Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the fourth leading cause of death in the
United States. The precise role of bacterial infection in the course and pathogenesis of …

Rationale: Respiratory pathogens are frequently isolated from the airways of patients with
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the absence of an exacerbation. This …

Rationale: Increased bacterial concentration (load) in the lower airways and new bacterial
strain acquisition have been posited as mechanisms for chronic obstructive pulmonary …

Our understanding of the pathogenesis and consequences of acute exacerbations of
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has increased considerably in the past …

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the most common chronic respiratory
condition in adults and is characterized by progressive airflow limitation that is not fully …

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a disease manifested by significantly
impaired airflow, afflicts∼ 14.2 million cases in the United States alone with an estimated 63 …

Acute exacerbations are significant events in the course of COPD. The pathogenesis of
exacerbations was poorly understood, specifically, the role of bacteria was highly …

Role of Bacterial Infection in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Four potential
contributions of infection to the clinical course of COPD are generally considered by …

The role of infection in exacerbations of COPD remains controversial and incompletely
understood. Although some investigators believe that bacteria are not important for patients …

Rationale: Inflammation is now recognized as an integral part of the pathogenesis of chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In contrast to the sterile airways of normal lungs …