BCL2 and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: Bcl2 was expressed in LYM of COPD and non-COPD smokers, but the ratio of bcl2 positive LYM (bcl2 positive LYM/total LYM) did not differ significantly between smokers with or without COPD (0.6 ± 0.1 versus 0.5 ± 0.1, p = 0.5), (Figure 4C).