The effects of cigarette smoke extract (CSE) on the expression of heat stress protein 70(Hsp70) in human bronchi smooth muscle cells were investigated in vitro, and the changes in Hsp70 mRNA in the patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and their significance were explored. Human bronchi smooth muscle cells were cultured with CSE at the different concentrations. The expression of Hsp70 mRNA and Hsp70 was detected by reverse translation-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and West blotting respectively. Levels of Hsp70 mRNA and Hsp70 in lymphocytes from 20 patients with COPD and 20 healthy smoking control subjects were measured by RT-PCR and West blotting. The results showed the expression of both Hsp70 mRNA and Hsp70 was decreased conformably in human bronchi smooth muscle cells treated with CSE at certain concentration in vitro. The A values of the Hsp70 mRNA expression were 0. 24±0.11 and 0.42±0.13 respectively in COPD patients and healthy smoking controls with the difference being significant (P＜0.01). There was also significant difference in the A values of the Hsp70 expression between COPD patients and healthy smoking controls (20.9±9.9 vs 44.8±15.3, P＜0.01). The levels of Hsp70 mRNA had strongly positive correlation with Hsp70 protein (r = 0. 85, P＜0.01). It was suggested that the expression of Hsp70 mRNA was in concordance with the expression of Hsp70, which could provide a basis on the study of Hsp70 gene regulation and Hsp70 gene in the development of COPD.