Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “ASBESTOSIS”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,243 records · Page 69Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

[Legal cases on the correlation between exposure to asbestos fiber dust and laryngeal cancer].

In Germany the causal relationship between laryngeal carcinoma and occupational exposure to asbestos is under discussion. We report on 30 cases of laryngeal carcinoma for which compensation was considered, since an occupational contact with asbestos was confirmed or suspected. We looked especially for signs of non-tumorous lesions related to asbestos exposure in radiography or CT of the chest. Such signs could be detected in 12 individuals. In Germany compensation for an occupational disease can be granted only, if e.g. the relevance of asbestos exposure is sufficiently probable, with special regard to other noxious influences such as cigarette abuse. Asbestosis of the larynx cannot be diagnosed specifically; we, therefore suggest proving the relevance of asbestos exposure in respect of signs of tumorous or non-tumorous lesions in the chest.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

[The content of asbestos bodies in the bronchoalveolar fluid as a parameter of an increased pulmonary asbestos load].

Pulmonary asbestos burdens are usually determined by quantitative pulmonary dust analysis. The aim of this study was to investigate the value of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) for this purpose. First, the upper limit of normal for asbestos bodies (AB) in BAL fluid was established using a reference group of 371 patients with no evidence of increased exposure to asbestos. 99% of these patients had less than 0.5 AB/ml. In order to see whether BAL fluid AB concentration reflected pulmonary tissue content, BAL fluid and lung tissue from a further 64 patients with diverse histories of asbestos exposure were investigated. There was a positive association between AB concentration in BAL fluid and lung tissue only for the overall group of 64 patients (r = 0.86; P < 0.001). Twelve of 13 patients with more than 1 AB/ml and ten patients with more than 5 AB/ml had more than 1000 AB/cm3 lung tissue, a value that is usually exceeded in asbestosis. When the upper concentration limit was set at 0.5 AB/ml for BAL fluid and 50 AB/cm3 for lung tissue, only two out of 64 patients had a false positive value (specificity 95%), but eleven patients had false negative results (sensitivity 58%). These investigations establish that concentrations of > or = 0.5 AB/ml are a reliable indicator of increased asbestos exposure and concentrations > 1 AB/ml are associated with a higher probability of having more than 1000 AB/cm3 lung tissue. However, exclusion of increased asbestos exposure is not possible on the basis of negative BAL findings, since the sensitivity of the method is too low.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Bilateral environmental and occupational health program with India.

In spite of considerable economic progress in recent years, India continues to face challenges dealing with poverty, unemployment, malnutrition, disease and disability. The governments of India and the United States have formed a collaborative effort to address outstanding issues in the fields of environmental and occupational health. The Joint Statement on Indo-U.S. Collaboration in Environmental and Occupational Health, which was approved by the Minister of the Indian Union of Health and Family Welfare and the Secretary of Health and Human Services of the United State in Geneva in May of 2002, formalizes the collaborative relationship and calls for the development of Implementation Guidelines. The Implementation Guidelines establish a Joint Working Group, which is responsible for identifying and implementing the collaborative projects. The collaborating organizations have identified three broad areas for collaboration: emergency preparedness and response; training, education, and technology transfer; and research. Within the three broad areas, the organizations have identified two subject areas for initiation: arsenicosis and asbestosis. Researchers and health officials in both India and the U.S. share interest in both research and interventions efforts in these subject areas. As many as 42 million people in the West Bengal area of India may be exposed to arsenic in drinking water at concentrations of health concern. Similarly, as many as 10 million industrial or mine workers in India may be exposed to asbestos or other dusts at concentrations of health concern. The first Joint Working Group meeting is scheduled for March 2003 in New Delhi and will consider these subject areas in developing collaborative projects. Other tasks being undertaken by the signatory agencies include expanding the relationship to include academic and nongovernmental organizations and obtaining funds for the various projects from governmental and nongovernmental sources.

Arsenic Poisoning↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Factors influencing the reading of small irregular opacities in a radiological survey of asbestos miners in South Africa.

