Tobacco.org

Smoking Conspires with Viruses to Advance COPD 

NEW HAVEN, Conn., July 24 -- Cigarette smoke in mice can exaggerate lung responses to viral infections, which could explain some heretofore mysterious aspects of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, researchers here said

Mice infected with influenza virus showed higher lung levels of cytokines and other inflammatory markers and more extensive alveolar remodeling when they breathed cigarette smoke rather than plain room air, reported Jack A. Elias, M.D., of Yale, and colleagues online in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

Both smoke and viral infection were required to see the alveolar remodeling, they found. Uninfected animals showed no difference in alveolar chord length if they breathed smoke versus room air.

Jump to full article »