Thorax 1999;54:245-252 ( March )

Review series

Genetics and pulmonary medicine  9

Molecular genetics of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Peter J Barnes

Department of Thoracic Medicine, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, London SW3 6LY, UK

Correspondence to: Professor P J Barnes.

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

	Introduction

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major cause of ill health and is increasing in many parts of the world. It is one of the commonest causes of death and the only common cause of death which is increasing. COPD is characterised by a slowly progressive irreversible airflow obstruction that is due to a loss of lung elasticity resulting from parenchymal destruction and peripheral airflow obstruction. Cigarette smoking is currently a causal factor in more than 90% of patients in westernised societies, so environmental factors are clearly very important in the disease.¹ However, in Caucasians only 10-20% of chronic heavy cigarette smokers develop symptomatic COPD, suggesting that genetic factors are likely to be important in determining which cigarette smokers are at risk from developing airflow obstruction. Furthermore, some patients develop airflow obstruction at an earlier age, again suggesting that genetic factors may determine the progression of COPD. Patients who . . . [Full text of this article]

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