TLR3 and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: Consequently, the stimulation of HBECs from smokers and COPD patients with the TLR3 agonist poly I:C, increased the neutrophilic cytokine IL-8 almost two folds, supporting the hypothesis for which an elevated expression of TLR3 in lung tissue from virally exacerbated COPD patients could mediate inflammatory responses that overwhelm protective anti-inflammatory defenses, and thus plays a role in lung chronic inflammation and remodeling.