Smoking is associated with increased levels of extracellular peptidylarginine deiminase 2 (PAD2) in the lungs.

Abstract

This first demonstration of increased levels of extracellular PAD2 in the lungs of smokers supports the hypothesis that smoking promotes extracellular citrullination of proteins. This may represent a pathological event upstream for the production of anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPAs) among RA patients carrying HLA-molecules capable of binding citrullinated self-peptides.