We studied the bibliometric indexes referring to production and scientific output published in ARCHIVOS de BRONCONEUMOLOGIA. All issues published between 1993 and 1994 were studied with the exception of monógraphic or supplementary numbers. For each article we recorded article type, number of authors, authors' place of work, specialty, time until acceptance, time until publication, type of references, language of references, journal and year of references. For each year we calculated the productivity index and the cooperation index, or index of signers per work. We also determined the citation period for references, the Price index, and the insularity index. Productivity index was 1.97 in 1993 and 2.05 in 1994. The cooperation index for the two years reached 4.5 +/- 1.9 (1-10). Authors were widely distributed by provinces and by specialties, although "nuclei" of production could be identified. The citation half-life period was 5.67 years for references in 1993 and 5.94 years in 1994, and the Price index surpassed 40%. The insularity index was very low at 7.76%. In conclusion, the bibliometric indicators for production, readership and obsolescence for the two years analyzed indicate that ARCHIVOS de BRONCONEUMOLOGIA occupies an intermediate position in the ranking of Spanish medical journals.

Bibliometrics↗

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The concentrations of five tumor markers in both BAL fractions in lung cancer patients in relation to cigarette smoking.

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer is the leading cause of death from cancer. Tobacco is related to the development of this type of tumor due to genetic alterations and to the secretion of certain biological markers. Bronchogenic carcinomas secrete a series of biological substances known as tumor markers. Some of these markers, such as carcinoembryonic antigen, neuron-specific enolase, tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA), tissue polypeptide-specific antigen (TPS) and CYFRA 21.1, possess clear clinical value when analyzed in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) of patients with lung malignancies, particularly when they are analyzed in the two BAL fractions, bronchial (BF) and alveolar (AF), being more increased in the BF. For this reason, we intend to demonstrate that smokers with cancer secrete more biological substances in the BF and that the concentrations of these markers are higher in the BAL of smokers than in that of non-smokers. METHODS: The five aforementioned tumor markers were studied in the two BAL fractions of 52 lung cancer patients (46 smokers and 6 non-smokers). We performed BAL using 150 ml of 0.9% saline solution divided in three aliquots of 50 ml. The fluid obtained from the first 50 ml was the BF. The liquid from the other two aliquots was the AF. The five tumor marker concentrations were calculated in accord with the indications of the laboratory. RESULTS: The TPA and TPS levels in the BAL of lung cancer patients were more increased in the BF than in the AF, even when the patients were divided into smokers and non-smokers. When we compared smokers with non-smokers, the smokers had higher levels of TPS in the BF and of TPA in the AF. CONCLUSIONS: Thus, we believe that the cellular alterations produced by tobacco are responsible for the secretion of these tumor markers.

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No need to heat bronchoalveolar lavage fluid for calcitonin measurement.

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Adult↗

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Calcitonin in broncho-alveolar lavage of malignant and non-malignant pulmonary diseases.

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Adult↗

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How to express tumor markers in bronchoalveolar lavage.

INTRODUCTION: Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is a fundamental technique in the diagnosis of different respiratory diseases including lung cancer. Tumor marker values can be determined in the BAL fluid, but controversy still exists about how to express the results. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the best method of expressing tumor markers in BAL, either referring to total proteins or volume of fluid recovered. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective, randomized, non-blind study was carried out. Seventy-six patients (72 men and 4 women) diagnosed with lung cancer and 17 subjects without respiratory disease were included. BAL was performed in all patients and the fluid retrieved was divided into two fractions: a bronchiolar fraction (F0) and an alveolar fraction (F1). Five tumor markers: cytokeratin fragment 19 (CYFRA 21-1), squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC), tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA), tissue polypeptide-specific antigen (TPS) and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) as well as total protein were measured in both fractions. The concentrations were expressed in relation to the volume of BAL fluid recovered (ng or mU/mL) and in milligrams of total protein of lavage fluid (ng or mU/mg TP). The SPSS 11.01 software was used for statistical analysis. Mann-Whitney U test and ROC curves were developed when significant differences were found. RESULTS: We found significant differences in the CYFRA 21-1 values in the two BAL fractions and in both ways of expressing its concentration; in SCC in F1 expressed in ng/mg TP; in TPA in F0 expressed in mU/mg TP; in TPS in both fractions expressed in mU/mg TP, and in NSE in both fractions in ng/mg TP. The markers that best differentiated tumors from controls (ROC curves) were CYFRA 21-1 in F0 and NSE in both fractions in ng/mg TP. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates that the concentrations of tumor markers in BAL expressed in relation to total protein were more effective than if expressed in mL of BAL fluid collected.

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