title: DNA-based sputum cell image analysis for lung cancer in a clinical setting.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To measure cell nuclei characteristics, previously reported to express probability for lung cancer, in subjects with different forms ofpulmonary disease and those without disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sputum and buccal cell samples were obtained from 846 patients without pulmonary disease, with nonmalignant disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asbestosis and lung cancer, stained for DNA, scanned by cytometer and scored. This was related to specificity and sensitivity for lung cancer. At score 4.5 sensitivity was 53.8% and specificity 70.9%. This score and higher were defined as high scores (HS) and used to compare groups with lung cancer and other pulmonary disease.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among subjects without disease, 21.1% had HS in sputum cells. Among those with nonmalignant pulmonary disease, 31.7% had HS, and among subjects with lung cancer, 53.8% had it. Repeated evaluations showed that about one third of those with HS on the first occasion were normal on repeat sampling. Among subjects without lung cancer, 33.8% of never-smokers had sputum cell HS compared to 22.7.2% among smokers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results demonstrate that the DNA cellular characteristics on cytometry were more frequent among subjects with lung cancer but also among subjects with other pulmonary disease compared to subjects witbout pulmonary disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Diseases, Ljubljana University Medical Center, Slovenia. marjeta.tercelj@kclj.si
authors.forename: Marjeta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tercelj
authors.forename: Andreja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ales
authors.forename: Tomaz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rott
authors.forename: Nejc
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sever
authors.forename: Luka
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Prodnik
authors.forename: Janez
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Erzen
authors.forename: Maja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Primic-Zakelj
authors.forename: Ragnar
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rylander
mesh_terms: D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000235:genetics; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000473:pathology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012907:Smoking; D013183:Sputum / Q000166:cytology*
chemical_list: D004247:DNA