CCR7 and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: In contrast, a more recent study found reduced numbers of CD83+ and CCR7+ DCs and an increased number of CD1a+ DCs in the small airways of patients with stable COPD vs smokers with normal lung function [77] although other studies show no increase in CD1a+ DCs was found [78] and an increase in the total number of CD83+ DCs in the peripheral lung of patients with stable COPD vs smokers with normal lung function [79].