32

remaining 8 patients expressed far higher

levels of basal PCA than control cells (25.1

+ or - 5.9 units as compared to 3.9 + or

1.0 units/5 x 104 cells). These cells

retained their ability to respond to en-

dotoxin in vitro with a 3-fold increase in

PCA. In all instances, alveolar macrophage

PCA had the characteristics of tissue fac-

tor. These data suggest t_hat the presence of

primary lung cancer may modulate the expres-

sion of PCA in alveolar macrophages close to

the tumor site. PCA might be useful to bet-

ter characterize the functional state of

macrophages near the tumor.

Role of Tumor-associated Macrophages in Lung

Cancer.

Takeo, S., Yasumoto, K., Nagashima, A. et

al. Second Department of Surgery, Faculty of

Medicine, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku,

Fukuoka 812, Japan. Cancer Res. 46: 3179-

3182, 1986.

The percentage of tumor-associated mac-

rophages recovered (RAMR) and antitumoral

activity of tumor-associated macrophages

(TAM) were examined in 77 patients with

resectable primary lung cancer. TAM was ob-

tained by plastic adherence following tryp-

sinization. TAMR increased from stage I to

stage II and decreased in stage III. It also

increased in N I as compared with N O and N 2

but was unrelated to tumor size. However,

the cytostatic activity of TAM declined with

advance in stage of the disease and an in-

crease of tumor size, but it was relatively

unaffected by the presence of metastasis to

regional lymph nodes. There was no correla-

tion between TAMR and the recurrence rate;

however, cytostatic activity of TAM was

correlated significantly with the prognosis

of totally resected cases. TAMR and cytos-

tatic activity of TAM tended to be lower in

palliatively resected cases. These results

suggest that the assessment of the antitumor

activity of TAM, but not merely TAMR, may

give prognostic information for lung cancer

patients.

4. PATHOLOGY.

Secular Trends in Histologic Types of Lung

Cancer.

Wu, A.H., Henderson, B.E., Thomas, D.C.,

Mack, T.M. Department of Preventive

Medicine, University of Southern California

School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90033,

U.S.A. J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 77: 53-56,

1986.

The histology pattern of lung cancer is

Los Angeles County was reviewed for a lO-

year period, 1972-81. In men, the total lung

cancer incidence has been fairly constant,

but there has been a shift in the histology

pattern with an increase in adenocarcinoma

and a decrease in 'other' cell type (i.e.,

carcinoma not otherwise specified, large-

cell and undifferentiated tumors). This

changing histology pattern may be partly due

to changes in diagnostic standards and prac-

tices. With the assumption that these

changes are comparable in men and women, the

'true' annual rate of change was estimated

for each lung cancer cell type in women. All

lung cancer types have increased in women;

of the cell types squamous cell carcinoma,

small-cell carcinoma, and adenocarcinoma,

small-cell carcinoma showed the largest rate

of annual increase and adenocarcinoma, the

smallest.

Cellular Heterogeneity in Lung Cancer.

Dunnill, M.S., Gatter, K.C. Nuffield Depart-

ment of Pathology, John Radcliffe Hospital,

Oxford OX3 9DU, U.K. Histopathology i0: 461-

475, 1986.

Sixty-six lung carcinomas have been ex-

amined by light and electron microscopy, as

well as by immunocytochemical techniques

using a panel of monoclonal antibodies.

There was considerable heterogeneity with

regard to cell type and in only 18 cases was

it possible to classify the tumour as a

solely small cell, squamous or adenocar-

cinoma. In the remaining cases there was

evidence of two or three cell types. These

findings support the thesis that all lung

cancers are derived form a pluripotential

basal or reserve cell in the bronchial

mucosa which may proliferate along one or

more lines of differentiation. This view of

the histogenesis of lung cancer would ac-

count for the heterogeneous appearance of

many tumours and the difficulty experienced

in placing them in one of the standard

classifications.

Poorly Differentiated Squamous Carcinoma of

the Bronchus: A Light and Electron Micro-

scopic Study.

Carlile, A., Edwards, C. Department of His-

topathology, East Birmingham Hospital, Bir-

mingham B9 5ST, U.K.J. Clin. Pathol. 39:

284-292, 1986.

As there is little published informa-

tion on the ultrastructure of poorly dif-