Trial reportRespiratory research2025
Extracellular vesicles from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid provide insights into the inhaled corticosteroids treatment response in COPD.
Trial report in Respiratory research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT00158847 (Modification of Disease Outcome in COPD. Shortterm Versus Longterm Treatment With Inhaled Corticosteroids, Either or Not Combined With a Long-Acting Beta2-Agonist.), which is not on this map. Cited by 6 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Modification of Disease Outcome in COPD. Shortterm Versus Longterm Treatment With Inhaled Corticosteroids, Either or Not Combined With a Long-Acting Beta2-Agonist.
Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed.
- Lung tumour secretome and extracellular vesicles: mechanisms, biomarkers, and therapeutic opportunities.Cancer metastasis reviews · 2026Review
- Pathophysiological and Molecular Features of DXd ADC-Related Interstitial Pneumonitis in Cynomolgus Monkeys.Cancer science · 2026Article
- Clinical peptidomics for respiratory diseases: matrices, workflows, and translation towards treatable traits, with a focus on COPD.Clinical proteomics · 2026Review
- The dual promise of extracellular vesicles in lung diseases: towards reliable biomarkers and drug delivery vectors.European respiratory review : an official journal of the European Respiratory Society · 2026Review
- Inhalable extracellular vesicles as cell-free therapeutics for chronic respiratory disease.Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology · 2026Review
- Decreased Sputum Type-2 Gene Expression in COPD Current Smokers.International journal of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundInhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are widely used to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but treatment responses vary among individuals. Identifying biomarkers that can improve our understanding of disease mechanisms and help predict ICS responsiveness is urgently needed. Extracellular vesicles (EVs), key mediators of intercellular communication, may offer novel insights and serve as a potential biomarker source.
methods34 COPD patients participated were treated for 6 months with either placebo or ICS (500 µg fluticasone ± 50 µg salmeterol). Lung function (FEV1% predicted, FEV1/FVC%, and RV/TLC% predicted) was assessed at baseline and 6 months. Proteins from BALF-derived EVs were analyzed at both time points using label-free quantitative proteomics. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis was applied to identify EV protein modules associated with lung function (n = 24) at baseline. Baseline EV protein levels were further correlated with changes in lung function after ICS treatment. Statistical analyses were performed in R (v4.3.2), using Mann-Whitney U (two groups) or Kruskal-Wallis with Dunn's post hoc (multiple groups), Student's t-test for paired data, and Pearson correlation. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.
resultsThirteen EV protein co-expression modules were identified. Each module was assigned a color-based label. The red and salmon modules showed significant associations with baseline lung function: FEV1% predicted (r = - 0.46, p = 0.02) and FEV1/FVC% (r = 0.43, p = 0.04), respectively. Furthermore, 25 proteins from the red and 11 from the salmon module were significantly correlated with lung function improvements post-ICS treatment. Members of the cystatin (CST) superfamily, particularly CST1, showed strong correlations with ΔFEV1% predicted (r = 0.61, p = 0.003) and ΔFEV1/FVC% (r = 0.46, p = 0.035). These proteins also exhibited contrasting expression patterns between ICS responders and non-responders, suggesting a potential role in treatment sensitivity and links to type 2 inflammation.
conclusionsOur findings highlight the potential of BALF-derived EVs as a biomarker source for predicting ICS responsiveness in COPD. The CST family, especially CST1, potentially serves as a valuable indicator for identifying patients who are more likely to benefit from ICS treatment.
trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00158847, pre-registered April 2000.
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