Activated p38 overexpression was observed in multiple types of cells collected from COPD patients, including alveolar macrophages, alveolar CD8+ T cells, and airway epithelial cells, all of which play important roles in the inflammatory response (Renda et al., 2008; Gaffey et al., 2013). This evidence concerns the gene MAPK14 and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.