A cross-sectional radiological survey of 2,245 men who were employed in South African asbestos mines was conducted in 1976. Since 1976, the lungs of 172 of these men who died have been examined to establish the presence of asbestosis or other pneumoconiosis. The x-ray readings (ILO/UC 1971) were compared with the pathological findings. A high prevalence of false positive readings, particularly for two of the three readers, was found. False negative readings were also very prevalent. Detailed information about asbestos and other mining exposure, smoking habit, age, height, and weight were examined to determine what influence they may have had in inducing false positive findings. Other dust exposure and smoking appeared to be possible factors, whereas age and obesity were probably not. It is suggested that the term "small irregular opacities" requires more precise definition.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

After Helsinki: a multidisciplinary review of the relationship between asbestos exposure and lung cancer, with emphasis on studies published during 1997-2004.

Despite an extensive literature, the relationship between asbestos exposure and lung cancer remains the subject of controversy, related to the fact that most asbestos-associated lung cancers occur in those who are also cigarette smokers: because smoking represents the strongest identifiable lung cancer risk factor among many others, and lung cancer is not uncommon across industrialised societies, analysis of the combined (synergistic) effects of smoking and asbestos on lung cancer risk is a more complex exercise than the relationship between asbestos inhalation and mesothelioma. As a follow-on from previous reviews of prevailing evidence, this review critically evaluates more recent studies on this relationship--concentrating on those published between 1997 and 2004--including lung cancer to mesothelioma ratios, the interactive effects of cigarette smoke and asbestos in combination, and the cumulative exposure model for lung cancer induction as set forth in The Helsinki Criteria and The AWARD Criteria (as opposed to the asbestosis-->cancer model), together with discussion of differential genetic susceptibility/resistance factors for lung carcinogenesis by both cigarette smoke and asbestos. The authors conclude that: (i) the prevailing evidence strongly supports the cumulative exposure model; (ii) the criteria for probabilistic attribution of lung cancer to mixed asbestos exposures as a consequence of the production and end-use of asbestos-containing products such as insulation and asbestos-cement building materials--as embodied in The Helsinki and AWARD Criteria--conform to, and are further consolidated by, the new evidence discussed in this review; (iii) different attribution criteria (e.g., greater cumulative exposures) are appropriate for chrysotile mining/milling and perhaps for other chrysotile-only exposures, such as friction products manufacture, than for amphibole-only exposures or mixed asbestos exposures; and (iv) emerging evidence on genetic susceptibility/resistance factors for lung cancer risk as a consequence of cigarette smoking, and potentially also asbestos exposure, suggests that genotypic variation may represent an additional confounding factor potentially affecting the strength of association and hence the probability of causal contribution in the individual subject, but at present there is insufficient evidence to draw any meaningful conclusions concerning variation in asbestos-mediated lung cancer risk relative to such resistance/susceptibility factors.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed2005

Stability of ferruginous bodies in human lung tissue following death, embalmment, and burial.

The identification of asbestos bodies in tissue sections is an indicator of past exposure to longer asbestos fibers. These structures are formed in lung tissue as a consequence of interactions with pulmonary macrophages resulting in the deposition of a ferroprotein (ferruginous) coating on the fiber. While the process of ferruginous body formation is known to take months in animal tissue, there is no published information on the stability of ferruginous bodies in tissue following death. The material assessed in the present study was obtained from lung material collected from an exhumed body approximately 8(1/2) mo after death, embalmment, and burial. Tissue sections were reviewed for the presence of asbestos bodies. Additional pieces of lung tissue were digested, with the digestate being evaluated by light microscopy for ferruginous bodies and by electron microscopy for uncoated asbestos fibers and core analysis of asbestos bodies. Classical ferruginous (asbestos) bodies were found in abundance in the tissue sections including in areas with fibrosis. The levels of uncoated asbestos fibers and classical appearing ferruginous bodies (asbestos bodies) were consistent with occupational levels of tissue burden. The data from this study indicate that ferruginous bodies remain morphologically stable within the tissue for months following death, embalmment, and burial. Thus the lung tissue from this exhumed individual was usable not only to pathologically confirm asbestosis but also to provide quantitative data of occupational exposure to asbestos.

Aged, 80 and over↗
PubMed2006

A review of the federal government's health activities in response to asbestos-contaminated ore found in Libby, Montana.

