Systemic Markers of Lung Function and Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 Second Decline across Diverse Cohorts

Abstract Rationale Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a complex disease characterized by airway obstruction and accelerated lung function decline. Our understanding of systemic protein biomarkers associated with COPD remains incomplete. Objectives To determine what proteins and pathways are associated with impaired pulmonary function in a diverse population. Methods We studied 6,722 participants across six cohort studies with both aptamer-based proteomic and spirometry data (4,566 predominantly White participants in a discovery analysis and 2,156 African American cohort participants in a validation). In linear regression models, we examined protein associations with baseline forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and FEV1/forced vital capacity (FVC). In linear mixed effects models, we investigated the associations of baseline protein levels with rate of FEV1…