Upregulation of ICAM-1 and IL-1β protein expression promotes lung injury in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a devastating lung disorder characterized by sustained airway flow restriction that is not fully reversible. The precise pathogenic mechanisms are unknown, but it is clear that cigarette smoking and chronic inflammatory stimulation are the major causes of COPD. Lung inflammation associated with COPD involves multiple cytokines, aggregation, and activation of neutrophils in the airway and lung tissue, and release of proteases and oxygen free radicals.