Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with an increased risk of death, reducing life expectancy on average between 5 and 7 years. The survival time after diagnosis, however, varies considerably as a result of the heterogeneity of COPD. Therefore, markers that predict individual survival of COPD patients are of great value. We analyzed baseline molecular profiles and collected 54 months of follow-up data of the cohort study "COPD and SYstemic consequences-COmorbidities NETwork" (COSYCONET). Genome-wide microRNA signatures from whole blood collected at time of the inclusion in the study were generated for 533 COPD patients including patients that deceased during the 54-month follow-up period (n = 53) and patients that survived this period (n = 480). We identified two blood-born microRNAs (miR-150-5p and miR-320b) that were highly predictive for survival of COPD patients. The expression change was then confirmed by RT-qPCR in 245 individuals. Ninety percent of patients with highest expression of miR-150-5p survived the 54-month period in contrast to only 50% of patients with lowest expression intensity. Moreover, the abundance of the oncogenic miR-150-5p in blood of COPD patients was predictive for the development of cancer. Thus, molecular profiles measured at the time of a COPD diagnosis have a high predictive power for the survival of patients.
Keywords: COPD; cancer; miRNA; survival.