Dissociation between airway and systemic autoantibody responses in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

BACKGROUND: Autoimmune processes have been implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, the relationship between airway and systemic autoantibody responses remains unclear. The aim of this study was to elucidate this relationship in patients with stable COPD by investigating the correlation patterns between sputum and serum autoantibodies. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, sputum supernatant and …