{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,25]],"date-time":"2026-08-25T04:28:08Z","timestamp":1787632088272,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":29,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"17","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,22]],"date-time":"2026-08-22T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1787356800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100010623","name":"University of Thessaly","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100010623","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/04v4g9h31","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["J. Clin. Med.","JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Human respiratory exposure to microplastics (MPs) has recently been demonstrated, but their distribution within thoracic tissues and association with lung malignancy remain poorly characterised. We investigated the presence, burden, morphology, and spectroscopic characteristics of MPs in thoracic tissue specimens and their relationship with lung malignancy. Methods: In this prospective observational study, 50 adults undergoing diagnostic thoracic surgical procedures for suspected lung malignancy were enrolled. Lung, pleural, and mediastinal lymph node specimens underwent contamination-controlled processing, microscopy, and representative particle analysis by confocal micro-Raman spectroscopy. Associations between MPs and clinicopathological variables were analysed. Results: Sixty-two morphologically identified microplastic particles were detected in 50 specimens, with MPs detected in 32 patients (64%). Fragments accounted for 97% of particles, with a median burden of one particle per specimen (IQR, 2). MP detection was significantly more frequent in patients with primary lung malignancy than in patients without primary lung malignancy, including those with metastatic malignancy and benign disease (81.8% vs. 50.0%, p = 0.020), who also exhibited a higher tissue MP burden (p = 0.024). Primary lung malignancy remained independently associated with MP detection after adjustment for age and smoking exposure (OR 4.09, 95% CI 1.06\u201315.79; p = 0.041). Particle morphology varied by biopsy site, with significantly smaller particles identified in mediastinal lymph nodes (p = 0.006). Synthetic anthropogenic spectral signatures were identified in 71% of particles. Conclusions: MPs are frequently present in human thoracic tissues and are associated with primary lung malignancy. Compartment-specific particle characteristics suggest distinct patterns of respiratory MP deposition and retention, supporting multicentre mechanistic studies.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm15176503","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,24]],"date-time":"2026-08-24T11:47:19Z","timestamp":1787572039000},"page":"6503","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Microplastics in Human Thoracic Tissues: Increased Burden in Patients with Lung Malignancy"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6933-1068","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ilias E.","family":"Dimeas","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Respiratory Medicine, University Hospital of Larissa, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, 41110 Larissa, Greece"},{"name":"School of Medicine, University College Dublin, D04V1W8 Dublin, Ireland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4444-0967","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"George E.","family":"Zakynthinos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"3rd Department of Cardiology, \u201cSotiria\u201d Chest Diseases Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 10679 Athens, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0002-3648-8338","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Christos","family":"Salmas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Mineralogy-Geology, Department of Natural Resources and Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3207-5165","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ioannis","family":"Diamantis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University Hospital of Larissa, 41110 Larissa, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Maria","family":"Giannaki","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Mineralogy-Geology, Department of Natural Resources and Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Charalampos","family":"Varsamas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Respiratory Medicine, University Hospital of Larissa, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, 41110 Larissa, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Achilleas","family":"Sarris","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Mineralogy-Geology, Department of Natural Resources and Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1065-5572","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Angeliki","family":"Miziou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Respiratory Medicine, University Hospital of Larissa, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, 41110 Larissa, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Paraskevi","family":"Kirgou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Respiratory Medicine, University Hospital of Larissa, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, 41110 Larissa, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sotirios I.","family":"Sinis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Respiratory Medicine, University Hospital of Larissa, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, 41110 Larissa, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kathryn","family":"Duvall","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Medicine, University College Dublin, D04V1W8 Dublin, Ireland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Stavros P.","family":"Anastopoulos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Respiratory Medicine, University Hospital of Larissa, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, 41110 Larissa, Greece"},{"name":"Department of Geology and Geoenvironment, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 10679 Athens, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2896-5210","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Cormac","family":"McCarthy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Medicine, University College Dublin, D04V1W8 Dublin, Ireland"},{"name":"Department of Respiratory Medicine, St. Vincent\u2019s University Hospital, D04T6F4 Dublin, Ireland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5705-9618","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Patrick D.","family":"Mitchell","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Respiratory Department, Tallaght University Hospital, D24NR0A Dublin, Ireland"},{"name":"School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, D02PN40 Dublin, Ireland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4507-0742","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Michael P.","family":"Keane","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Medicine, University College Dublin, D04V1W8 Dublin, Ireland"},{"name":"Department of Respiratory Medicine, St. Vincent\u2019s University Hospital, D04T6F4 Dublin, Ireland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3903-8519","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maria","family":"Perraki","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Geo-Sciences, School of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 15780 Athens, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8079-0599","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Evangelos","family":"Oikonomou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"3rd Cardiology Department, \u201cSotiria\u201d General Hospital of Chest Diseases of Athens, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 10679 Athens, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3576-3636","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ioannis D.","family":"Papanikolaou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Mineralogy-Geology, Department of Natural Resources and Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1058-9125","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Zoe","family":"Daniil","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Respiratory Medicine, University Hospital of Larissa, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, 41110 Larissa, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,22]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e24355","DOI":"10.1016\/j.heliyon.2024.e24355","article-title":"Effect of microplastics deposition on human lung airways: A review with computational benefits and 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