Study of the Involvement of IL-17 / IL-22 Pathway in Bacterial Exacerbations of COPD

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a worldwide chronic inflammatory disease of the airways linked to environmental exposure. The chronic course of COPD is often interrupted by acute exacerbations which have a major impact on the morbidity and mortality of COPD patients. A bacterial etiology for these exacerbations is common (almost 50%). Moreover, airway bacterial colonization linked to an increased susceptibility is observed in COPD patients. Effective Th17 immune response is needed to develop a good response against bacteria. Thus, this study aims to demonstrate that there is a defective IL-17/ IL-22 response to bacteria in COPD leading to airway bacterial colonization and infection.