The Effect of Smoking on the Transcriptional Regulation of Lung Inflammation in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Abstract

These data propose a role for modification of nucleosomal structure in inflammatory cytokine gene transcription in response to smoking. The imbalance between histone deacetylation and acetylation in favor of acetylation may contribute to the enhanced inflammation in smokers susceptible to the development of COPD.