We tested the mRNA expression of the DNA glycosylases NEIL2 and NEIL3, which are DNA base-specific enzymes that initiate the first step of the BER pathway, in blood cells from COPD subjects (n = 29), including 11 subjects suffering from AECOPD, compared to those from healthy individuals (n = 23). This evidence concerns the gene NEIL2 and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.