CXCL8 and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: In addition, miR-146a-5p in lung fibroblasts can inhibit IL-8 secretion, while miR-146a-5p expression is reduced in COPD patients, and the inhibitory effect on IL-8 secretion is diminished, thus exacerbating the development of chronic inflammation and COPD (Osei et al., 2017).