This article published in European Respiratory Journal throws light on the association of degradation of hyaluronic acid with airflow limitation and impairment of lung function.

Papakonstantinou E, et al. - Given the significant role of hyaluronic acid (HA) and its degradation products in lung pathophysiology and airway remodeling in COPD, researchers investigated whether HA and its degrading enzyme hyaluronidase-1 (HYAL-1) are associated with COPD severity and outcome.

In a discovery cohort of 80 COPD patients at stable state and exacerbations, serum HA was assessed. They examined 638 COPD patients from the PROMISE validation cohort for HA, HYAL-1, and HYAL-1 enzymatic activity at stable state, exacerbations, and 4 weeks after exacerbations. In the discovery cohort, they observed higher serum HA at exacerbations vs stable disease. Higher HA was noted at moderate and severe exacerbations vs baseline and remained higher after 4 weeks in the validation cohort.

HA was noted to be strongly predictive for overall survival as it was correlated with time to death independently of adjusted Charlson-score, annual exacerbation rate, and BODE-index. Association of degradation of HA with airflow limitation and impairment of lung function was evident.