The roles of microRNAs in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by a progressive and irreversible airflow obstruction, with an abnormal lung function. The etiology of COPD correlates with complex interactions between environmental and genetic determinants. However, the exact pathogenesis of COPD is obscure although it involves multiple aspects including oxidative stress, imbalance between proteolytic and anti-proteolytic activity, immunity and inflammation, apoptosis, and repair and destruction in both airways and lungs. Many genes have been demonstrated to be involved in those pathogenic processes of this disease in patients exposed to harmful environmental factors. Previous reports have investigated promising microRNAs (miRNAs) to disclose the molecular mechanisms for COPD development induced by different environmental exposure and genetic predisposition encounter, and find some potential miRNA biomarkers for early diagnosis and treatment targets of COPD. In this review, we summarized the expression profiles of the reported miRNAs from studies of COPD associated with environmental risk factors including cigarette smoking and air pollution exposures, and provided an overview of roles of those miRNAs in the pathogenesis of the disease. We also highlighted the potential utility and limitations of miRNAs serving as diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for COPD.