Abstract
Globally, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality, having a significant socioeconomic effect. Several molecular mechanisms have been related to COPD including chronic inflammation, telomere shortening, and epigenetic modifications. Nowadays, there is an increasing need for novel therapeutic approaches for the management of COPD. These treatment strategies should be based on finding the source of acute exacerbation of COPD episodes and estimating the patient’s own risk. The use of biomarkers and the measurement of their levels in conjunction with COPD exacerbation risk and disease prognosis is considered an encouraging approach. Many types of COPD biomarkers have been identified which include blood protein biomarkers, cellular biomarkers, and protease enzymes. They have been isolated from different sources including peripheral blood, sputum, bronchoalveolar fluid, exhaled air, and genetic material. However, there is still not an exclusive biomarker that is used for the evaluation of COPD but rather a combination of them, and this is attributed to disease complexity. In this review, we summarize the clinical significance of COPD-related biomarkers, their association with disease outcomes, and COPD patients’ management. Finally, we depict the various samples that are used for identifying and measuring these biomarkers.
Highlights
The pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) involves a series of cellular and molecular processes driven by cytokines, chemokines, growth factors, oxidative stress, apoptosis, proteases-antiproteases imbalance, chronic tissue damage, and repair, and the relevant receptors and genetic signals [1]
Numerous biomarkers have been investigated in COPD patients, their significance is not well established
The study of appropriate and ideal biomarkers is of high importance for the disease diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment effectiveness
Summary
The pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) involves a series of cellular and molecular processes driven by cytokines, chemokines, growth factors, oxidative stress, apoptosis, proteases-antiproteases imbalance, chronic tissue damage, and repair, and the relevant receptors and genetic signals [1]. It has become evident that COPD is not a single disease entity but comprises a set of distinct phenotypes with different underlying molecular and genetic pathways [2]. COPD-related research is increasingly focused on the search for biomarkers of the disease [3]. The multifactorial nature of the pathobiology of COPD implies that a large number of molecules could serve as biomarkers indicative of different aspects of the disease such as the presence or the extent of pulmonary damage, lung or systemic inflammation, and comorbidities. There is a great interest in developing biomarkers that could enable the clear delineation and quantification of the distinct characteristics and outcomes associated with the various COPD phenotypes
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