scholarly journals Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Its Association with Lung Cancer: Molecular Mechanism and Therapeutic Targets

Author(s):  
Shanmugam G ◽  
◽  
Rakshit S ◽  
Sarkar K ◽  
◽  
...  

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Lung cancer are the major reasons for lung disease-related mortality worldwide. Chronic inflammation is a key attribute of COPD and a potential driver of lung carcinogenesis. Among various environmental risk factors, cigarette smoke plays a crucial role in the development and progression of COPD and lung cancer. Several epidemiological studies show that COPD patients are at a greater risk of developing lung cancer independently of cigarette smoking which suggests the role of genetic predisposition in the disease development. Uncovering the mechanistic link between these two diseases is hampered due to their heterogeneous nature: each is characterized by several sub-phenotypes of diseases. This review focuses on the nature of the link between the two diseases and specific mechanisms that occur in both COPD and lung cancer, some of the therapeutic targets which are currently employed, and the role of gene-editing technology to combat these debilitating lung-inflammatory disorders.

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (13) ◽  
pp. 2889
Author(s):  
Klára Szalontai ◽  
Nikolett Gémes ◽  
József Furák ◽  
Tünde Varga ◽  
Patrícia Á. Neuperger ◽  
...  

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the frequently fatal pathology of the respiratory tract, accounts for half a billion cases globally. COPD manifests via chronic inflammatory response to irritants, frequently to tobacco smoke. The progression of COPD from early onset to advanced disease leads to the loss of the alveolar wall, pulmonary hypertension, and fibrosis of the respiratory epithelium. Here, we focus on the epidemiology, progression, and biomarkers of COPD with a particular connection to lung cancer. Dissecting the cellular and molecular players in the progression of the disease, we aim to shed light on the role of smoking, which is responsible for the disease, or at least for the more severe symptoms and worse patient outcomes. We summarize the inflammatory conditions, as well as the role of EMT and fibroblasts in establishing a cancer-prone microenvironment, i.e., the soil for ‘COPD-derived’ lung cancer. We highlight that the major health problem of COPD can be alleviated via smoking cessation, early diagnosis, and abandonment of the usage of biomass fuels on a global basis.


2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 151-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gautam Rawal ◽  
Sankalp Yadav

AbstractCachexia and muscle wasting is a frequent but partly reversible complication in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and affects the disease progression and prognosis. Weight loss in COPD is a consequence of increased energy requirements unbalanced by dietary intake. Nutritional supplement therapy has been shown to be effective for maintaining and improving the muscle strength and exercise tolerance in poorly nourished COPD patients, thereby decreasing morbidity and mortality. This mini review discusses the role of nutritional supplement therapy in the treatment of COPD.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. 962 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tinè ◽  
Biondini ◽  
Semenzato ◽  
Bazzan ◽  
Cosio ◽  
...  

Blood eosinophils measurement, as proxy for tissue eosinophils, has become an important biomarker for exacerbation risk and response to inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Its use to determine the pharmacological approach is recommended in the latest COPD guidelines. The potential role of blood eosinophils is mainly based on data derived from post-hoc and retrospective analyses that showed an association between increased blood eosinophils and risk of exacerbations, as well as mitigation of this risk with ICS. Yet other publications, including studies in real life COPD, do not confirm these assumptions. Moreover, anti-eosinophil therapy targeting interleukin (IL)-5 failed to reduce exacerbations in COPD patients with high blood eosinophils, which casts significant doubts on the role of eosinophils in COPD. Furthermore, a reduction of eosinophils might be harmful since COPD patients with relatively high eosinophils have better pulmonary function, better life quality, less infections and longer survival. These effects are probably linked to the role of eosinophils in the immune response against pathogens. In conclusion, in COPD, high blood eosinophils are widely used as a biomarker for exacerbation risk and response to ICS. However, much is yet to be learned about the reasons for the high eosinophil counts, their variations and their controversial effects on the fate of COPD patients.


