Expression of nicotinic receptors in normal and tumoral pulmonary neuroendocrine cells (PNEC).

Neuroendocrine (NE) tumors of the lung represent a wide spectrum of phenotypically distinct entities, with differences in tumor progression and aggressiveness, which include carcinoid tumor (CT) and small-cell lung carcinoma (SCLC). Approximately 20-40% of patients with both typical and atypical CT are non-smokers, while virtually all patients with SCLC are cigarette smokers. Cigarette smoke contains numerous molecules which have been identified as carcinogens.

Prevalence of human papillomaviruses in lung carcinomas: a study of 218 cases.

High-risk human papillomaviruses (HPV) are largely implicated in the carcinogenesis of cervical carcinomas. Their role in bronchopulmonary carcinomas is still unclear. In the present study, we have explored 218 fresh frozen lung tumours for the presence of HPV with the Roche line blot assay and for the expression of mRNAs encoding E6 oncoprotein in HPV positive tumours.

uPA/plasmin system-mediated MMP-9 activation is implicated in bronchial epithelial cell migration.

To examine the effects of the uPA/plasmin system on cell migration in relation to the activation of MMP-9, we used ex vivo and in vitro wound-repair models of human bronchial epithelial cells and videomicroscopy techniques that make possible cell tracking and quantification of cell migration speeds. We observed that uPA was only detected in migrating cells at the wound edges and located at crucial sites for cell/extracellular matrix interactions. The implication of uPA in human bronchial epithelial cell migration was studied by incubating cultures with a monoclonal antibody raised against uPA and these experiments led to a 70% reduction in cell velocity.