Short summary

We are gathering a cohort of COPD patients to examine novel ways of estimating small airways disease in COPD patients.

This is done by having groups of very well defined COPD patients, and comparing them by using classic and novel methods of measuring COPD patients.

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Rationale

The driving force in COPD research is phenotypes. The overall goal is finding the key for determining prognosis and progression of diseases. The goal is personalized medicine, with a specific combination of drugs for each patient, depending on which phenotype or types that patient belongs to.

A large part of the pathology of COPD patients are small airway fibrosis and inflammation. We know that there are large changes in the numbers and calibres of the small airways in COPD patients, but no easy and clinically applicable measurement exist.

We will examine two new methods for measuring small airways disease in COPD patients. The golden standard is High resolution CT scans during in- and expiration.

Furthermore a biobank will be created with blood samples for analysis of known and new biomarkers in COPD, among many MFAP4 and MMP's.

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Description of the cohort

The cohort is well defined COPD patient who are of various phenotypes based on their amount of small airways diseases in HRCT.

All patients are recruited from the department or advertising.

Data and biological material

The following data is collected for all patients. Spirometry, reversibility, lung clearance index, full body pletysmography, diffusion capacity, 6MWD, medical history, clinical examination, CAT score, SGRQ-c, co morbidities and metabolites from exhaled breath using the Bioscout MCC/IMS.

Furhtermore, an OPEN biobank with blood samples.

Collaborating researchers and departments

Department of Respiratory Medicine, Odense University Hospital

Department of Mathematics and Computer Science (IMADA), University of Southern Denmark

• Associate Professor Jan Baumbach

Department of Radiology, Odense University Hospital

Department of Cancer and Inflammation Research

• Professor Uffe Holmskov, MD, PhD, DMSc