The Relation of Serum Myeloperoxidase to Disease Progression and Mortality in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Myeloperoxidase is a strong oxidant stored in primary granules of neutrophils with potent antibacterial and proatherogenic properties. Myeloperoxidase has been implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, the relationship of myeloperoxidase to health outcomes in COPD is not well known. We measured serum myeloperoxidase levels from 4,677 subjects with mild to moderate airflow limitation in the Lung Health Study. Using a Cox proportional hazards model, we determined the relationship of serum myeloperoxidase concentration to the risk of all-cause and disease specific causes of mortality. We found that serum myeloperoxidase concentrations were significantly related to accelerated decline in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) over 11 years of follow-up (p<0.0001), and this association persisted after adjustments for age, sex, race, baseline FEV1, and smoking status (p = 0.048). Serum myeloperoxidase concentrations were also associated with increased risk of cardiovascular mortality (p = 0.036). Individuals in the highest quintile of myeloperoxidase had a hazard ratio of cardiovascular mortality of 1.90 (95% confidence interval 1.00–3.58; p = 0.049) compared with those in the lowest quintile, which was particularly notable in patients who continued to smoke (adjusted p-value of 0.0396). However, serum myeloperoxidase concentration was not related to total mortality, respiratory mortality, or deaths from malignancies. In conclusion, increased serum myeloperoxidase levels are associated with rapid lung function decline and poor cardiovascular outcomes in COPD patients, which support the emerging role of myeloperoxidase in the pathogenesis of COPD progression and cardiovascular disease.