MBL2 and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: However, given our findings of defects in phagocytosis of both apoptotic cells and bacteria in COPD, we focussed our current investigations on the effects of MBL on scavenger receptors that may be involved both in the clearance of apoptotic cells and NTHi, as this pathogen is present at clinically important levels (>104 CFU/ml BAL) in the lower airways of ∼1/3 COPD patients, and present in the bronchial tissues of 87% of patients with exacerbations compared with 33% of stable COPD patients and 0% of healthy controls [31].