Anti-microbial immunity is impaired in COPD patients with frequent exacerbations

Aran Singanayagam; Su-Ling Loo; Maria Calderazzo; Lydia J Finney; Maria-Belen Trujillo Torralbo; Eteri Bakhsoliani; Jason Girkin; Punnam Veerati; Prabuddha S Pathinayake; Kristy S Nichol; Andrew Reid; Joseph Foottit; Sebastian L Johnston; Nathan W Bartlett; Patrick Mallia

Greater heterogeneity with trend for increased viral load was observed in BECs from frequent exacerbators ( Supplementary Fig 1) . Significant induction of IFNβ and IFNλ1 and IFNλ2/3 mRNAs from baseline was observed in both frequent and infrequent exacerbators at 72 hours post-infection ( Figure 3a ). RV induction of IFNλ1 mRNA was significantly lower in frequent versus infrequent exacerbators with a similar trend (P=0.29) observed for IFNβ mRNA but no significance difference observed for IFNλ2/3 (Fig 3a) . RV induction of the ISGs 2'-5'OAS and Viperin mRNA was also significantly lower in frequent versus exacerbators with no significant difference observed for PKR (Figure 3b ). Collectively, these data supported our in vivo findings from exacerbating patients that anti-viral responses are reduced in frequent exacerbators and extended these observations by identifying a dysregulated innate immune response in BECs defined by impaired expression of IFN and ISGs author/funder. All rights reserved. No reuse allowed without permission.