In summary, we have shown that participants with COPD had significantly higher levels of airway IL-8, NE, OSM, and TLR2 mRNA and an increased release of IL-8, MMP-9 and OSM protein, and gene expression of IL-8, OSM, TLR4 and TLR2 from peripheral blood neutrophils in response to in vitro TLR stimulation. Here, MMP9 is linked to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.