Upregulated pneumococcal adhesion molecule (platelet-activating factor receptor) may predispose COPD patients to community-acquired pneumonia

Abstract

Shakti Dhar Shukla,1,2 Philip M Hansbro,1,2 Eugene Haydn Walters3 1School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, 2Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, NSW, 3School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, AustraliaWe read with great interest the recent paper by Braeken et al which analyzed the associations between COPD and community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), published in your journal.1 In this large population-based study, the authors have concluded that the risk of CAP increases fourfold in patients with COPD, independent of smoking status. The authors briefly discuss potential smoking-induced mechanisms leading to increased risk of CAP in COPD, such as host physiological and structural changes, increased bacterial virulence and impaired host immunity. The authors also stress the need for further mechanistic studies on the cause of this increased risk of CAP in COPD patients.1View the original paper by Braeken and colleagues. 

Keywords

• CAP
• COPD
• platelet activating factor receptor
• COPD exacerbations