Table 3.

The expression levels (mean RQ value) of the studied genes and miRNAs in COPD and control group in peripheral blood (PB) lymphocytes.

	COPD group (mean RQ value ± SD)	Control group (mean RQ value)	p value
General cohort
Genes
IL-6	0.007 ± 0.005	0.01 ± 0.015	0.22
IL6ST	0.497 ± 0.474	0.450 ± 0.525	0.20
PIAS3	0.518 ± 1.278	0.184 ± 0.080	0.0008 *
STAT3	0.257 ± 0.220	0.08 ± 0.044	0.000005 *
miRNA
miRNA-1	0.631 ± 0.865	73.54 ± 106.54	0.000001 *
miRNA-106b	0.01 ± 0.017	92.24 ± 1555.90	0.000005 *
miRNA-155	1.64 ± 0.914	3.20 ± 6.694	0.24
Current smokers
Genes
IL-6	0.05 ± 0.005	0.012 ± 0.015	0.35
IL6ST	0.641 ± 0.614	0.324 ± 0.338	0.059
PIAS3	0.334 ± 0.149	0.176 ± 0.05	0.002*
STAT3	0.205 ± 0.111	0.078 ± 0.042	0.001*
miRNA
miRNA-1	0.319 ± 0.266	72.255 ± 103.366	0.000042*
miRNA-106b	0.012 ± 0.006	128.340 ± 182.989	0.01*
miRNA-155	1.624 ± 0.851	4.624 ± 8.440	0.84
Ex-smokers
Genes
IL-6	0.008 ± 0.005	0.016 ± 0.015	0.20
IL6ST	0.391 ± 0.310	0.639 ± 0.707	0.85
PIAS3	0.654 ± 1.684	0.196 ± 0.113	0.09
STAT3	0.295 ± 0.271	0.084 ± 0.051	0.005*
miRNA
miRNA-1	0.862 ± 1.069	75.487 ± 118.373	0.02*
miRNA-106b	0.021 ± 0.207	20.044 ± 23.796	0.009*
miRNA-155	1.666 ± 0.977	1.073 ± 1.030	0.09

*Statistically significant differences p < 0.005.