Emphysema phenotypes and lung cancer risk

Clinical Adjuncts to Lung Cancer Screening: A Narrative Review

The updated US Preventive Services Task Force guidelines on lung cancer screening have significantly expanded the population of screening eligible adults, among whom the balance of benefits and harms associated with lung cancer screening vary considerably. Clinical adjuncts are additional information and tools that can guide decision-making to optimally screen individuals who are most likely to benefit. Proposed adjuncts include integration of clinical history, risk prediction models, shared-decision-making tools, and biomarker tests at key steps in the screening process. Although evidence regarding their clinical utility and implementation is still evolving, they carry significant promise in optimizing screening effectiveness and efficiency for lung cancer.

ERS/ESTS/ESTRO/ESR/ESTI/EFOMP statement on management of incidental findings from low dose CT screening for lung cancer

BACKGROUND

Screening for lung cancer with low radiation dose computed tomography has a strong evidence base, is being introduced in several European countries and is recommended as a new targeted cancer screening programme. The imperative now is to ensure that implementation follows an evidence-based process that will ensure clinical and cost effectiveness. This European Respiratory Society (ERS) task force was formed to provide an expert consensus for the management of incidental findings which can be adapted and followed during implementation.

METHODS

A multi-European society collaborative group was convened. 23 topics were identified, primarily from an ERS statement on lung cancer screening, and a systematic review of the literature was conducted according to ERS standards. Initial review of abstracts was completed and full text was provided to members of the group for each topic. Sections were edited and the final document approved by all members and the ERS Science Council.

RESULTS

Nine topics considered most important and frequent were reviewed as standalone topics (interstitial lung abnormalities, emphysema, bronchiectasis, consolidation, coronary calcification, aortic valve disease, mediastinal mass, mediastinal lymph nodes and thyroid abnormalities). Other topics considered of lower importance or infrequent were grouped into generic categories, suitable for general statements.

CONCLUSIONS

This European collaborative group has produced an incidental findings statement that can be followed during lung cancer screening. It will ensure that an evidence-based approach is used for reporting and managing incidental findings, which will mean that harms are minimised and any programme is as cost-effective as possible.

ERS/ESTS/ESTRO/ESR/ESTI/EFOMP statement on management of incidental findings from low dose CT screening for lung cancer

BACKGROUND

Screening for lung cancer with low radiation dose computed tomography has a strong evidence base, is being introduced in several European countries and is recommended as a new targeted cancer screening programme. The imperative now is to ensure that implementation follows an evidence-based process that will ensure clinical and cost effectiveness. This European Respiratory Society (ERS) task force was formed to provide an expert consensus for the management of incidental findings which can be adapted and followed during implementation.

METHODS

A multi-European society collaborative group was convened. 23 topics were identified, primarily from an ERS statement on lung cancer screening, and a systematic review of the literature was conducted according to ERS standards. Initial review of abstracts was completed and full text was provided to members of the group for each topic. Sections were edited and the final document approved by all members and the ERS Science Council.

RESULTS

Nine topics considered most important and frequent were reviewed as standalone topics (interstitial lung abnormalities, emphysema, bronchiectasis, consolidation, coronary calcification, aortic valve disease, mediastinal mass, mediastinal lymph nodes and thyroid abnormalities). Other topics considered of lower importance or infrequent were grouped into generic categories, suitable for general statements.

CONCLUSIONS

This European collaborative group has produced an incidental findings statement that can be followed during lung cancer screening. It will ensure that an evidence-based approach is used for reporting and managing incidental findings, which will mean that harms are minimised and any programme is as cost-effective as possible.

Quantifying emphysema in lung screening computed tomography with robust automated lobe segmentation

Purpose

Anatomy-based quantification of emphysema in a lung screening cohort has the potential to improve lung cancer risk stratification and risk communication. Segmenting lung lobes is an essential step in this analysis, but leading lobe segmentation algorithms have not been validated for lung screening computed tomography (CT).

Approach

In this work, we develop an automated approach to lobar emphysema quantification and study its association with lung cancer incidence. We combine self-supervised training with level set regularization and finetuning with radiologist annotations on three datasets to develop a lobe segmentation algorithm that is robust for lung screening CT. Using this algorithm, we extract quantitative CT measures for a cohort (n = 1189 ) from the National Lung Screening Trial and analyze the multivariate association with lung cancer incidence.

