Role of Fibrocytes in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (FIREBROB)

Role of Fibrocytes in the Bronchial Remodeling of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a frequent airway disease characterized by both bronchial inflammation and remodelling.

Bronchial mucosa is infiltrated by macrophages, neutrophils and lymphocytes. In addition, the number of eosinophils can be also increased during exacerbation.

Airway remodelling is an abnormal tissue repair following bronchial inflammation, which contributes to none reversible pathological features, such as bronchial and peri-bronchial fibrosis. It also influences the prognosis of COPD and its mechanisms remain largely unknown. The role of fibrocytes has been demonstrated in the pathophysiology of asthma, lung fibrosis or pulmonary hypertension. However, the recruitment of blood fibrocytes and their involvement in COPD airway remodelling remain unknown.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
• Intervention / Treatment: Procedure: blood sample; Procedure: Clinical and functional evaluation

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 115
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• France
  • Pessac, France, 33604
    • CHU de Bordeaux

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 40 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Study Population

Male or female aged more than 40 years

• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (CODP) patients recruited during hospitalization in Intensive care unit or as outpatients in the clinical investigation centre of the CHU de Bordeaux.
• Control group: subjects without any history of lung disease and with normal lung function testing recruited following a normal lung function testing in the clinical investigation centre of the CHU de Bordeaux.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients: diagnostic of Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbation.
• Control group: subjects without any history of lung disease and with normal lung function testing. Subjects will be separated in 2 sub-groups according to smoking history (Never smokers, smokers (former or current) and paired to patients according to age and sex.
• Written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Subject without any social security or health insurance
• Asthma, lung fibrosis or idiopathic pulmonary hypertension
• Chronic viral infections (hepatitis, HIV)

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Health Services Research
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients; COPD patients with exacerbation will be recruited during hospitalization in Intensive care unit or as outpatients in the clinical investigation centre of the CHU de Bordeaux. Inclusion visit: blood sample for fibrocytes analysis. Second visit 2 months ± 7 days after the exacerbation: clinical and functional evaluation (plethysmography, TLCO, arterial gaz), blood sample for fibrocytes analysis.	Procedure: blood sample; blood sample for fibrocytes analysis; Procedure: Clinical and functional evaluation; Plethysmography, Carbon monoxide capacity of transfer , arterial gaz
Other: Control group; Subjects without any history of lung disease and with normal lung function testing	Procedure: blood sample; blood sample for fibrocytes analysis

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Number of circulating blood fibrocytes	Sampling of blood in Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients	Day 1
Number of circulating blood fibrocytes	Sampling of blood in Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients	2 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Characterization of fibrocytes	Sampling of blood	Day 1 and at 2 months
Differenciation of blood fibrocytes	Sampling of blood	Day 1 and at 2 months
Chemotactism of blood fibrocytes	Sampling of blood	Day 1 and at 2 months
Number of exacerbation		12 months after V2
Mortality		12 months after V2
Annual decline of ventilatory function		12 months after V2

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University Hospital, Bordeaux
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Patrick BERGER, PUPH, University Hospital Bordeaux (France)

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Dupin I, Allard B, Ozier A, Maurat E, Ousova O, Delbrel E, Trian T, Bui HN, Dromer C, Guisset O, Blanchard E, Hilbert G, Vargas F, Thumerel M, Marthan R, Girodet PO, Berger P. Blood fibrocytes are recruited during acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease through a CXCR4-dependent pathway. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2016 Apr;137(4):1036-1042.e7. doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2015.08.043. Epub 2015 Oct 23.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): March 11, 2011
• Primary Completion (Actual): March 1, 2016
• Study Completion (Actual): May 31, 2016

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 1, 2010
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 6, 2010
• First Posted (Estimated): September 9, 2010

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 9, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 5, 2026
• Last Verified: February 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pathologic Processes; Chronic Disease; Disease Attributes; Respiratory Tract Diseases; Lung Diseases; Lung Diseases, Obstructive; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Investigative Techniques; Specimen Handling; Clinical Laboratory Techniques; Diagnostic Techniques and Procedures; Diagnosis; Punctures; Surgical Procedures, Operative; Blood Specimen Collection
• Other Study ID Numbers: CHUBX 2010/05; 2010-A00248-31 (Other Identifier: ANSM)