Submucosal infiltrate
| Normal subjects | Smokers (GOLD 0) | Mild-to-severe COPD (GOLD 1–3) | p-value controls GOLD 0 | p-value controls GOLD 1–3 | p-value GOLD 0 GOLD 1–3 | |
| Macrophages | 10 (5–39) | 24 (19–45) | 35 (17–75) | <0.0004 | <0.0001 | <0.0004 |
| CD8+ positive cells | 0 (0–0) | 17 (12–22) | 25 (15–43) | <0.0001 | <0.0001 | <0.02 |
| CD45R0 positive cells | 44 (41–54) | 57 (25–70) | 120 (97–159) | ns | <0.0002 | <0.0002 |
| Neutrophils | 0 (0–2) | 0.5 (0–5) | 0.2 (0–4) | ns | ns | ns |
| Leptin positive cells | 10 (0–53) | 17 (12–26) | 110 (91–154) | ns | <0.0001 | <0.0001 |
| Leptin receptor positive cells | 45 (26–52) | 26 (18–70) | 30 (15–50) | ns | ns | ns |
Data are presented as median (25–75 percentiles). GOLD: Global initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease; COPD: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; ns: non-significant.