Reversible and Permanent effects of Tobacco Smoke Exposure on Airway Epithelial Gene Expression

RNA was obtained from histologically normal bronchial epithelium of never, former, and current smokers undergoing fiberoptic bronchoscopy. Statistical analysis of the gene expression data identified gene differentially expressed between current and never smokers and classified these genes as irreversible, slowly reversible, or rapidly reversible based on their behavior in former smokers Keywords: Disease state analysis Microarrays run on total RNA obtained from Bronchial Epithelium of Never Smokers (n=21), Former Smokers (n=31), and Current Smokers (n=52)