Jeong I, et al. - Given that only some smokers develop COPD with emphysema, authors evaluated the molecular pathogenesis of early-stage COPD with emphysema using gene expression profiling of human lung tissues. In subjects with COPD, differences in gene expression were identified according to emphysema status using RNA-Seq transcriptome analysis. Researchers noted the probability of the findings to have mechanistic implications in COPD. Findings suggested a marked increase and decrease in the CHRM3 gene, previously reported to be associated with COPD, and HDAC10, respectively, in the COPD without emphysema group.