Airway pathogens detected in stable and exacerbated COPD in patients in Asia-Pacific

Laura Taddei, Lucio Malvisi, David S. Hui, Ludovic Malvaux, Ronnie Z. Samoro, Sang Haak Lee, Yiu Cheong Yeung, Yu Chih Liu, Ashwani Kumar Arora

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

9 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background The burden of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the Asia-Pacific region is projected to increase. Data from other regions show bacterial and viral infections can trigger acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD). Methods This 1-year prospective epidemiological study (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03151395) of patients with moderate to very severe COPD in Hong Kong, the Philippines, South Korea and Taiwan assessed the prevalence in sputum samples (by culture and PCR) of bacterial and viral pathogens during stable COPD and AECOPD. The odds of experiencing an exacerbation was evaluated for pathogen presence, acquisition and apparition. Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) was assessed. Results 197 patients provided 983 sputum samples, with 226 provided during exacerbation episodes. The mean yearly AECOPD incidence rate was 1.27 per patient. The most prevalent bacteria by PCR at exacerbation were Haemophilus influenzae (Hi) and Moraxella catarrhalis (Mcat); Mcat prevalence was higher at exacerbation than at stable state. Virus prevalence was low, other than for human rhinovirus (HRV) (8.1%, stable state; 16.6%, exacerbation). The odds ratio (95% CI) for an exacerbation (versus stable state) was statistically significant for the presence, acquisition and apparition of Hi (2.20, 1.26–3.89; 2.43, 1.11–5.35; 2.32, 1.20–4.46, respectively), Mcat (2.24, 1.30–3.88; 5.47, 2.16–13.86; 3.45, 1.71–6.98, respectively) and HRV (2.12, 1.15–3.91; 2.22, 1.09–4.54; 2.09, 1.11–3.91, respectively). HRQOL deteriorated according to the number of exacerbations experienced. Conclusion In patients with COPD in the Asia-Pacific region, the presence of Hi, Mcat or HRV in sputum samples significantly increased the odds of an exacerbation, providing further evidence of potential roles in triggering AECOPD.

Original languageEnglish
Article number00057-2022
JournalERJ Open Research
Volume8
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Jul 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The authors thank Daniela Casula (GSK), Lucy Poynton (GSK), Sophie Eugène (GSK), Annaelisa Tasciotti (GSK), Narcisa Cuceanu (GSK), Sonia Schoonbroodt (GSK), Nathalie Devos (GSK) and Simona Rondini (GSK) for their contributions to the study. The authors also thank Dr. Marie Grace Dawn Isidro (West Visayas State University Medical Center), Dr. Araceli Maliwat (Marilao Saint Michael Family Hospital) and Dr. Bernice Ong-Dela Cruz (Chinese General Hospital and Medical Center) for collecting patient consents. The authors also thank Business & Decision Life Sciences platform for editorial assistance, manuscript coordination and writing support, on behalf of GSK. Athanasia Benekou (Business & Decision Life Sciences, on behalf of GSK) and Joanne Knowles (independent medical writer, on behalf of Business & Decision Life Sciences) provided medical writing support.

Publisher Copyright:
© The authors or their employers 2022.

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Airway pathogens detected in stable and exacerbated COPD in patients in Asia-Pacific'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this