Vermiculite ore is a naturally occurring fibrous mineral widely used in various consumer products, such as attic insulation, lawn and garden products, and fireproofing material. While most vermiculite ore and products do not pose a health hazard, the vermiculite mined from Libby, MT was contaminated with naturally occurring asbestos. The federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) has documented a significant number of asbestos-related deaths among Libby residents. Additionally, as part of the ongoing investigation, ATSDR has learned that this contaminated ore was shipped to hundreds of locations around the United States for processing. While the Libby mine is now closed, studies from ATSDR and elsewhere show that people who worked in the Libby mine or vermiculite processing facilities may have been exposed to hazardous levels of asbestos while the facilities were in operation. People who lived or worked near these sites also may have been exposed to asbestos if they came into contact with contaminated vermiculite. Prolonged exposure to asbestos can cause serious and life-threatening health conditions, including asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma. In response, ATSDR has initiated 10 different activities to help evaluate the potential health effects among Libby residents and populations throughout the United States who might have been exposed to the asbestos-contaminated ore found in Montana. Some of these activities include conducting environmental exposure evaluations, health statistics reviews, community screenings, and disease-specific surveillance. This article presents the various follow-up activities that have been conducted to date by ATSDR and partnering state health departments.

Aluminum Silicates↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Environmental and occupational health hazards associated with the presence of asbestos in brake linings and pads (1900 to present): a "state-of-the-art" review.

Throughout the history of automobile development, chrysotile asbestos has been an essential component of vehicle brake linings and pads. Acceptable alternatives were not fully developed until the 1980s, and these were installed in vehicles produced over the past decade. This article presents a "state-of-the-art" analysis of what was known over time about the potential environmental and occupational health hazards associated with the presence of chrysotile asbestos in brake linings and pads. As part of this analysis, the evolution of automobile brakes and brake friction materials, beginning with the early 1900s, is described. Initial concerns regarding exposures to asbestos among workers involved in the manufacture of friction products were raised as early as 1930. Between 1930 and 1959, eight studies were conducted for which friction product manufacturing workers were part of the population assessed. These studies provided evidence of asbestosis among highly exposed workers, but provided little information on the magnitude of exposure. The U.S. Public Health Service proposed the first occupational guideline for asbestos exposure in 1938. The causal relationship between asbestos exposure and lung cancer was confirmed in 1955 in asbestos textile workers in the United Kingdom, and later, in 1960, in South Africa, mesothelioma was attributed to asbestos exposure to even relatively low airborne concentrations of crocidolite. Between 1960 and 1974, five epidemiology studies of friction product manufacturing workers were conducted. During this same time period, the initial studies of brake lining wear (dust or debris) emissions were conducted showing that automobile braking was not a substantial contributor of asbestos fibers greater than 5 microm in length to ambient air. The first exposure surveys, as well as preliminary health effects studies, for brake mechanics were also conducted during this period. In 1971, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration promulgated the first national standards for workplace exposure to asbestos. During the post-1974 time period, most of the information on exposure of brake mechanics to airborne asbestos during brake repair was gathered, primarily from a series of sampling surveys conducted by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health in the United States. These surveys indicated that the time-weighted average asbestos

Air Pollutants, Occupational↗
PubMed1982

Effects of cigarette smoking on pulmonary function in asymptomatic asbestos workers with normal chest radiograms.

A comprehensive health screening program consisting of standardized health and occupational history questionnaire, blood chemistry profile, complete blood count, urinalysis, chest radiograph, and pulmonary function testing was organized for the Asbestos Workers Union Local Number 1 in St. Louis, Missouri. The program was available on a voluntary basis to all the workers in the Union. One hundred and thirty-five male caucasian workers or 44% of the membership volunteered to participate and all the data were used in this study. All blood chemistry profiles and urinalysis results were within normal limits. Twenty-two of the asbestos workers had radiologic pulmonary abnormalities as well as severe pulmonary function impairment. The remaining 113 workers were divided into subgroups based on the number of years of exposure to asbestos and their smoking history. Although asymptomatic, workers with more than 20 years exposure to asbestos had significantly decreased pulmonary functions compared to those with less than 20 years exposure. When smokers and nonsmokers were compared, an additive effect between smoking and asbestosis was observed. This study also discovered that significant decreases in pulmonary functions occur early in the exposure to asbestos.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Autoimmune haemolytic anaemia associated with malignant peritoneal mesothelioma.

