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Study objective: To determine whether monoclonal antibody (Mab) detection of tumor-associated antigen expressed on sputum epithelial cells precedes clinical presentation of second primary lung cancer. Design Setting/Participants: Eleven oncology centers [...]

In the US, it is estimated that there are 80,000 forest or wilderness firefighters. Wildland fires generate large quantities of particulates in the air that can irritate the eyes, nose, throat, and lungs. The extent of exposure to the particulates while fighting a wildland fire depends on the size of the fire, the wind, the terrain and the methods used for putting out the fire, such as spraying with water versus setting backfires. Firefighting is physically demanding and increases the breathing rate, which in turn increases the amount of particulates that are inhaled. Wildland fires tend to burn for long periods of time and it is common for crews to work for 12 to 18 hours per day. During very large fires, camps are established near the fire and the crew is continuously exposed to smoke from the wildland fire. A study was performed to evaluate the pulmonary effects of inhaling smoke from wildland fires. The study included 52 wildland firefighters who work in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains in Northern California. The firefighters were between the ages of 18 and 45, and they did not smoke. Lung function was evaluated by measuring the amount of air that could be forcefully exhaled from the lungs in one second (FEV1, forced expiratory volume) and the total amount of air that could be exhaled from the lungs following a deep breath (FVC, forced vital capacity). Recent firefighting activity was associated with decreases in both FEV1 and FVC, and was associated with eye irritation, nose irritation, and wheezing. Wearing a cotton bandanna over the nose and mouth, a common practice of firefighters, did not protect against lung symptoms or declines in lung function. It is concluded that more effective methods are needed for protecting the lungs during prolonged periods of firefighting. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

The human 8-oxoguanine DNA N-glycosylase 1 gene encodes a DNA glycosylase that is involved in the base excision repair of 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanine from oxidatively-damaged DNA and expressed in lung tissue. The codon 326 polymorphism in the hOGG1 gene has been suggested to reduce DNA repair enzyme activity based on in vitrofunctional analysis. The goal of the present study is to determine whether the codon 326 polymorphism was significantly associated with alterations in individual risk for lung cancer.

Many long‐term studies of the early detection of cancer involve serial observations of precancerous lesions and information as to whether or not the subject was diagnosed with cancer during the study period. Often the purpose of these studies is to decide whether or not the precancerous lesion should be studied in a future trial as a trigger for early intervention. A general approach to the analysis of cancer biomarkers is to estimate false and true positive rates to determine if they fall in the target region of those false and true positives that indicate promise for further study. The challenge with analysing serial data on precancerous lesions is estimating false and true positive rates when the number of observations varies among subjects. To solve this problem, we propose a Markov chain model in reverse time. The methodology is illustrated using serial observations of precancerous lesions found on sputum cytology. Published in 2002 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Objective: To determine whether a difference exists in the immunohistochemical expression of heterogeneous ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) A2/B1between benign and malignant thyroid lesions and to assess whether a gradient of expression could be found in normal thyroid, adenomas, and thyroid malignant tumors. Methods: Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded archival tissues from 32 cases (8 nodular goiters, 8 follicular adenomas, 8 follicular carcinomas, and 8 papillary carcinomas) were immunostained with monoclonal antibody 703D4, directed against hnRNP A2/B1, applied at a concentration of 10 mg/mL. The streptavidin-biotin peroxidase method was used to label bound monoclonal antibody. Positivity was independently scored by two pathologists, who used a three-tiered scale. Results: The benign thyroid tissues, including the hyperplastic and adenomatous lesions, demonstrated 3+ granular cytoplasmic staining for hnRNP A2/B1, except in two cases (one nodular goiter and one follicular adenoma) in which 2+ staining intensity was noted. In contrast, the papillary and follicular carcinomas failed to stain with the antibody, except in two cases that showed weak (1+) staining. Conclusion: hnRNP A2/B1immunostaining appears to distinguish benign from malignant thyroid lesions. Loss of hnRNP A2/B1expression seems to be a characteristic feature of thyroid malignant lesions.

