Second Follow-up Study of COPD Patients and Healthy Controls for Evaluation of Predictive Non-coding RNA Biomarkers

Between 2012 and 2014, a cohort of 90 COPD subjects of disease severity grades GOLD I-IV as well as 60 healthy control subjects (30 smokers and 30 non-smokers) have been examined regarding different clinical and blood/ sputum derived biomarkers at the investigators' research center. Of this cohort, 116 subjects were re-invited for the first follow-up study Ribolution II (NTC02522026) after 3 years (+/- 6 months) and data on the clinical course and treatment changes was obtained. This second follow-up study will re-examine all available subjects regarding disease course and treatment changes after 3 years (+/-6 months) for the investigation of ncRNA/ transcriptome biomarkers for their potential to indicate disease progression. In addition, biobanking of respective biosamples for potential future COPD biomarker research will be conducted.