Differential Expression of Vitamin E and Selenium-Responsive Genes by Disease Severity in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

AbstractAntioxidant nutritional status is hypothesized to influence chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) susceptibility and progression. Although past studies relate antioxidants to gene expression, there are no data in patients with COPD. This study investigated the hypothesis that antioxidant status is compromised in patients with COPD, and antioxidant-responsive genes differentially express in a similar pattern. Lung tissue samples from patients with COPD were assayed for vitamin E and gene expression. Selenium and vitamin E were assayed in corresponding plasma samples. Discovery based genome-wide expression analysis compared moderate, severe, and very severe COPD (GOLD II-IV) patients to mild and at-risk/normal (GOLD 0-I). Hypotheses-driven analyses assessed differential gene expression by disease severity for vitamin E-responsive and selenium-responsive genes. GOLD II-IV COPD patients had 30% lower lung tissue vitamin E levels compared to GOLD 0-I participants (p = 0.0082). No statistically s...