Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin and interleukin-6: Potential biomarker for asthma- COPD overlap, differentiation from asthma and COPD

Abstract

Asthma-COPD overlap (ACO) is a disorder that combines clinical signs of bronchial asthma and COPD – fixed airways obstruction and/or significant reversibility of the bronchial obstruction, rapid progression, poor quality of life, higher mortality, frequent and severe exacerbations compared to COPD and asthma alone. The aim of our study is to determine the neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) plasma levels and to analyze their association with peripheral eosinophilia and exacerbations of patients with asthma-COPD overlap (ACO), Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. Our results, based on 81 patients, indicate that the plasma levels of NGAL and IL-6 are significantly elevated in ACO and are associated with blood eosinophilia and exacerbations. NGAL and IL-6 may be useful biomarkers for differentiation of patients with frequent exacerbations and ACO.

Keywords:

• asthma
• COPD
• overlap
• biomarkers
• exacerbation

Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are openly available at https://osf.io/rf428/?view_only=3fb71f456d264394a22518a96a9df329

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Medical University of Sofia - Grant “Young Scientist” 134/2019.