Yang M, et al. - Proteins and molecular pathways associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) pathogenesis were investigated herein, with emphasis on elucidating molecular gender difference. Dysregulation of several phagocytosis-related pathways in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cells in female COPD patients was suggested by the identified molecular pathways, with correlation to both the level of obstruction (FEV₁/FVC) and disease severity (FEV₁) as well as emphysema (CT < -950 HU) in women.