We surveyed the occurrence of novel alleles at microsatellite sequences in non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) using 61 tetranucleotide repeat markers. The presence of at least one new allele, consistent with microsatellite instability (MSI), was observed in 26 of 61 (43%) markers involving 30 of 47 (64%) NSCLC. Twelve of the 26 markers detected new alleles in 2 or more tumors and 11 of these 12 markers contained an AAAG repeat sequence. Using this panel of 12 markers, MSI was detected in 24 of 47 (51%) NSCLC and 10 of 18 (56%) head and neck cancers but was only observed in 8 of 38 (21%) bladder cancers and 3 of 25 (12%) kidney cancers. Our results suggested that about 50% of respiratory tract cancers exhibited microsatellite instability predominantly at AAAG sequences. This distinct type of instability was termed EMAST for elevated microsatellite alterations at selected tetranucleotide repeats. The identification of markers with EMAST should have potential application for the molecular detection of respiratory tract cancers. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Results of a cross-sectional study of ventilatory lung function (VLF) in a group of 307 working men showed that the leukocyte count in peripheral blood is more closely associated with the relative position (percentile) of a person in the frequency distribution of VLF than is smoking intensity. Leukocyte count is significantly (and inversely) correlated with VLF in nonsmokers as well as in smokers. A multiple regression analysis indicated that, after accounting for the effect of height and age, white blood cell (WBC) count explains more of the VLF variance than many other health determinants. Moreover, WBC count is the only variable, apart from height and age, that contributes significantly to the regression. Current smokers with elevated leukocyte count in peripheral blood may constitute a defined high-risk group because they demonstrate more negative regression age coefficients when compared with smokers without elevated WBC or with nonsmokers. Mechanisms that may explain these findings are discussed.

Studies of age‐associated changes in forced expiratory volume at one second (FEV1) have varied in the degree of screening for health and smoking, and have not examined age differences in variability in FEV1. Longitudinal rates of change and variability in FEV1among healthy lifetime‐non‐smoking White men and women in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA) are reported. Longitudinal FEV1data collected at 2‐year intervals for up to 28 yr in 91 men (417 observations) and 14 yr in 82 women (248 observations) were modelled using mixed‐effects regression models. Longitudinal percentile distributions of FEV1were calculated which reflect age differences in between‐subjects variability. The results show that longitudinal rate of decline in FEV1is more rapid in men than women (340 ml/decade in men compared to 240–330 ml/decade in women), but similar on a percentage basis (10%) and the difference is not statistically significant; FEV1decline begins in early adulthood and progresses at a relatively constant rate over the adult lifespan; longitudinal decline in FEV1in BLSA participants is not statistically different from cross‐sectional estimates from the BLSA and Crapo et al. (1981); and between‐subjects variability is greater in men than women and increases with age. The results document a relatively steady progressive longitudinal decline in FEV1in healthy non‐smoking White adults, as well as age and gender differences in variability in FEV1. The percentile distribution curves reported here are apparently the first reference values for FEV1to be derived using longitudinal methods that reflect age‐specific differences in variability. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 10:471–481, 1998. Published 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.This article is a US Government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America.

A screening project consisting of 10,362 men was designed to detect early lung cancer. Half of the subjects had sputum cytologic studies and chest radiographs, and the other half had chest radiographs. Seventy cases of bronchogenic carcinoma were detected. Eight patients had malignant cells in their sputum and normal chest radiographs, and 62 patients had radiographic evidence of bronchogenic carcinoma. After clinical assessment including bronchoscopy, percutaneous needle biopsy, mediastinoscopy, and mediastinotomy in selected cases, 48 of the patients underwent exploratory thoracotomies. Six patients had benign disease. Thirty-nine of the remaining 42 patients had tumors resected for cure, an overall resectability rate of 55%. Staging was accomplished after resection and histologic examination of the operative specimens. Five patients with Stage 0 carcinoma have survived a median of 36 months without evidence of recurrence. Twenty-six patients had Stage I disease, and 77% have survived a median of 36 months without recurrence. Four of these patients have developed second primary tumors. Of the seven patients with Stage II disease, three are alive 40 to 50 months following operation. Seventeen patients had Stage III disease, two of whom have survived. Nine patients with oat cell carcinoma were treated by irradiation and chemotherapy, and all are dead. The median survival was 8 months. The results of this study are encouraging. However, long-term follow-up is necessary to demonstrate whether early detection by sputum cytologic studies and chest radiographs and the apparently improved survival of these paitents will result in a decreased death rate from bronchogenic carcinoma. The high initial survival rates may be due simply to earlier intervention in the natural history of the disease.