Among the 42 studied candidate genes, the expressions of mRNA for catalase, glutathion S-transferase P1 (GSTP1), glutathion S-transferase M1 (GSTM1), microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEPHX) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 2 (TIMP2) were significantly decreased in COPD lung tissues compared with those in non-COPD tissues, and most of these decreases were significantly correlated with the degree of airflow limitation. On the other hand, the expressions of mRNA for interleukin 1β (IL-1β), interleukin 8 (IL-8), growth-related oncogene-α (Gro-α) and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) were significantly increased in COPD lungs. Most of these changes were also associated with cigarette smoking.
These data suggest that an impairment of protective mechanisms against oxidants and xenobiotics, in addition to the upregulation of CXC- and CC-chemokines, may be associated with cigarette smoking and involved in the inflammatory process of COPD.