Identification of Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarkers in the Pathological Continuum of Bronco Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis and Pulmonary Neoplasia

Primary Objective: To evaluate the association between inflammatory, immunological, genetic, and epigenetic biomarkers measured at enrollment and the clinical, functional, and phenotypic characteristics of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), and lung cancer. Secondary Objective: To assess the prognostic value of the identified biomarkers by evaluating their ability to predict clinical outcomes at 12 months. Primary Outcome Measure: Association between baseline inflammatory, immunological, genetic, and epigenetic biomarkers and disease-specific clinical, functional, and phenotypic characteristics assessed at enrollment, including: COPD: current or former smokers, stratified according to the predominant phenotype (emphysema or bronchiolitis); IPF: rapid progressors, slow progressors, and patients with combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE); Lung cancer: current smokers, former smokers who quit less than 15 years before enrollment, former smokers who quit 15 years or more before enrollment, and never-smokers. Secondary Outcome Measure: Predictive performance of baseline inflammatory, immunological, genetic, and epigenetic biomarkers for 12-month clinical outcomes.