Patient description: The patient is a 60-year-old Spanish man presenting with shortness of breath about a day before. The symptoms began acutely and progressively worsened. He is a known case of COPD since 2 years ago. The spirometry revealed post-bronchodilator FEV1/FVC = 60% of predicted values. He smokes 20 cigarette per day. His past medical history is remarkable for BPH and he is using Flomax for that. His family history is positive for HTN in his brother. His medication includes Duo-Neb inhaled q4 hr PRN, Vit D3 1000 units per day and Flomax for his PBH. He is an obese man who is acutely ill but oriented and conscious. The vital signs are as bellow: BP: 135/80 RR: 25/min HR: 75 bpm BMI: 40 O2sat: 90%

Clinical trial eligibility criteria: eligible ages (years): 40.0-70.0,  COPD Provision of signed written informed consent which includes genetic consent Ability to comply with study procedures Males and females aged 40-70 years inclusive Have a body mass index (BMI) between 18 and 35 kg/m2 inclusive and minimum body weights of 50 kg Have a normal physical examination, and have normal laboratory values, 12-lead ECG and vital signs (blood pressure, heart rate and respiratory rate), unless the Investigator considers an abnormality as not clinically significant Ability to perform reproducible spirometry according to the American Thoracic Society and the European Respiratory Society (ATS/ERS) guidelines (American Thoracic Society, 2005) Ability to produce a minimum 0.1 gram sputum sample after induction with inhaled hypertonic saline. Additional COPD Group A clinical diagnosis of COPD according to the GOLD guidelines (stage 1-2) Current smokers with ≥10 pack-year smoking history Demonstrate a post-bronchodilator ratio between FEV1 and FVC of <70 % and FEV1 ≥50 % of predicted normal. Additional Non-Smokers Group  Current evidence or recent history of any clinically significant disease or abnormality (other than COPD in the subjects with COPD group), which in the opinion of the Investigator, would put the subject at risk, or which would compromise the quality of the study data, including but not limited, to cardiovascular disease, myocardial infarction, cardiac failure, uncontrolled hypertension, life-threatening arrhythmias, uncontrolled diabetes, neurologic or neuromuscular disease, liver disease, gastrointestinal disease or electrolyte abnormalities Females with a positive pregnancy test at visit 1 or 3 Females currently breastfeeding Involvement in the planning and conduct of the study Surgery or significant trauma within 3 months of visit 1 History of tuberculosis or other non-specific pulmonary diseases such as asthma Symptoms, signs or laboratory findings suggestive of an ongoing infective illness as judged by the Investigator at visit 1 or 2 Participation in any clinical study with an investigational drug in the 4 months prior to visit 1, or participation in a study with a new formulation of a marketed drug in the 3 months prior to visit 1, or participation in a methodology study in the month prior to visit 1 Symptoms of any clinically significant illness within 2 weeks prior to visit 1 A significant history of alcohol abuse or consumption of more than the recommended units of alcohol per week (28 units for males and 21 units for females)