COPD info

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COPD info -

Advance Toward Early Diagnosis Of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary

Disease -

Researchers in Finland are reporting identification of the first

potential " biomarker " that could be used in development of a sputum

test for early detection of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

(COPD).

That condition, which causes severe difficulty in breathing - most

often in cigarette smokers - affects 12 million people in the United

States.

In an article scheduled for the December 5 issue of ACS' Journal of

Proteome Research, a monthly publication, Vuokko L. Kinnula and

colleagues point out that no disease marker for COPD currently

exists, despite extensive efforts by scientists to find one.

Past research pointed to a prime candidate - surfactant protein A

(SP-A), which has a major role in fighting infections and

inflammation in the lung.

The scientists compared levels of a variety of proteins obtained from

the lung tissues of healthy individuals, patients with COPD, and

those with pulmonary fibrosis.

They found that the lungs of COPD patients contained elevated levels

of SP-A.

The scientists also found elevated levels of SP-A in the sputum

samples of COPD patients.

" This suggests that SP-A might represent a helpful biomarker in the

early detection of COPD and other related disorders, " the article

notes.

" Proteomics of Human Lung Tissue Identifies Surfactant Protein A as a

Marker of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease "

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/131815.php

Alana