Respiratory Disease Occupational Biomonitoring Collaborative Project (ROBoCoP): A longitudinal pilot study and...

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Biomarker Discovery
• Environmental Medicine

Background:

• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) poses a significant health risk, particularly in occupational settings with high particulate matter (PM) exposure.
• Existing methods for COPD biomarker validation need improvement for clinical application.
• The EU COST Action CA16113 "CliniMARK" initiative aims to advance clinically validated biomarkers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate biomarkers for early detection of COPD in workers exposed to PM.
• To assess the suitability of candidate biomarkers in high-risk populations.
• To establish standardized protocols for biomarker measurement in occupational environments.

Main Methods:

• The ROBoCoP project involved a pilot and a field study with approximately 300 underground subway workers.
• Collected data included daily work-shift exposure assessments and measurements of various biomarkers in exhaled breath condensate (EBC), urine, and buccal cells.
• Biomarkers assessed included markers of lipoperoxidation, nitrosative stress, DNA oxidation, genotoxicity, and oxidative potential in exhaled air (OPEA).

Main Results:

• The study established and validated sampling procedures and analytical methods for candidate biomarkers.
• Oxidative Potential in Exhaled Air (OPEA) emerged as a promising biomarker for COPD detection, both individually and as part of a panel.
• Standardized protocols for biomarker measurements in occupational settings were demonstrated.

Conclusions:

• The ROBoCoP project successfully advanced the development and validation of COPD biomarkers in an occupational cohort.
• OPEA is a promising tool for the early detection of COPD in PM-exposed workers.
• The findings support the biomonitoring of workers for early respiratory disease detection.