Modulation of Genes Responsible for Cilia Length by Exposure to Cigarette Smoke

Cigarette smoking is the major risk factor for developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Patients with COPD have difficulty clearing mucus and debris from their airways. Even smokers who have not developed COPD may have difficulty clearing the airways. This is partly because smoking impairs the function of cilia, tiny hairs lining the airways that sweep out mucus to keep the airways clean. The investigators have found that smoking reduces the length of cilia, which may contribute to the worsened cilia function in smoking and COPD. This is true even in smokers who show no signs of lung disease. The investigators believe that smoking affects levels of genes in lung cells, resulting in shorter cilia.

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.