Molecular diagnosis in lung diseases.

The development of different molecular biology techniques in the past decade has led to an explosion of new research in molecular pathology with consequent important applications to diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutics, as well as a clearer concept of the disease pathogenesis. Many methods used in molecular pathology are now validated and used in several areas of pathological diagnosis, particularly on infectious and neoplastic diseases. The spectrum of infectious diseases, especially lung infective diseases, is now broadening and modifying, thus the pathologist is increasingly involved in the diagnosis of these pathologies. The precise tissue characterization of lung infections has an important impact on specific therapeutic treatment. Increased knowledge of significant alterations in lung cancer has led today to a better understanding of the pathogenic substrate underlying the development, progression and metastasis of neoplastic processes. Molecular tests are now routinely performed in different lung tumors allowing a more precise patient stratification in terms of prognosis and therapy. This review focuses on molecular pathology of the principal infective lung diseases and tumors.