Extracellular Lung Immunomodulatory Proteins and Their Involvement in the Development of COPD

Abstract

More than 250 million people worldwide are currently diagnosed with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). COPD is a broad classification of clinical phenotypes that include but is not limited to, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, asthma- COPD overlap syndrome, and early-COPD. Patients with COPD presents with persistent respiratory symptoms and airflow limitation. One of the leading risk factors of COPD is cigarette smoke, which has been associated with triggering immune and inflammatory responses in the respiratory system. Upon review of the current literature, there is evidence of altered production and activity of key immunomodulatory lung proteins due to cigarette smoke that could contribute to the development of COPD. This thesis will review two predominant immunomodulatory lung proteins, club cell secretory protein (CC16) and pulmonary surfactant protein A (SP-A), in order to provide novel insights into the development of COPD to improve future surveillance and treatment for patients who are at risk or diagnosed with the disease.