Results

Our lobe segmentation approach achieved an external validation Dice of 0.93, significantly outperforming a leading algorithm at 0.90 (p < 0.01 ). The percentage of low attenuation volume in the right upper lobe was associated with increased lung cancer incidence (odds ratio: 1.97; 95% CI: [1.06, 3.66]) independent of PLCO m 2012 risk factors and diagnosis of whole lung emphysema. Quantitative lobar emphysema improved the goodness-of-fit to lung cancer incidence (χ 2 = 7.48 , p = 0.02 ).

Conclusions

We are the first to develop and validate an automated lobe segmentation algorithm that is robust to smoking-related pathology. We discover a quantitative risk factor, lending further evidence that regional emphysema is independently associated with increased lung cancer incidence. The algorithm is provided at https://github.com/MASILab/EmphysemaSeg.

Evaluation of emphysema on thoracic low-dose CTs through attention-based multiple instance deep learning

In addition to lung cancer, other thoracic abnormalities, such as emphysema, can be visualized within low-dose CT scans that were initially obtained in cancer screening programs, and thus, opportunistic evaluation of these diseases may be highly valuable. However, manual assessment for each scan is tedious and often subjective, thus we have developed an automatic, rapid computer-aided diagnosis system for emphysema using attention-based multiple instance deep learning and 865 LDCTs. In the task of determining if a CT scan presented with emphysema or not, our novel Transfer AMIL approach yielded an area under the ROC curve of 0.94 ± 0.04, which was a statistically significant improvement compared to other methods evaluated in our study following the Delong Test with correction for multiple comparisons. Further, from our novel attention weight curves, we found that the upper lung demonstrated a stronger influence in all scan classes, indicating that the model prioritized upper lobe information. Overall, our novel Transfer AMIL method yielded high performance and provided interpretable information by identifying slices that were most influential to the classification decision, thus demonstrating strong potential for clinical implementation.

From COPD to Lung Cancer: Mechanisms Linking, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prognosis

Many studies have proved that the pathogenesis of the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer is related, and may cause and affect each other to a certain extent. In fact, the change of chronic airway obstruction will continue to have an impact on the screening, treatment, and prognosis of lung cancer.In this comprehensive review, we outlined the links and heterogeneity between COPD and lung cancer and finds that factors such as gene expression and genetic susceptibility, epigenetics, smoking, epithelial mesenchymal transformation (EMT), chronic inflammation, and oxidative stress injury may all play a role in the process. Although the relationship between these two diseases have been largely determined, the methods to prevent lung cancer in COPD patients are still limited. Early diagnosis is still the key to a better prognosis. Thus, it is necessary to establish more intuitive screening evaluation criteria and find suitable biomarkers for lung cancer screening in high-risk populations with COPD. Some studies have indicated that COPD may change the efficacy of anti-tumor therapy by affecting the response of lung cancer patients to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). And for lung cancer patients with COPD, the standardized management of COPD can improve the prognosis. The treatment of lung cancer patients with COPD is an individualized, comprehensive, and precise process. The development of new targets and new strategies of molecular targeted therapy may be the breakthrough for disease treatment in the future.

The clinical relevance of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with lung cancer

Background

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) coexisting with lung cancer is associated with severe mortality and a worse prognosis. Inflammation plays an important role in common pathogenic pathways and disease progression. However, a few studies have identified the clinical value of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in COPD with lung cancer, which are systemic inflammatory response markers in the blood. This study aimed to determine the association of the NLR or PLR with clinical characteristics and whether NLR or PLR can be diagnostic markers for COPD with lung cancer.

Methods

Between 2015 and 2021, we conducted a retrospective analysis of 236 COPD patients with lung cancer and 500 patients without lung cancer (control group). Clinical information, blood routine examination, and spirometry results were collected and analyzed. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to identify the best cutoff point of NLR or PLR. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the association of NLR or PLR with the diagnosis and prognosis of COPD with lung cancer.

Results

Compared to patients in the COPD-only group, patients in the lung cancer group had a higher percentage of current smoking and emphysema, and it was found that NLR or PLR was significantly higher in the lung cancer group. Multivariate analysis showed that age, smoking status, FEV1%pred, emphysema, NLR, and PLR were independent risk factors for lung cancer development in COPD. Furthermore, the high level of NLR or PLR was associated with age over 70 years old, current smoking status, and ineligible surgery treatment. The level of PLR or NLR markedly increased with hypercoagulation status, the severity of airflow limitation, and advanced progression of lung cancer. Additionally, the ROC analysis also revealed that elevated NLR or PLR was an independent predictor of COPD in lung cancer patients, TNM stages IIIB–IV at first diagnosis in lung cancer, and ineligible surgery in lung cancer patients.

