Although present at low levels in the walls and rims of alveoli, staining intensities were similar in both control (biglycan 1.0 ± 0.6, decorin 2.0 ± 0.8) and COPD patients (biglycan 1.2 ± 0.9, decorin 2.1 ± 1.3) and neither proteoglycan showed any relationship with FEV1 or with elastin Vv. The gene discussed is BGN; the disease is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.