Key molecular markers of proliferation, cell cycling and survival map topographically to areas of abnormal morphology, but do not predict occurrence of bronchial preneoplasia in smokers

Background: Molecular abnormalifies occurring in bronohogenic carcinoma are also found in morphologically normal bronchial epithelium of former smokers, indieabng that 0 tobacco related gonefic abnormalWos have a cifferant topographical disthbution than morphological abnormalities, and ii) those genetic abnormalities persist after smoking cessation There is evidence ~r beth multielonal and blonai origin of the discontJguous patches of bronchial epithelium containing tobacco related molecular abnormalities To clarify the topographical relationship between molecular and morphological abnormalities. we systematically sampled bronchial t]'eos resected from former and current smokers and mapped key molecular markers of proliferation, call cycling and survival in relation to epithelial morphology