Conclusion

Increased NLR or PLR values might be an important and easily measurable inflammation biomarker to predict the diagnosis and severity of lung cancer with COPD.

Lung Cancer in the Course of COPD-Emerging Problems Today

Tobacco smoking remains the main cause of tobacco-dependent diseases like lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), in addition to cardiovascular diseases and other cancers. Whilst the majority of smokers will not develop either COPD or lung cancer, they are closely related diseases, occurring as co-morbidities at a higher rate than if they were independently triggered by smoking. A patient with COPD has a four- to six-fold greater risk of developing lung cancer independent of smoking exposure, when compared to matched smokers with normal lung function. The 10 year risk is about 8.8% in the COPD group and only 2% in patients with normal lung function. COPD is not a uniform disorder: there are different phenotypes. One of them is manifested by the prevalence of emphysema and this is complicated by malignant processes most often. Here, we present and discuss the clinical problems of COPD in patients with lung cancer and against lung cancer in the course of COPD. There are common pathological pathways in both diseases. These are inflammation with participation of macrophages and neutrophils and proteases. It is known that anticancer immune regulation is distorted towards immunosuppression, while in COPD the elements of autoimmunity are described. Cytotoxic T cells, lymphocytes B and regulatory T cells with the important role of check point molecules are involved in both processes. A growing number of lung cancer patients are treated with immune check point inhibitors (ICIs), and it was found that COPD patients may have benefits from this treatment. Altogether, the data point to the necessity for deeper analysis and intensive research studies to limit the burden of these serious diseases by prevention and by elaboration of specific therapeutic options.

Association between visual emphysema and lung nodules on low-dose CT scan in a Chinese Lung Cancer Screening Program (Nelcin-B3)

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to evaluate the association between visual emphysema and the presence of lung nodules, and Lung-RADS category with low-dose CT (LDCT).

METHODS

Baseline LDCT scans of 1162 participants from a lung cancer screening study (Nelcin-B3) performed in a Chinese general population were included. The presence, subtypes, and severity of emphysema (at least trace) were visually assessed by one radiologist. The presence, size, and classification of non-calcified lung nodules (≥ 30 mm³) and Lung-RADS category were independently assessed by another two radiologists. Multivariable logistic regression and stratified analyses were performed to estimate the association between emphysema and lung nodules, Lung-RADS category, after adjusting for age, sex, BMI, smoking status, pack-years, and passive smoking.

RESULTS

Emphysema and lung nodules were observed in 674 (58.0%) and 424 (36.5%) participants, respectively. Participants with emphysema had a 71% increased risk of having lung nodules (adjusted odds ratios, aOR: 1.71, 95% CI: 1.26-2.31) and 70% increased risk of positive Lung-RADS category (aOR: 1.70, 95% CI: 1.09-2.66) than those without emphysema. Participants with paraseptal emphysema (n = 47, 4.0%) were at a higher risk for lung nodules than those with centrilobular emphysema (CLE) (aOR: 2.43, 95% CI: 1.32-4.50 and aOR: 1.60, 95% CI: 1.23-2.09, respectively). Only CLE was associated with positive Lung-RADS category (p = 0.02). CLE severity was related to a higher risk of lung nodules (ranges aOR: 1.44-2.61, overall p < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

In a Chinese general population, visual emphysema based on LDCT is independently related to the presence of lung nodules (≥ 30 mm³) and specifically CLE subtype is related to positive Lung-RADS category. The risk of lung nodules increases with CLE severity.

KEY POINTS

• Participants with emphysema had an increased risk of having lung nodules, especially smokers. • Participants with PSE were at a higher risk for lung nodules than those with CLE, but nodules in participants with CLE had a higher risk of positive Lung-RADS category. • The risk of lung nodules increases with CLE severity.

