Immunologic Aspects of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Abstract

There is mounting evidence that autoimmunity has a role in the pathogenesis of COPD. Although circumstantial, indirect, and direct evidence of the role of autoimmunity in COPD has been identi-fied, no cause-and-effect relationship between autoimmunity and the mechanisms of COPD has been established. We hope that the evidence pre-sented will stimulate the research needed to clar-ify the role of autoimmunity in the pathogenesis of COPD.