Abnormal cilia in human bronchial epithelium.

Abnormal cilia are a common occurrence in human bronchial epithelium. Bronchial specimens were obtained at surgery or at "immediate autopsy" from patients with neoplastic and nonneoplastic diseases; these patients included smokers and one known nonsmoker. Areas of bronchial epithelium far removed from the tumor mass were studied. Ciliary abnormalities fell into four major categories: (1) cilia with a single axoneme and excess cytoplasmic matrix; (2) compound cilia; (3) intracytoplasmic microtubular doublets; and (4) cilia within periciliary sheaths.