Skip Navigation
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

Use this QR code to view the newest version of this document
Use this QR code to view the newest version of this document

Your Environment. Your Health.

Publication Detail

Title: Increased airway iron parameters and risk for exacerbation in COPD: an analysis from SPIROMICS.

Authors: Zhang, William Z; Oromendia, Clara; Kikkers, Sarah Ann; Butler, James J; O'Beirne, Sarah; Kim, Kihwan; O'Neal, Wanda K; Freeman, Christine M; Christenson, Stephanie A; Peters, Stephen P; Wells, J Michael; Doerschuk, Claire; Putcha, Nirupama; Barjaktarevic, Igor; Woodruff, Prescott G; Cooper, Christopher B; Bowler, Russell P; Comellas, Alejandro P; Criner, Gerard J; Paine 3rd, Robert; Hansel, Nadia N; Han, Meilan K; Crystal, Ronald G; Kaner, Robert J; Ballman, Karla V; Curtis, Jeffrey L; Martinez, Fernando J; Cloonan, Suzanne M

Published In Sci Rep, (2020 Jun 29)

Abstract: Levels of iron and iron-related proteins including ferritin are higher in the lung tissue and lavage fluid of individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), when compared to healthy controls. Whether more iron in the extracellular milieu of the lung associates with distinct clinical phenotypes of COPD, including increased exacerbation susceptibility, is unknown. We measured iron and ferritin levels in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of participants enrolled in the SubPopulations and InteRmediate Outcome Measures In COPD (SPIROMICS) bronchoscopy sub-study (n = 195). BALF Iron parameters were compared to systemic markers of iron availability and tested for association with FEV1 % predicted and exacerbation frequency. Exacerbations were modelled using a zero-inflated negative binomial model using age, sex, smoking, and FEV1 % predicted as clinical covariates. BALF iron and ferritin were higher in participants with COPD and in smokers without COPD when compared to non-smoker control participants but did not correlate with systemic iron markers. BALF ferritin and iron were elevated in participants who had COPD exacerbations, with a 2-fold increase in BALF ferritin and iron conveying a 24% and 2-fold increase in exacerbation risk, respectively. Similar associations were not observed with plasma ferritin. Increased airway iron levels may be representative of a distinct pathobiological phenomenon that results in more frequent COPD exacerbation events, contributing to disease progression in these individuals.

PubMed ID: 32601308 Exiting the NIEHS site

MeSH Terms: No MeSH terms associated with this publication

Back
to Top