In sensitivity analyses, using visual emphysema as the dependent outcome, elevated IL-1β was independently associated with emphysema in both minimal adjusted model (aOR: 2.51, [95%CI: 1.39-4.54], p=0.002) and the fully adjusted model including age, sex, ethnicity, smoking status, BMI category, CD4 nadir and TNFα (aOR: 2.62, [95%CI: 1.34-5.10], p=0.005). This evidence concerns the gene CD4 and pulmonary emphysema.