Chronic Respiratory Disease
 Prof John Upham
Respiratory Medicine, UQ
Research into Chronic Respiratory Disease
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (also known as COPD or emphysema) is characterised by damage to the air passages and alveoli (air sacs in the lung). The most common cause of COPD in Australia is smoking, while in some parts of the world smoke from cooking fires is also a common cause of COPD. The most effective treatment intervention is avoidance of smoke exposure. While this usually slows the rate of decline in lung function, patients often experience continuing ill health even after stopping smoking due to persisting inflammation in the lung. It is important to understand the mechanisms that cause self-perpetuating lung inflammation in COPD in order to develop new treatment approaches.
COPD patients also seem to be unusually susceptible to viral infections. While many viruses cause only a simple ‘cold’ in healthy people, in COPD patients a minor virus infection can cause a serious deterioration in lung function necessitating hospitalisation. Our studies are examining how the immune system functions in COPD patients, and how this impacts on susceptibility to virus infections.
To date blood samples have been obtained from approximately forty COPD patients and a similar number of healthy people. Methods for culturing rhinovirus, the most common respiratory virus, have been established, and we will shortly commence laboratory studies looking at the effects of rhinovirus on lung cells and blood cells of COPD patients.
With the involvement of Dr Daniel Smith, Respiratory Registrar, we have also commenced a project measuring blood levels of sRAGE, an anti-inflammatory protein. Preliminary data indicates that sRAGE levels are significantly reduced in COPD compared to healthy people. These findings will be presented early next year at the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand conference. In 2009 we are planning to determine whether sRAGE might be also be involved in the risk of heart disease, a common complication in COPD patients
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