Surfactant Protein B Plasma Levels: Reliability as a Biomarker in COPD Patients

Area of Science:

• Pulmonary Medicine
• Biomarker Discovery
• Respiratory Research

Background:

• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) diagnosis relies on clinical signs and functional tests.
• Current diagnostic methods lack reliable biomarkers for COPD pathogenesis and severity.
• The need for novel biomarkers to assess COPD progression is critical.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between serum surfactant protein B (Sp-B) levels and clinical, radiological, and functional parameters in COPD patients.
• To explore Sp-B as a potential prognostic biomarker for lung function decline in COPD.
• To compare Sp-B levels in COPD patients versus healthy smokers.

Main Methods:

• Enrolled 40 COPD patients and 20 healthy smokers.
• Administered questionnaires (CAT, mMRC), 6-minute walk test (6MWT), spirometry, DLCO, and CT scans.
• Quantified plasma Sp-B levels using ELISA and assessed changes over 12 months.

Main Results:

• COPD patients exhibited significantly higher plasma Sp-B levels than controls (4.72 ± 3.2 vs. 1.78 ± 1.5 ng/mL, p < 0.001).
• A negative correlation was observed between the change in Sp-B levels and the change in FEV1 over 12 months (r = -0.4, p < 0.05).
• Increasing Sp-B levels predicted a decline in pulmonary function.

Conclusions:

• Surfactant protein B (Sp-B) shows potential as a valuable biomarker for COPD assessment.
• Sp-B levels may offer prognostic information regarding lung functional decline in COPD.
• Further research is warranted to establish the definitive reliability of Sp-B as a COPD biomarker.