In COPD, the neutrophil chemokine IL‐8 and proinflammatory cytokines IL‐1 and TNF‐α play a more prominent role.3 In our study, the bronchoalveolar lavage cytokine profile was not analyzed; however, circulating cytokine profiles showed no differences in the expression of proinflammatory and Th2 cytokine profiles in both asthmatic and non‐asthmatic patients, suggesting that the response during virus infection was not related to atopic status. The gene discussed is IL1B; the disease is viral infectious disease.