Interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 blood levels’ poor association with the severity and clinical profile of ex-smokers with COPD

Abstract

Increased IL-6 was mainly associated with smoking burden, in patients who had smoked for more than 30 pack-years and exhibited a bronchitis phenotype. No direct association was observed for both IL-6 and IL-8 blood levels with the severity of COPD in ex-smokers.