Research Article: Plasma Proteomics Study Between the Frequent Exacerbation and Infrequent Exacerbation Phenotypes of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Abstract:
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common and progressive lung disease leading to high morbidity and mortality globally. Acute exacerbation leads to rapid deterioration of pulmonary function and a significant decline in the quality of life of COPD patients, resulting in severe economic and social burdens.– Based on the frequency of acute exacerbations per year, the COPD population can be divided into two clinical phenotypes: frequent exacerbation (FE) and infrequent exacerbation (IE). Hurst et al reported that FE is a unique phenotype of COPD that appears to be relatively stable. This status implies the presence of many complex underlying factors regulating the pathophysiological processes, such as genetics, biology, pathology, and behavior, which can determine susceptibility or resistance to recurrent episodes, regardless of the severity of this disease. Frequent exacerbators have a higher risk of hospitalization and a worse prognosis compared with infrequent exacerbators. Despite the importance of the FE phenotype, its pathogenesis has not been sufficiently studied. The identification of the FE phenotype is currently based on clinical assessment and records of previous treatments, which is complicated by the time-consuming process of establishing a unified standard. Therefore, the discovery of special, functional, and feasible biomarkers is needed to guide clinical practice and improve early interventions for patients.

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