Infection Blocks Lung's Protective Response Against Tobacco Smoke

An infection that often goes undetected can block the lung's natural protective response against tobacco smoke, according to researchers at National Jewish Health. Mice exposed to tobacco smoke infected with the common lung pathogen Myclplasma pneumoniae fail to mount the protective antioxidant response in the lungs that mice do when exposed to tobacco smoke alone. The findings suggest one mechanism that may cause a minority of smokers to develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

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