The main findings of this study are, 1) AATD patients with COPD have lower circulating cytokines concentration compared to non-AATD COPD patients, 2) patients with AATD COPD receiving augmentation therapy have lower TNFα expression in skeletal muscle and a greater venous-minus-arterial difference for circulating TNFα (suggesting net efflux of TNFα from the skeletal muscle) compared to AATD COPD patients not receiving augmentation therapy, and 3) 60-minutes of sustained moderate-intensity exercise had no significant effect for any of the measured cytokines. The gene discussed is TNF; the disease is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.