In this study, we will use bronchoscopy (inserting a scope into the lungs) to obtain lung cells by brushing cells from the airways and we will study genes that may be related to cilia length. Our goals are (1) to prove that exposure to cigarette smoke results in shorter cilia, (2) to learn which specific genes control cilia length, and (3) to learn how smoking affects the gene ODF2 and what effect this has on cilia. Understanding how smoking affects cilia may help us identify new ways to treat patients with COPD.