Association between Chest CT-defined Emphysema and Lung Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background Given the different methods of assessing emphysema, controversy exists as to whether it is associated with lung cancer. Purpose To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between chest CT-defined emphysema and the presence of lung cancer. Materials and Methods The PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases were searched up to July 15, 2021, to identify studies on the association between emphysema assessed visually or quantitatively with CT and lung cancer. Associations were determined by emphysema severity (trace, mild, or moderate to severe, assessed visually and quantitatively) and subtype (centrilobular and paraseptal, assessed visually). Overall and stratified pooled odds ratios (ORs) with their 95% CIs were obtained. Results Of the 3343 screened studies, 21 studies (107 082 patients) with 26 subsets were included. The overall pooled ORs for lung cancer given the presence of emphysema were 2.3 (95% CI: 2.0, 2.6; I² = 35%; 19 subsets) and 1.02 (95% CI: 1.01, 1.02; six subsets) per 1% increase in low attenuation area. Studies with visual (pooled OR, 2.3; 95% CI: 1.9, 2.6; I² = 48%; 12 subsets) and quantitative (pooled OR, 2.2; 95% CI: 1.8, 2.8; I² = 3.7%; eight subsets) assessments yielded comparable results for the dichotomous assessment. Based on six studies (1716 patients), the pooled ORs for lung cancer increased with emphysema severity and were higher for visual assessment (2.5, 3.7, and 4.5 for trace, mild, and moderate to severe, respectively) than for quantitative assessment (1.9, 2.2, and 2.5) based on point estimates. Compared with no emphysema, only centrilobular emphysema (three studies) was associated with lung cancer (pooled OR, 2.2; 95% CI: 1.5, 3.2; P < .001). Conclusion Both visual and quantitative CT assessments of emphysema were associated with a higher odds of lung cancer, which also increased with emphysema severity. Regarding subtype, only centrilobular emphysema was significantly associated with lung cancer. Clinical trial registration no. CRD42021262163 © RSNA, 2022 See also the editorial by Hunsaker in this issue. Online supplemental material is available for this article.

Lung cancer: Premalignant biology and medical prevention

Lung cancer (both adenocarcinoma and squamous cell) progress through a series of pre-malignant histologic changes before the development of invasive disease. Each of these carcinogenic cascades is defined by genetic and epigenetic alterations in pulmonary epithelial cells. Additionally, alterations in the immune response, progenitor cell function, mutational burden, and microenvironmental mediated survival of mutated clones contribute to the risk of pre-malignant lesions progressing to cancer. Medical preventions studies have been completed and current and future trials are informed by the improved understanding of pre-malignancy. This will lead to precision chemoprevention trials based on lesional biology and histologic characteristics.

Predicting Respiratory Complications Following Lobectomy Using Quantitative CT Measures of Emphysema

Purpose

In performing surgery for lung cancer, emphysema is a risk factor related to postoperative respiratory complications (PRC). However, few studies have addressed the risk of radiological emphysematous volume affecting PRC. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between emphysematous volume as measured on 3-dimensional computed tomography and PRC.

Patients and Methods

We reviewed 342 lung cancer patients undergoing lobectomy between 2013 and 2018. The percentage of low attenuation area (LAA%) was defined as the percentage of the lung area showing attenuation of −950 Hounsfield units or lower. Preoperative factors including age, sex, body mass index, smoking index, respiratory function, tumour histology, and LAA% were evaluated. PRC included pneumonia, atelectasis, prolonged air leakage, empyema, hypoxia, ischemic bronchitis, bronchopleural fistula, and exacerbation of interstitial pneumonia. Uni- and multivariable analyses were performed to investigate the relationship between independent clinical variables and postoperative adverse events.

Results

Median LAA% was 5.0% (range, 0–40%) and PRC was observed in 50 patients (14.6%). Patients who presented with PRC showed significantly high LAA% compared to those without complications (median: 8.1% vs 3.8%; p < 0.001). Based on univariable analysis, age, sex, smoking index, percentage of forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV_1.0%), histology, and LAA% were significant predictors for PRC. Multivariable analysis revealed higher LAA% as a significant risk factor for PRC (odds ratio = 1.040; 95% confidence interval, 1.001–1.080; p = 0.046).

Conclusion

In addition to respiratory function with spirometry, LAA% can be used as a predictor of PRC.

Therapeutic potential of indole alkaloids in respiratory diseases: A comprehensive review

BACKGROUND

Indole alkaloids are very promising for potential therapeutic purposes and appear to be particularly effective against respiratory diseases. Several experimental studies have been performed, both in vivo and in vitro, to evaluate the effectiveness of indole alkaloids for the management of respiratory disorders, including asthma, emphysema, tuberculosis, cancer, and pulmonary fibrosis.

PURPOSE

The fundamental objective of this review was to summarize the in-depth therapeutic potential of indole alkaloids against various respiratory disorders.

