MALAT1 and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A total of 168 COPD patients were recruited during May 2015 to October 2018 and were further assigned to different groups according to their methylation of MALAT1 and miR-146a promoters, that is, the MALAT1 HYPERMETHYLATED + miR-146a HYPOMETHYLATED (as MALAT1 HYPER + miR-146a HYPO, n = 42) group, MALAT1 HYPERMETHYLATED + miR-146a HYPERMETHYLATED (as MALAT1 HYPER + miR-146a HYPER, n = 42) group, MALAT1 HYPOMETHYLATED + miR-146a HYPOMETHYLATED (as MALAT1 HYPO + miR-146a HYPO, n = 42) group, and the MALAT1 HYPOMETHYLATED + miR-146a HYPERMETHYLATED (as MALAT1 HYPO + miR-146a HYPER, n = 42) group.