By contrast, dexamethasone exerted no action on MMP-9 release by blood neutrophils stimulated with N-formylmethionyl-leucyl-phenyl-alanine (fMLP) [19] and fluticasone failed to decrease the release of MMP-9 and MMP-2 by human neutrophils stimulated with cigarette smoke medium known to lead to refractory inflammation in COPD patients [30]. Here, MMP9 is linked to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.