title: Correlation of early pathological lesions in the bronchial tree with environmental exposures: study objectives and preliminary findings.
abstract: Lung specimens were taken at autopsy from 214 subjects aged 35 years and over who had died from nonpulmonary causes in Athens or the surrounding countryside. The samples were coded and examined for entities thought to be linked to environmental exposures, reflecting epithelial, possibly precancerous, lesions, as well as for morphological features, which were summarized using Reid's index. Of the 214 specimens, 142 were suitable for pathological examination. Next-of-kin of 101 of the dead people were identified and asked about the subject's exposure to active smoking, passive smoking, possible occupational hazards, dietary factors and proxy indicators of air pollution (residence). Preliminary analysis, controlling for age and sex, indicates that active smoking is related, although not statistically significantly, to both the Reid index (difference, 0.28, corresponding to a one-tailed p value of 0.07) and epithelial, possibly precancerous lesions (difference, 16.7, corresponding to a one-tailed p value of 0.09). Nonsignificant differences were found in the preliminary analysis of this ongoing study with respect to the other environmental factors examined.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, University of Athens Medical School, Greece.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Agapitos
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Delsedime
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kalandidi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Katsouyanni
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mollo
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Riboli
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Saracci
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tomatis
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Trichopoulos
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zavitsanos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000397:Air Pollution; D001344:Autopsy; D001980:Bronchi / Q000473:pathology; D001982:Bronchial Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D001984:Bronchial Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D006965:Hyperplasia; D008297:Male; D008679:Metaplasia; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution