TY - JOUR T1 - Activin-A: active in inflammation in COPD JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J SP - 954 LP - 955 DO - 10.1183/09031936.00011414 VL - 43 IS - 4 AU - Navessa P. Tania AU - Martina Schmidt AU - Reinoud Gosens Y1 - 2014/04/01 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/43/4/954.abstract N2 - Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterised by irreversible airflow limitation in which chronic inflammation of the airways plays a major role. The persistent inflammation is triggered by inhaled toxic substances, such as cigarette smoke. Accumulating evidence indicates the involvement of developmental pathways in chronic lung diseases, including COPD [1]. Signalling pathways such as transforming growth factor (TGF)-β, WNT and Sonic hedgehog have all been linked to COPD, either because of genetic associations or because of differential gene and protein expression in lung tissue [2–4]. Although these pathways were originally primarily known for their role in development, it is now increasingly clear that these pathways also play crucial regulatory roles in tissue inflammation and repair, providing a plausible explanation for the involvement of these pathways in COPD [3].Activin-A, a member of the TGF-β superfamily, is an important regulator of embryonic development, haematopoiesis and a broad range of tightly regulated biological processes, including immunity and tissue repair [5]. Dysregulation of activin-A may contribute to the development of disease. Recently, increased expression of activin-A has been demonstrated in pulmonary hypertension [6], acute lung … ER -