Surfactant protein D and bronchial dysplasia in smokers at high risk of lung cancer.

BACKGROUND

Surfactant dysfunction has been implicated in both lung cancer and COPD. This study evaluated the relationship between surfactant protein D (SP-D) and the progression of bronchial dysplasia in heavy smokers.

METHODS

SP-D and oxidized glutathione levels were determined in samples of BAL fluid from 71 ex-smokers and current heavy smokers who participated in a lung cancer chemoprevention study with inhaled budesonide therapy. Bronchoscopy with biopsies was performed at baseline and was repeated at 6 months. The primary end point was the progression of bronchial dysplasia over 6 months.

RESULTS

Log-normalized SP-D levels in BAL fluid were significantly associated with the progression of bronchial dysplasia. A 1-U decrease in log-normalized SP-D levels at baseline was associated with a 3.2-fold increase (95% confidence interval, 1.24 to 8.26) in the risk for progression. Reduced FEV(1) also predicted the progression of bronchial dysplasia (p < 0.05). Additional reductions in BAL fluid SP-D levels over the 6 months further increased the risk of progression (odds ratio, 1.76 for a 1-U decrease in log-normalized SP-D levels in BAL fluid; p = 0.023). Thirty-seven percent of the variation in SP-D levels in BAL fluid was related positively to the subject's FEV(1)/FVC ratio, and inversely to their plasma C-reactive protein levels and number of pack-years of smoking.

CONCLUSION

Reduced SP-D expression in BAL fluid was associated with the progression of bronchial dysplasia. SP-D levels in BAL fluid may serve as a potential biomarker to identify smokers who are at risk of early lung cancer.