High concentrations of chromium in lung tissue from lung cancer patients
The pulmonary chromium content was determined by plasma atomic emission spectrometer (DCP-AES) from 53 lung cancer and 43 control patients, and compared with smoking habits, severity of emphysema and occupational history. The chromium content from the lung cancer patients was higher than that from the smoking (P less than 0.025) or nonsmoking control patients (6.4 +/- 4.3, 4.0 +/- 4.0, and 2.2 +/- 0.6 microgram/g dry weight, respectively). A positive correlation between the pulmonary chromium and smoking time (P less than 0.025) and the severity of emphysema (P less than 0.001) was found in the control but not in the cancer patients. The difference in the pulmonary chromium content was greatest between those lung cancer and control patients who were light smokers or had mild emphysema. This group of lung cancer patients included subjects with occupational exposure to chromium. The possibility of occupational cancer should be considered especially with light smokers. The grade of emphysema and metals such as chromium accumulating from tobacco could serve as objective indicators of smoking.
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of Oulu (Finland)
- OSTI ID:
- 6265598
- Journal Information:
- Cancer (Philadelphia); (United States), Vol. 63:3
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
CHROMIUM
TISSUE DISTRIBUTION
LUNGS
NEOPLASMS
ABSORPTION SPECTRA
EMPHYSEMA
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
PATIENTS
TOBACCO SMOKES
AEROSOLS
BODY
COLLOIDS
DISEASES
DISPERSIONS
DISTRIBUTION
ELEMENTS
METALS
ORGANS
RESIDUES
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM DISEASES
SMOKES
SOLS
SPECTRA
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
560300* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
550900 - Pathology