STUDY DESIGN

In addition to describing the therapeutic potential, this review also evaluates the toxicity of these alkaloids, which have been utilized for therapeutic benefits but have demonstrated toxic consequences. Some indole alkaloids, including scholaricine, 19-epischolaricine, vallesamine, and picrinine, which are derived from the plant Alstonia scholaris, have shown toxic effects in non-rodent models.

METHODS

This review also discusses clinical studies exploring the therapeutic efficacy of indole alkaloids, which have confirmed the promising benefits observed in vivo and in vitro.

RESULTS

The indole alkaloidal compounds have shown efficacy in subjects with respiratory diseases.

CONCLUSION

The available data established both preclinical and clinical studies confirm the potential of indole alkaloids to treat the respiratory disorders.

Lung emphysema and lung cancer: what do we know about it?

Emphysema and lung cancer (LC) are two diseases which share common risk factors, e.g., smoking. In recent years, many studies have sought to analyse this association. By way of illustration, we conducted a review of the scientific literature of the studies published to date, whose main designated aim was to demonstrate the relationship between emphysema and LC, and this association's influence on the histology, prognosis and molecular mechanisms responsible. We included over 40 studies (ranging from case-control and cohort studies to systematic reviews and meta-analyses), which highlight the association between emphysema and LC, independently of smoking habit. These studies also report a possible influence on histology, with adenocarcinoma being the most frequent lineage, and an association with poor prognosis, which affects both survival and post-operative complications. Oxidative stress, which generates chronic inflammatory status as well as the presence of certain polymorphisms in various genes (CYP1A1, TERT, CLPTM1L, ERK), gives rise-in the case of patients with emphysema-to alteration of cellular repair mechanisms, which in turn favours the proliferation of neoplastic epithelial cells responsible for the origin of LC.

Quantitative Emphysema on Low-Dose CT Imaging of the Chest and Risk of Lung Cancer and Airflow Obstruction: An Analysis of the National Lung Screening Trial

BACKGROUND

Lung cancer risk prediction models do not routinely incorporate imaging metrics available on low-dose CT (LDCT) imaging of the chest ordered for lung cancer screening.

RESEARCH QUESTION

What is the association between quantitative emphysema measured on LDCT imaging and lung cancer incidence and mortality, all-cause mortality, and airflow obstruction in individuals who currently or formerly smoked and are undergoing lung cancer screening?

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

In 7,262 participants in the CT arm of the National Lung Screening Trial, percent low attenuation area (%LAA) was defined as the percentage of lung volume with voxels less than -950 Hounsfield units on the baseline examination. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models, adjusting for competing risks where appropriate, were built to test for association between %LAA and lung cancer incidence, lung cancer mortality, and all-cause mortality with censoring at 6 years. In addition, multivariable logistic regression models were built to test the cross-sectional association between %LAA and airflow obstruction on spirometry, which was available in 2,700 participants.

RESULTS

The median %LAA was 0.8% (interquartile range, 0.2%-2.7%). Every 1% increase in %LAA was independently associated with higher hazards of lung cancer incidence (hazard ratio [HR], 1.02; 95% CI, 1.01-1.03; P = .004), lung cancer mortality (HR, 1.02; 95% CI, 1.00-1.05; P = .045), and all-cause mortality (HR, 1.01; 95% CI, 1.00-1.03; P = .042). Among participants with spirometry, 892 had airflow obstruction. The likelihood of airflow obstruction increased with every 1% increase in %LAA (odds ratio, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.06-1.09; P < .001). A %LAA cutoff of 1% had the best discriminative accuracy for airflow obstruction in participants aged > 65 years.

INTERPRETATION

Quantitative emphysema measured on LDCT imaging of the chest can be leveraged to improve lung cancer risk prediction and help diagnose COPD in individuals who currently or formerly smoked and are undergoing lung cancer screening.

Advances in imaging for lung emphysema

Lung emphysema represents a major public health burden and still accounts for five percent of all deaths worldwide. Hence, it is essential to further understand this disease in order to develop effective diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Lung emphysema is an irreversible enlargement of the airways distal to the terminal bronchi (i.e., the alveoli) due to the destruction of the alveolar walls. The two most important causes of emphysema are (I) smoking and (II) α1-antitrypsin-deficiency. In the former lung emphysema is predominant in the upper lung parts, the latter is characterized by a predominance in the basal areas of the lungs. Since quantification and evaluation of the distribution of lung emphysema is crucial in treatment planning, imaging plays a central role. Imaging modalities in lung emphysema are manifold: computed tomography (CT) imaging is nowadays the gold standard. However, emerging imaging techniques like dynamic or functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), scintigraphy and lately also the implementation of radiomics and artificial intelligence are more and more diffused in the evaluation, diagnosis and quantification of lung emphysema. The aim of this review is to shortly present the different subtypes of lung emphysema, to give an overview on prediction and risk assessment in emphysematous disease and to discuss not only the traditional, but also the new imaging techniques for diagnosis, quantification and evaluation of lung emphysema.

