About COPD

COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) is a pulmonary disease characterised by airway obstruction and destruction of lung tissue. The main cause of this disease is smoking of tobacco. Minor causes are air pollution, occupational exposure to small particles or a genetically based deficiency of alpha1- antitrypsin.

COPD develops slowly, but relentlessly progressive. The damage done to the lung tissue is irreversible. COPD strongly influences quality of life in a negative way. The more the disease progresses, the more debilitating the disease is. COPD shortens life expectancy with 9 years on average. According to the World Health Organisation COPD is the fourth cause of death in the world and will be the third cause of death in 2020. More than 80 million people worldwide have moderate to severe COPD, more than 5 million people died of COPD in 2005.

At the moment there is no cure for COPD. At best treatment leads to stabilising the disease or slowing done the pace of the disease process. Stop smoking is the first line of treatment. Several drugs can alleviate symptoms of COPD, but can not stop the disease process. Physical activity can boost the condition of the patient and so alleviate symptoms.

Spirometry is the most frequently used diagnostic test for COPD. However, recent data show that many patients with early or advanced COPD are being missed with diagnosis based on spirometry only. Therefore there is a need for more accurate diagnostic tests for COPD, especially COPD in a mild stage. The aim of COPACETIC to supply data that will lead to the development of genetically based forms of diagnosis for COPD. This genetic approach is based on the observation that susceptibility for COPD varies dramatically between individuals. Differences in genetic makeup are most likely to underlay these differences in susceptibility.

Moreover, the pathogenesis of COPD is poorly understood. More knowledge about genes that are involved in the susceptibility of COPD could also lead to more knowledge of biochemical pathways that underlay the pathogenesis of COPD.