As a result we found that a higher proportion of fibroblasts from patients with emphysema exhibited SA-β-Gal activity and that these cells showed an increased expression of senecence-associated IGFBP-rP1 and IGFBP-3 genes and of IGFBP-3 protein, whereas no difference in telomere length could be detected compared to fibroblasts from controls. This evidence concerns the gene IGFBP3 and pulmonary emphysema.