The molecular and cellular mechanisms associated with the destruction of terminal bronchioles in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The reduction in terminal bronchioles observed in lungs from patients with COPD occurs in a "hot spot" of microscopic emphysema, where there is upregulation of IFNG signaling, costimulatory immune checkpoint genes, genes related to the inflammasome pathway, and increased infiltration of immune cells, profiles which could be potential targets for therapeutic interventions in COPD.