IL-18 Induces Emphysema and Airway and Vascular Remodeling via IFN-γ, IL-17A, and IL-13

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by chronic inflammation, alveolar destruction, and airway and vascular remodeling. However, the mechanisms that lead to these diverse alterations have not been defined.We hypothesized that IL-18 plays a central role in the pathogenesis of these lesions.We generated and characterized lung-specific, inducible IL-18 transgenic mice.Here we demonstrate that the expression of IL-18 in the...