Bronchial airway gene expression in smokers with lung or head and neck cancer.

Cigarette smoking is the major cause of cancers of the respiratory tract, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and head and neck cancer (HNC). In order to better understand carcinogenesis of the lung and upper airways, we have compared the gene expression profiles of tumor-distant, histologically normal bronchial biopsy specimens obtained from current smokers with NSCLC or HNC (SC, considered as a single group), as well as nonsmokers (NS) and smokers without cancer (SNC). RNA from a total of 97 biopsies was used for gene expression profiling (Affymetrix HG-U133 Plus 2.

Sleep apnea syndrome in Parkinson's disease. A case-control study in 49 patients.

In PD, the impact of nocturnal respiration on sleep continuity and architecture has not been systematically investigated by polysomnography (PSG). We performed a case-control study with retrospective analysis of PSG data of 49 PD patients. After classifying the PD patients according to their apnea/hypopnea index (AHI), they were matched with 49 controls in terms of age, gender, and AHI.

[Treatment of pneumonia acquired in the community].

The community-acquired pneumonia is a common and serious illness. Pneumonia is said to be community acquired if it is contracted outside of hospital environment or if it is diagnosed within the first 48 hours of hospitalisation. The pathogen remains unknown after investigations in around 50%.

[Sleep apnea syndromes and traffic accidents].

The sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) is an independent and important risk factor of traffic accidents. The risk is further increased by cofactors such as alcohol intake or poor visibility driving conditions. It is still difficult to prospectively identify apneic patients at forseeable driving risk; previous accidents, reaction tests, steering simulation tests as different polysomnographic parametres appear to be the most promising markers.

[Diagnosis of lung cancer].

Due to the frequent diagnosis at a late inoperable stage and the bad prognosis of metastatic disease, lung cancer has become the first cause of cancer mortality. Early detection is thus the only way to influence mortality as there is no good treatment available for advanced disease. In the eighties, large screening studies using standard chest X Ray and sputum cytology have not been able to show a significant reduction in global lung cancer mortality.