Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 5, 2025
Generation of a Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Model in Mice by Repeated Ozone Exposure
Published on: August 25, 2017
Environmental and Genetic Factors in the Pathogenesis of COPD in the Road-Working Population
Yumin Zhou1, Man Wang2, Weiyan Yang2
1State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Center for Respiratory Diseases, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510120, China.
Background:
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a typical heterogeneous condition caused by environmental and genetic risk factors.
Objectives:
We investigated extrinsic (environmental) and intrinsic (genetic) factors contributing to the development of COPD in a nonsmoker road-working population in Northeast China.
Method:
The target population was divided into a COPD group and an exposed control group. Another healthy nonroad working nonsmoker control group was also included for environmental factor comparison. Peripheral blood was collected and analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for inorganic elements of PM2.5, and microarray, rt-PCR, and Multiplex ELISA for genetic factors.
Results:
Forty-three COPD road workers, thirty-nine non-COPD road workers, and 52 age and gender-matched healthy nonroad workers were enrolled. There were significantly higher levels in all 24 inorganic elements in the COPD group compared with the healthy control group except potassium and manganese, while the majority of inorganic elements were similar between the COPD group and the exposed control group except in aluminum and cobalt. There were 39 genes showing significant differences between the COPD group and the exposed control group. Collagen, type XV, alpha 1 (COL15A1), Meis homeobox 1 (MEIS1), carbonyl reductase 3 (CBR3), and amine oxidase, copper containing 3 (AOC3) were confirmed by rt-PCR to be differentially expressed. Their correlations with blood cytokines were also evaluated.
Conclusions:
Aluminum might contribute to the development of COPD in the road-working population. CBR3 and AOC3 seem expressed in different patterns than previously reported, evidenced by their correlation with proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines.
More Related Videos
09:07Author Spotlight: Development and Characterization of an In Vitro Model to Study Chronic Cigarette Smoke Exposure and Its Impact on Airway Epithelial Cells in COPD Research
Published on: July 12, 2024
05:18Measuring Carbon Content in Airway Macrophages Exposed to Carbon-Containing Particulate Matters
Published on: July 12, 2024
Related Concept Videos
01:20Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-I: Introduction
01:20Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-II: Pathophysiology
Chronic Inflammation
01:20COPD: Pathogenesis and Clinical Features
The primary cause for the onset of COPD is cigarette smoking and exposure to air pollution. These hazardous factors initiate a chain reaction within the lungs, resulting in chronic inflammation, damage to the airways, and a...
01:22Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Smoking is a primary risk factor for COPD, with over 80% of patients having a history of it. Patients typically experience progressive dyspnea or labored breathing, frequent coughing, and recurrent pulmonary infections. Many eventually succumb to respiratory failure, characterized by...
01:27Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-IV: Assessement and Diagnostic Studies
Medical History
01:25Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-III: Symptoms and Complications.
Symptoms of COPD can be classified as primary or systemic. Primary symptoms relate to reduced airflow, while systemic or extrapulmonary symptoms relate to COPD's broader impact on the body.
Primary Symptoms of COPD: