Auerbach O, Hammond E C, Garfinkel L
N Engl J Med. 1979 Feb 22;300(8):381-5. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197902223000801.
To test the hypothesis that the reduction in tar and nicotine content of cigarette smoke that began in the 1950s should be reflected by the histologic changes in the bronchial epithelium of cigarette smokers, 20, 424 sections taken at autopsy from the bronchial tubes of 445 men (non-lung-cancer deaths) were examined microscopically in random order. There were 211 men who died in 1955-1960, of whom 154 smoked regularly, and 234 men who died in 1970-1977, of whom 181 were regular smokers. Changes studied included basal-cell hyperplasia, loss of cilia and occurrence of cells with atypical nuclei. In both periods studied these histologic changes occurred far less frequently in nonsmokers than in cigarette smokers and increased in frequency with amount of smoking, adjusted for age. Sections with advanced histologic changes in those dying in 1955-1960 occurred in 0 per cent of nonsmokers, in 2.6 per cent of those smoking one to 19 cigarettes a day, in 13.2 per cent of those smoking 20 to 39 and in 22.5 per cent of those smoking 40+ cigarettes a day. In those who died in 1970-1977 the percentages were 0, 0.1, 0.8, and 2.2, respectively.
为了验证始于20世纪50年代的香烟烟雾中焦油和尼古丁含量的降低应反映在吸烟者支气管上皮组织学变化这一假设，对445名男性（非肺癌死亡者）尸检时取自支气管的20424个切片进行了随机显微镜检查。有211名男性于1955 - 1960年死亡，其中154人经常吸烟；有234名男性于1970 - 1977年死亡，其中181人是经常吸烟者。所研究的变化包括基底细胞增生、纤毛缺失以及出现非典型核细胞。在两个研究时期，这些组织学变化在不吸烟者中出现的频率远低于吸烟者，并且在根据年龄调整后，随吸烟量增加而增加。在1955 - 1960年死亡者中，组织学变化严重的切片在不吸烟者中占0%，在每天吸1至19支烟者中占2.6%，在每天吸20至39支烟者中占13.2%，在每天吸40支及以上烟者中占22.5%。在1970 - 1977年死亡者中，相应的百分比分别为0%、0.1%、0.8%和2.2%。