2004 ◽  
Vol 106 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gordana PAVLISA ◽  
Veljko VRBANIC ◽  
Vesna KUSEC ◽  
Branimir JAKSIC

In order to determine the initial values and dynamic changes of EPO (erythropoietin) after therapy, 57 consecutively presenting, typical COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) patients with chronic hypoxia and acute exacerbated serum EPO levels were serially measured. Initial mean EPO levels were slightly above the normal range (41.4±83.5 units/l), but in the majority of patients the initial EPO levels were significantly reduced. Following the correction of hypoxaemia, mean EPO levels decreased to 14.1±16.9 units/l (P=0.0093). However, not all COPD patients showed this pattern; in an important subset of patients (36.8%), who had initially lower EPO levels and lower erythrocyte count, EPO levels were significantly increased (by more than 60%; P=0.0028) on the second day of treatment, despite correction of the hypoxaemia. This finding was unexpected and paradoxical when compared with physiological studies addressing the same issue. The data presented support previous reports of variable EPO levels in severely hypoxic COPD patients and suggest that the haematological response is already hampered at an early stage, at the level of EPO production, and much less likely at later steps in the haemopoietic response by failure to respond to elevated EPO levels. Our data are consistent with recent discoveries that the O2 sensing and regulation of EPO production is a complex process in which multiple factors, including cytokines and therapeutic agents, play a role by enhancing or inhibiting the response. We believe that further studies on this clinical condition are complementary to basic physiological research and may help to elucidate the role of cytokines and other individual factors in complex clinical hypoxic situations.


Pneumologia ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 69 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-28
Author(s):  
Camelia Badescu

AbstractChronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer (LC) occupy first place among diseases with high incidence and mortality and become a genuine health problem through costs for the medical system. COPD is considered an independent risk factor for LC, in addition to smoking and occupational exposure. Prevention policies and early diagnosis and treatment may contribute to the decrease in the incidence of both diseases. This article reviews the epidemiological overlaps between the two diseases and the particular features of the diagnosis and treatment of LC in COPD patients.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fuqiang Wen ◽  
Xiaoou Li ◽  
Yongchun Shen ◽  
Jiahan Cheng ◽  
Jun Chen ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Lung cancer complicated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are major causes of mortality worldwide, and the incidence of lung cancer and COPD increasing significantly. Circular RNAs (circRNAs), have been reported to participate in various biological processes, whereas the role of circRNAs in lung cancer complicated with COPD remains unclear. We aims to identify differentially expressed circRNAs (DEcircRNAs) between lung cancer complicated with COPD and lung cancer without COPD. Method: The circRNAs expression profiles were identified using a high-throughput circRNA microarray in cancer adjacent tissues from 6 lung cancer without COPD patients and 8 lung cancer complicated with COPD patients. Bioinformatic analyses were conducted to identify the functions of DEcircRNAs. Result: A total of 115 up- and 128 down-regulated circRNAs were screened in lung cancer complicated with COPD patients compared with lung cancer without COPD patients. The myD88-dependent toll-like receptor signaling pathway and positive regulation of nitric oxide biosynthetic process ranked the top 2 enriched biological processes in Gene Ontology analysis. Signaling transduction and infectious diseases were the most significantly enriched Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways in both up- and down-regulated circRNAs. Compared with lung cancer without COPD, circRNAs are dysregulated in the adjacent tissues of lung cancer with COPD. Conclusion: The DEcircRNAs might act as potential targets for the diagnosis of lung cancer with COPD.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tai Joon An ◽  
Yeun Jie Yoo ◽  
Jeong Uk Lim ◽  
Wan Seo ◽  
Chan Kwon Park ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: The importance of evaluating the diaphragm muscle in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is widely accepted. However, the role of diaphragm ultrasound (DUS) in COPD is not fully understood. We set this study to evaluate the role of DUS for distinguishing the status of COPD. Methods: COPD patients who underwent DUS were enrolled between March 2020 and November 2020. The diaphragm thickening fraction (TFmax) and diaphragm excursion (DEmax) during maximal deep breathing were measured. Patients were divided into exacerbation and stable groups. Demographics, lung function, and DUS findings were compared between the two groups. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and univariate/multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed.Results: Fifty-five patients were enrolled. The exacerbation group had a lower body mass index (BMI) (20.9 vs. 24.2, p = 0.003), lower TFmax (94.8 ± 8.2% vs. 158.4 ± 83.5%, p = 0.010), and lower DEmax (30.8 ± 11.1 mm vs. 40.5 ± 12.5 mm, p = 0.007) compared to stable group. The areas under the TFmax (0.745) and DEmax (0.721) curves indicated fair results for distinguishing exacerbation. The patients were divided into low and high TFmax and DEmax groups based on calculated cut-off values. Low TFmax (odds ratio [OR] 8.40; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.55–45.56) and low DEmax (OR 11.51; 95% CI 1.15–115.56) were associated with exacerbation after adjusting for age, sex, BMI, forced vital capacity and forced expiratory volume in 1 sec.Conclusion: TFmax and DEmax distinguished exacerbation from stable status. We describe the DUS cut-off values for determining an exacerbation status in this study.


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