An observational study in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Emphysema and Chronic Bronchitis, sponsored by Karolinska Institutet. Active, not recruiting at 1 site in Sweden. Open to participants aged 45 Years to 65 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-03-28.
Sponsored by Karolinska Institutet · Observational
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is an increasing global health problem, which primarily increases among the female population. The purpose of this study is to perform in-depth clinical and molecular characterizations of early stage COPD patients, as well as healthy never-smoker and at-risk smoking control populations to identify molecularly related subgroups patients, including gender-related sub-phenotypes of COPD.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is an umbrella diagnosis defined by obstructive lung function impairments, and is likely to be caused by a multitude of etiologies including environmental exposures, genetic predispositions and developmental factors. Due to the heterogeneity of the disease, molecular and mechanistic sub-phenotyping of COPD represents an essential step to facilitate the development of relevant diagnostic and treatment options for this constantly growing patient group. In the Karolinska COSMIC study, the investigators are investigating molecular sub-phenotypes of smoking-induced COPD. A particular focus relates to recent epidemiological indications of gender differences in both incidence and severity of disease, with post-menopausal women being at greatest risk. The study encompasses profiling of mRNA, miRNA, proteomes, metabolomes and lipid mediators of from multiple lung compartments (airway epithelium, alveolar macrophages, exosomes, and bronchoalveolar exudates) using a range of 'omics platforms, in combination with extensive clinical phenotyping of early stage COPD patients, never-smokers, and smokers with normal lung function from both genders. The primary objective of the study is to identify molecular sub-phenotypes of patients with COPD, specifically by correlating clinical phenotypes multi-molecular 'omics profiling from multiple lung compartments of early stage COPD patients compared to healthy and at-risk control populations. Secondary goals involve identification of subsets of prognostic/diagnostic biomarkers for classification of the defined subgroups, as well as relevant pharmaceutical targets.
Participants from all groups are recruited from the general population through advertisements.
Exclusion Criteria:
Participants with mild-to-moderate COPD (GOLD I-II)
Actively smoking participants with normal lung function (do not have COPD)
Healthy participants that never have smoked
Forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1)
Time frame: Measured at baseline and up to 10 year follow-up
Emphysema, as shown on chest CT scan
Time frame: Measured at baseline and up to 10 year follow-up
Airway wall thickness on chest CT scan
Time frame: Measured at baseline and up to 10 year follow-up
COPD status (COPD participants versus control group participants)
Time frame: Measured at baseline and up to 10 year follow-up
Molecular gender differences
Molecular levels investigated: mRNA, miRNA, proteome, metabolome, lipidome
Time frame: Measured at baseline
Plan to share: Yes — The deidentified clinical phenotype data has been disseminated through peer reviewed publication
This study is active, not recruiting, as verified in Mar 2025. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Karolinska Institutet