AIM2 and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: This review suggests that inflammasomes (NLRP3, NLRP6, NLRP12 and AIM2) are involved in the pathogenesis of several cigarette smoke-related diseases (including COPD, ALI, atherosclerosis, kidney injury, bladder dysfunction, and oral leukoplakia) and physiopathological disorders (macrophage dysfunction, endothelial barrier dysfunction, podocyte injury, and ubiquitin-mediated proteasomal processing).