Respiratory Microbiome in COPD and Associated Inmune Response.

Respiratory Microbiome in COPD. Relationship With Systemic and Pulmonary Inmune Response.

Hypothesis:

COPD patients with frequent exacerbations have different pulmonary and systemic immune response than COPD patients without frequent exacerbations and this is related to their microbiome.

The objective of this project is to determine the pulmonary microbiome and its relationship with the pulmonary and systemic inmune response in COPD patients with frequent (FE) and non frequent exacerbations (NE).

1. The pulmonary immune response.

   -The role of mucins, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and Toll-like receptors (TLRs) as lung defense mechanisms and their possible relationship with the microbiome in COPD and FE patients.

2. The systemic immune response. -The pulmonary and blood inflammatory response and circulating bacterial products as markers of the systemic immune response.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Diagnosis of COPD according to national and international guidelines.
2. Clinical stability (8 previous weeks).
3. Signature of informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Antibiotic treatment the previous 8 weeks.
2. Other lung diseases.
3. Active neoplasic disease.
4. Terminal concomitant disease.