New study challenges description of airway inflammation in smokers and COPD patients

A new study challenges the widely accepted but oversimplified description of airway inflammation in smokers and patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

By analyzing airway wall tissue from individuals, investigators found that there are significantly fewer cells in the airway wall of smokers and mild to moderate COPD patients than in healthy controls, with a surprising decrease in some key inflammatory cells.

"Airway inflammation in COPD is a true paradox," said Dr. Sukhwinder Singh Sohal, senior author of the Respirology study.