Elevated Urinary Marker Linked With Poor Health in COPD

Elevated urine 11-dehydro-thromboxane B2 (11dTxB2)—a metabolite of the platelet activation product thromboxane
A2—was linked with poor health status and QOL, as well as worse respiratory symptoms, in patients with
moderate-severe COPD, according to a study published in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Ashraf
Fawzy, MD, MPH, and colleagues conducted a study of former smokers (N=169) with spirometry-confirmed COPD
and measured urine 11dTxB2, plasma soluble CD40L, and soluble P-selectin during a 6- to 9-month period.
Respiratory symptoms, health status, and QOL were evaluated for their link with each biomarker via
multivariate mixed-effects models adjusted for clinical characteristics, demographics, and medication
use. A 100% increase in 11dTxB2 was linked with worse respiratory symptoms reflected by higher scores on
the COPD Assessment Test (β, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.11–1.4) and Ease of Cough and Sputum Clearance Questionnaire
(β, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.38–1.2). In addition, worse health status was revealed via the Clinical COPD Questionnaire
(β, 0.13; 95% CI, 0.03-0.23) and worse QOL, via the St.George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (β, 1.9; 95% CI, 0.39-3.4).