Club cell secretory protein 16 (cc16) is causally related to lung function decline in individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease using integrative genomics

: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the third leading cause of death worldwide. Club Cell Secretory Protein 16 Background (CC16) is lung-specific protein believed to have anti-inflammatory properties in the airways. CC16 can be detected in peripheral blood and serum concentrations have been shown to be negatively correlated with lung function decline in COPD. We sought to identify the genetic determinants of CC16 serum levels and lung tissue mRNA and apply a Mendelian randomization approach to estimate the extent of causal relationship between CC16 levels and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV) decline.1: The Lung Health Study (LHS) is a longitudinal multicenter study of mild-to-moderate COPD subjects, who were followed over 11 Methods years. In year 5, CC16 serum levels were measured in 4,061 individuals who on whom genome-wide genotypes are available. A …