IL6R and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: High levels of IL-6 are released by sputum and BAL macrophages in vitro3 and IL-6 is increased in sputum of patients with COPD during exacerbations.30 In our study, BAL levels of IL-6, but not its soluble decoy receptor, were increased in COPD despite no change in the numbers of IL-6+ and IL-6R+ cells.