Biomaterial Database

Cholesterol in the lungs of heavy cigarette smokers. 1978

B Corrin, and S S Soliman

Electron microscopy of "normal" lung tissue from four heavy cigarette smokers showed acicular crystal clefts thought to represent cholesterol in the cytoplasm of virtually every type II pneumocyte. Similar but less pronounced changes were found in two cases of obstructive pneumonia distal to bronchial tumours, a condition characterised by excess cholesterol. Cholesterol pneumonitis is particularly prevalent in smokers, and the changes in our smokers' lungs possible represent an early stage in a process that if progressive would lead to this disease. The cholesterol may represent a degenerative change in type II pneumocytes or a byproduct of increased surfactant synthesis stimulated by cigarette smoke.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008168	Lung	Either of the pair of organs occupying the cavity of the thorax that effect the aeration of the blood.	Lungs
D008297	Male		Males
D008854	Microscopy, Electron	Microscopy using an electron beam, instead of light, to visualize the sample, thereby allowing much greater magnification. The interactions of ELECTRONS with specimens are used to provide information about the fine structure of that specimen. In TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY the reactions of the electrons that are transmitted through the specimen are imaged. In SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY an electron beam falls at a non-normal angle on the specimen and the image is derived from the reactions occurring above the plane of the specimen.	Electron Microscopy
D011017	Pneumonia, Lipid	Pneumonia due to aspiration or inhalation of various oily or fatty substances or otherwise accumulation of endogenous lipid substances in the PULMONARY ALVEOLI.	Endogenous Lipid Pneumonia,Endogenous Lipoid Pneumonia,Exogenous Lipid Pneumonia,Exogenous Lipoid Pneumonia,Lipoid Pneumonia,Endogenous Lipid Pneumonias,Endogenous Lipoid Pneumonias,Exogenous Lipid Pneumonias,Exogenous Lipoid Pneumonias,Lipid Pneumonia,Lipid Pneumonia, Endogenous,Lipid Pneumonia, Exogenous,Lipid Pneumonias,Lipoid Pneumonia, Endogenous,Lipoid Pneumonia, Exogenous,Lipoid Pneumonias,Pneumonia, Endogenous Lipid,Pneumonia, Endogenous Lipoid,Pneumonia, Exogenous Lipid,Pneumonia, Exogenous Lipoid,Pneumonia, Lipoid
D002784	Cholesterol	The principal sterol of all higher animals, distributed in body tissues, especially the brain and spinal cord, and in animal fats and oils.	Epicholesterol
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D012907	Smoking	Willful or deliberate act of inhaling and exhaling SMOKE from burning substances or agents held by hand.	Smoking Behaviors,Smoking Habit,Behavior, Smoking,Behaviors, Smoking,Habit, Smoking,Habits, Smoking,Smoking Behavior,Smoking Habits