The “Polonium In Vivo” Study: Polonium-210 in Bronchial Lavages of Patients with Suspected Lung Cancer

Biomedicines

Paola Martucci¹  Raffaela Giacobbe¹  Marco Patelli²  Silvano Gallus³  MariaSofia Cattaruzza⁴  Paolo Bartolomei⁵  Rocco Trisolini⁶  Daniela Paioli⁶  Vincenzo Zagà⁷  Roberta Pacifici⁸  Giuseppe Gorini⁹  Valeria Fabbri^1,10  Massimo Esposito^1,10 

[1] Bronchial Endoscopy Unit and Interventional Diagnostics-Centre for Tobacco Treatment, AORN A. Cardarelli, 80131 Napoli, Italy;Bronchology Unit, Ospedale Maggiore, 40133 Bologna, Italy;Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, 20156 Milan, Italy;Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, La Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy;ENEA, 40129 Bologna, Italy;Interventional Pulmonology Unit, Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Roma, Italy;Italian Society of Tobaccology SITAB, 40137 Bologna, Italy;National Observatory on Smoking, Alcohol and Drugs of the National Institute of Health, 00161 Rome, Italy;Oncologic Network, Prevention and Research Institute (ISPRO), 50139 Florence, Italy;U-Series Srl, 40128 Bologna, Italy;

关键词: polonium-210;    lung cancer;    smoking status;    radon;    bronchial lavage;   

DOI  :  10.3390/biomedicines9010004

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Few studies have reported on polonium-210, a decay breakdown product of radon-222 and lead-210, in human lungs and there has been no study in patients with suspected lung cancer. The main aim of this “Polonium in vivo” study was to evaluate polonium-210 radioactivity in bronchopulmonary systems of smoker, ex-smoker and never smoker patients with suspected lung cancer. Alpha-spectrometric analyses were performed on bronchial lavage (BL) fluids from two Italian hospitals in 2013–2016. Socio-demographic, smoking, occupational and spirometric characteristics, lung cancer confirmation and histologic type and radon-222 concentration in patients’ homes were collected. Seventy BL samples from never (n = 13), former (n = 35) and current smokers (n = 22) were analyzed; polonium-210 was detected in all samples from current and former smokers and in 54% of samples from never smokers (p < 0.001; median values: 1.20, 1.43 and 0.40 mBq, respectively). Polonium-210 levels were significantly higher in COPD versus no COPD patients (median value: 3.60 vs. 0.97 mBq; p = 0.007); former and current smokers, without and with COPD, had significantly increased polonium-210 levels (p = 0.012); 96% of confirmed versus 69% of non-confirmed lung cancer patients recorded detectable polonium-210 levels (p = 0.018). A polonium-210 detectable activity was measured in BL samples from all current and former smokers. Polonium-210 in the lungs could be the result of lead-210 entrapment, which, with its half-life of 22 years, could provide a continuous emission of alpha radioactivity, even many years after quitting, thus proposing a possible explanation for the onset of lung cancer, particularly in former smokers.

【 授权许可】

Unknown