To determine if PTX3 is associated with human lung fibrosis, we examined the distribution of PTX3 in lung tissue from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients with relatively normal lungs (> 80% FVC) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients (<50% FVC) (Table 1) (Fig. 10). This evidence concerns the gene PTX3 and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.