Extracellular adenosine triphosphate is associated with airflow limitation severity and symptoms burden in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 9; no. 1; pp. 15349 - 10
• Main Authors: Hlapčić, Iva, Hulina-Tomašković, Andrea, Somborac-Bačura, Anita, Rajković, Marija Grdić, Dugac, Andrea Vukić, Popović-Grle, Sanja, Rumora, Lada
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 25.10.2019; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 631/45; 631/80; 692/420/256; Adenosine triphosphate; Adenosine Triphosphate - metabolism; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; ATP; Blood; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Extracellular Space - metabolism; Female; Gene expression; Gene Expression Regulation; Gold; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Lung diseases; Male; Middle Aged; multidisciplinary; Obstructive lung disease; Polymerase chain reaction; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive - metabolism; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive - pathology; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive - physiopathology; Quality of life; Receptors, Purinergic P2 - genetics; Receptors, Purinergic P2 - metabolism; Respiratory Function Tests; RNA, Messenger - genetics; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Severity of Illness Index; Smoking; Smoking - adverse effects
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-51855-w
• ISSN: 2045-2322

Extracellular adenosine triphosphate (eATP)-driven inflammation was observed in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) but was not investigated in patients’ blood. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate eATP concentration in plasma of COPD patients and its association with disease severity and smoking. Study included 137 patients with stable COPD and 95 control subjects. eATP concentration was determined in EDTA plasma by luminometric method, and mRNA expression of eATP receptors P2X7R and P2Y2R was analysed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). eATP concentration was increased in COPD patients compared to controls (P < 0.001). Moreover, it was increasing with disease severity (GOLD 2–4) as well as symptoms burden and exacerbations history (GOLD A–D) (P < 0.05). eATP in healthy smokers differed from healthy non-smokers (P < 0.05) but was similar to GOLD 2 and GOLD A patients. eATP showed great diagnostic performances (OR = 12.98, P < 0.001) and correctly classified 79% of study participants. It demonstrated association with FEV 1 and multicomponent indices (ADO, BODEx, BODCAT, CODEx, DOSE). Regarding gene expression, P2Y2R was increased in the blood of COPD patients. Plasma eATP could become a diagnostic and/or prognostic biomarker in COPD, as it seems to be associated with patients’ condition, quality of life and disease progression.