The implication of anthracosis in the development of pulmonary adenocarcinoma

The relationship between anthracosis, which is the deposition of black dust matter in the lung parenchyma, and the development of pulmonary adenocarci noma has not been fully characterized. In order to clarify whether backgrou nd black dust matter deposition could be implicated in the development of p ulmonary adenocarcinoma, we measured the level of anthracosis at autopsy in 47 patients who had died of pulmonary adenocarcinoma. Both lungs of all 47 cadavers were examined. Twenty-micrometer sections were cut from formalin- fixed, paraffin-embedded blocks of the largest cut surface of each lung. Bl ack dust matter was extracted from the sections and blotted onto a nitrocel lulose membrane. The density of the blotted black dust matter was then anal yzed using an imaging densitometer. There were no significant differences i n the density of black dust matter deposition between lungs affected by pul monary adenocarcinoma and control lungs. However, well differentiated adeno carcinomas tended to develop more frequently than poorly differentiated one s in lungs showing less deposition, We found a ver?; strong correlation bet ween the degree of black dust matter deposition and smoking history, Patien ts with severe anthracosis tended to have a poorer prognosis than those wit h mild anthracosis.