relate to怎么理解?

The cellular mechanisms underlying airway inflammation in COPD relate to the disease’s strong association with smoking, with activation of neutrophils and macrophages (page 239) rather than the eosinophils and mast cells seen in asthma. Neutrophil activation, in response to stimulation by IL-17,61 causes the release of several protease enzymes which degrade pulmonary elastin, leading to the loss of lung tissue elasticity—a characteristic feature of COPD. Smoking also induces oxidative stress in the airways which is exacerbated in patients with COPD by reactive oxygen species generated by activated inflammatory cells and cytokines.62 These pathological changes have been likened to accelerated ageing of the lungs, opening potential new therapeutic options.

COPD气道炎症的细胞机制涉及吸烟和COPD的强相关性，与哮喘中观察到的激活嗜酸性粒细胞和肥大细胞不同，COPD激活中性粒细胞和巨噬细胞（第239页）。IL-17激活中性粒细胞并释放多种蛋白酶⁶¹，这些蛋白酶降解肺弹性蛋白，导致肺组织弹性丧失——COPD的典型特征。吸烟还可诱导气道氧化应激，而COPD患者，激活的炎症细胞和细胞因子所产生的活性氧可加重氧化应激反应⁶²。这些病理变化已比作肺的加速老化，了解这些病理变化为开辟潜在的新治疗提供了选择。⁴³

COPD气道炎症的细胞机制relate to COPD与吸烟的强关联？relate to怎么理解

涉及 肯定不对，又不是每个COPD患者都吸烟？