VEGFA and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: There was no significant difference in the mean (SE) serum levels of VEGF between patients with COPD and controls (COPD: 282.7 (13.3) pg/ml; smokers: 318.4 (19.6) pg/ml; non-smoker controls: 296.8 (26.1) pg/ml, p = 0.35, F test between the three samples).