Nitrosative and oxidative stress in virus-induced COPD exacerbations

Background. Nitrosative and oxidative stress are involved in the pathogenesis of COPD but their role in acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD) is unclear. We used experimental rhinovirus (RV) infection to examine the role of RNS and oxidative stress in AECOPD. Methods. 9 COPD subjects, 9 smokers (SMK) and 8 non-smokers (NS) were successfully infected with RV. Induced sputum (IS) was collected prior to infection and on days 3, 5, 9, 12, 15, 21 and 42 post-infection. Markers of nitrosative and oxidative stress 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT), 8-hydroxy-29-deoxyguanosine (8-OHDG) and 8-isoprostane, and inflammatory mediators were measured in IS supernatants. Results. At baseline 3-NT levels were significantly higher in the COPD group compared to both NS (P Conclusions. Following RV infection nitrosative and oxidative stress are increased in COPD. The marker of nitrosative stress 3-NT correlates with levels of inflammatory mediators in sputum. Oxidative and nitrosative stress are potential targets for the development of novel therapies for AECOPD.