Preoperative Body Weight and Albumin Predict Survival in Patients With Resectable Lung Neoplasms: Role of COPD

INTRODUCTION

The impact of preoperative nutritional status on survival in lung cancer (LC) patients with underlying chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is still unclear. We hypothesized that presurgical nutritional assessment may differentially predict mortality in patients with resectable LC with moderate COPD and relatively well-preserved nutritional status.

METHODS

Nutritional assessment [body mass index (BMI), blood parameters including albumin and protein levels, and body weight loss], and other clinical parameters [cigarette smoking (CS) history, LC staging and histological subtypes, COPD severity, lung function, and adjuvant therapy] were evaluated in 125 patients from the LC Mar Prospective Cohort: 87 LC-COPD patients and 38 LC patients without COPD before thoracotomy. Ten-year overall survival (OS) was analyzed in all patients.

RESULTS

Prior to thoracotomy, in LC-COPD patients compared to LC, BMI and albumin declined relatively, low levels of the parameters BMI, albumin, and total proteins were associated with poorer 10-year survival, especially in the LC-COPD. CS burden also correlated with impaired survival. COPD per se worsened the prognosis in LC patients.

CONCLUSIONS

In the present cohort of LC patients with resectable tumors and relatively well-preserved nutritional status, the parameters BMI and blood albumin and protein levels measured prior to thoracotomy predicted OS, especially in those with COPD. These are clinically relevant findings, since values of those nutritional parameters were within the normal ranges in the majority of the analyzed patients. A thorough nutritional preoperative assessment should be included in the study of patients with resectable LC, particularly in those with chronic airway obstruction.

Immune Cell Subtypes and Cytokines in Lung Tumor Microenvironment: Influence of COPD

Background: The immune microenvironment plays a role in tumorigenesis. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is an independent risk factor for lung cancer (LC). We hypothesized that immune profile characterized by T regulatory (Treg), natural killer (NK), and plasma cells, as well as interleukin (IL)-10 and interferon-gamma, may differ within tumors of LC patients with/without COPD. Methods: Treg (anti-CD3 and anti-forkhead boxP3 antibodies), NK (anti-NCR1 antibody), IgG (anti-CD138-IgG antibody), IgA (anti-CD138-IgA antibody) using immunohistochemistry, and both IL-10 and interferon-gamma (ELISA) were quantified in tumor and non-tumor specimens (thoracotomy for lung tumor resection) from 33 LC–COPD patients and 20 LC-only patients. Results: Immune profile in tumor versus non-tumor specimens: Treg cell counts significantly increased in tumors of both LC and LC–COPD patients, while in tumors of the latter group, IgG-secreting plasma cells significantly decreased and IL-10 increased. No significant differences were seen in levels of NK cells, IgA-secreting cells, IgA/IgG, or interferon-gamma. Immune profile in tumors of LC–COPD versus LC: No significant differences were observed in tumors between LC–COPD and LC patients for any study marker. Conclusions: Immune cell subtypes and cytokines are differentially expressed in lung tumors, and the presence of COPD elicited a decline in IgG-secreting plasma cell levels but not in other cell types.

Emphysema - The review of radiological presentation and its clinical impact in the LDCT screening era

Emphysema is one of three main lung pathologies in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, along with chronic bronchitis and small airway obstruction. The diagnosis is based on detection of low attenuation areas in lung tissue on chest Computed Tomography, either visual by a radiologist, or automatic by the applied Computed Tomography software. Results of the studies on the association between emphysema and lung cancer incidence are mixed. Many studies have demonstrated, that chronic lung diseases, like Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, are associated with lung cancer morbidity. There is also evidence, that emphysema can be related with worse prognosis in patients with detected lung cancer. In this review article we aim to summarize current knowledge about emphysema detection and evaluation on Computed Tomography, both quantitative and qualitative. We also summarize current data on correlation between emphysema and lung cancer, as well as its potential use in selecting patients, who would most benefit from lung cancer screening.