and pulmonary immunophenotypes were analyzed.

Results: 4 puffs/min lead to a 4-fold higher particle concentration than 1 puff/min (7631 mg/m3 vs. 2065 mg/m3). 4 puffs/min significantly reduced weight gain over time in comparison to the air and 1 puff/min groups. Pulmonary baseline compliance was declined both in 1 and 4 puffs/min exposed animals. They further had increased numbers of total BAL cells. Neutrophils were increased in animals exposed to 4 puffs/min only (p < 0.05). These animals also demonstrated increased numbers of proinflammatory and conventional lung dendritic cells.

Discussion: Exposure to 4 puffs/min induced an inflammatory phenotype comparable to that seen in COPD patients. Thus, we suggest that this animal model can be used in the next step for infection induced exacerbations.