Indoor air pollution has been documented as an important risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and inflammation is central to the development and progression of COPD. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in some cytokine genes have been reported to be associated with COPD. We examined the association between 18 SNPs in 10 cytokine genes and COPD risk in a case-control study conducted in a population with high exposure to indoor smoky coal emissions. The study included 53 COPD cases and 122 healthy community controls. Carriers of the CSF2 117Ile allele had a 2.4-fold higher risk of COPD than the wild type (Thr/Thr) carriers (OR: 2.44; 95% CI: 1.10-5.41), and the AA genotype at IL8 -351 was associated with an increased risk of COPD (OR: 2.71; 95% CI: 1.04-7.04). When the combined effects of CSF2 117Ile and IL8 -351A were examined, individuals carrying at least one variant in both genes had a five-fold increased risk of COPD (OR: 5.14, 95% CI: 1.32-29.86). This study suggests that polymorphisms in both CSF2 and IL8 may play a role in the pathogenesis of COPD, at least in highly exposed populations. However, in view of our relatively small sample size, this study should be replicated in other populations with substantial exposure to indoor air pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and particulate matter.