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NHLBI TOPMed: Genetic Epidemiology of COPD (COPDGene)

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, and the only leading cause of death that is steadily increasing in frequency. This project established a racially diverse cohort that is sufficiently large and appropriately designed for genome-wide association analysis of COPD. A total of 10,720 subjects were recruited, including control smokers and nonsmokers, definite COPD cases (GOLD Stage 2 to 4), and subjects not included in either group (GOLD 1 and PRISm). This cohort is being used for cross-sectional analysis, and long-term longitudinal follow-up visits after five years and after ten years are also being performed. The primary focus of the study is to identify the genetic risk factors that determine susceptibility for COPD and COPD-related phenotypes. Detailed phenotyping of both cases and controls, including chest CT scan assessment of emphysema and airway disease, will allow identification of genetic determinants for the heterogeneous components of the COPD syndrome.

The aims for this study are:

  1. Precise phenotypic characterization of COPD subjects using computed tomography, as well as clinical and physiological measures, that will provide data to enable the broad COPD syndrome to be decomposed into clinically significant subtype;
  2. Genome-wide association studies will identify genetic determinants for COPD susceptibility that will provide insight into clinically relevant COPD subtypes;
  3. Distinct genetic determinants influence the development of emphysema and airway disease. The TOPMed analysis will include approximately 10,500 subjects with whole genome sequencing after quality control is completed.

Comprehensive phenotypic data for COPDGene subjects is available through dbGaP study phs000179.