Differential lung tissue gene expression in males and females: implications for the susceptibility to develop COPD (original) (raw)

Several studies have shown that sexual dimorphisms exist with respect to the susceptibility to smoking and the clinical presentation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) [1, 2]. Females with COPD have a faster annual decline in their forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) than males, even with a similar number of pack-years smoking [3, 4]. In addition, females develop a different type of COPD to males with less severe emphysematous destruction, but thicker small airway walls [5]. Several factors may contribute to the observed sex differences, e.g. smoking behaviour or exposures to other environmental agents [6, 7].