PTPRC and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: The largest, published, relevant comparator dataset we could find had mixed smoking status histories (current/former/never smoker) within each of two cohorts; COPD and age-matched controls, but interestingly, the group enriched with current smokers (COPD) had a numerically lower mean number of CD45+/Col1+ circulating fibrocytes versus the control group who were enriched for never-smokers, a result concordant with the current study findings, and deserving of investigation in an appropriately powered study [25].