Cytokine biomarkers of exacerbations in sputum from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease patients: a prospective cohort study.

Measurement of cytokines in sputum from COPD patients could help identify bacteria-associated exacerbations based on increased concentrations of IL-1α, IL-1β, or TNF-α. This finding may provide a point-of-care assessment to distinguish a bacterial exacerbation of COPD from other exacerbation types.