A 57-year-old man with a history of pulmonary asbestosis was incidentally found to have benign mesothelial hyperplasia of the peritoneum at hernia repair. Five months later he developed a Coombs positive haemolytic anaemia of the IgG-C3d type caused by non specific IgG antibodies. At that time no underlying cause for the anaemia was found. The anaemia responded to steroids, but remained steroid dependent. Six months after the diagnosis of the anaemia, a malignant peritoneal mesothelioma was found at laparotomy. The association between malignant mesothelioma and autoimmune haemolytic anaemia has been reported on one previous occasion. The description of a second case suggests that the association is not purely coincidental and that malignant mesothelioma should be added to the list of solid tumours that can be associated with autoimmune haemolytic anaemia. The finding of red blood cells coated with IgG and C3d in this as well as in other cases adds further evidence to the hypothesis that a quinidine type mechanism of haemolysis might be responsible for Coombs positive haemolytic anaemia associated with solid tumours.

Anemia, Hemolytic, Autoimmune↗
PubMed2004

Chrysophiles versus chrysophobes: the white asbestos controversy, 1950s-2004.

In the first half of the twentieth century, asbestos was a controversial mineral because of its association with asbestosis and asbestos-related lung cancer. It has proved no less so since the 1960s, when another asbestos cancer, mesothelioma, was identified. Mesothelioma appeared to be more strongly linked with blue asbestos (crocidolite) than with the other asbestos varieties, brown (amosite) and white (chrysotile). This finding triggered a fierce debate between "chrysophiles" (those who declared chrysotile innocuous) and "chrysophobes" (those who believed it was a mortal hazard). This essay attempts the first history of the chrysotile controversy, which shows that a scientific consensus on the safety of white asbestos was very slow to emerge. This was only partly due to the complexities of scientific research. Political, economic, and social factors have militated against a speedy resolution of the debate, facilitating the continued production and use of asbestos in the developing world.

Asbestos↗
PubMed1988

1987 H. P. Smith award lecture. Eyes for the epidemiologist: the pathologist's role in shaping our understanding of the asbestos-associated diseases.

Asbestosis was first recognized as an entity at autopsy by a pathologist in 1900. Pathologists also discovered the unique relationship of mesothelioma and bronchogenic carcinoma with exposure to asbestos. The observations of preceding pathologists have provided insights that have served as the basis for epidemiologic studies associating asbestos with disease in humans.

Asbestos↗
PubMed1989

Dendriform pulmonary ossification. Report of two cases with unique findings.

Dendriform pulmonary ossification (DPO) is a rare condition characterized by branching bony spicules found in association with pulmonary fibrosis. The authors report two cases, the first of which occurred in a patient with acute myeloblastic leukemia and was associated with the unique finding of leukemic involvement of marrow spaces in the metaplastic bone. The second case showed DPO in combination with asbestosis, a heretofore unreported association.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

Ferruginous body counts in sputum as an index of past exposure to mineral fibres.

Previous work by our group among vermiculite miners exposed to fibrous tremolite demonstrated that asbestos body counts in sputum closely reflected intensity and duration of past exposure. In the present project sputum samples from nearly 600 volunteers from 11 cohorts of workers exposed to asbestos and other mineral fibres were found to contain much lower numbers of asbestos bodies than had been observed in vermiculite workers and these counts did not reliably reflect past levels of exposure. No evidence was found that occupational exposure to man-made mineral fibres led to any ferruginous body formation. Asbestos body counts appeared to differentiate between mesothelioma cases and controls and between levels of radiological asbestosis, but in both comparisons, based on small numbers, the power of discrimination was low. Substantial variation was found both in asbestos body and in macrophage counts in daily sampling of vermiculite workers but it was not sufficient to invalidate comparison between groups for epidemiological study. In individual subjects, however, little reliance can be put on results from a single sputum sample, particularly if negative.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Biological indicators of chrysotile exposure.

Chrysotile asbestos is retained in lung tissue, where it may be used as a marker of exposure. Studies include analysis of sputum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, but principally lung parenchyma from autopsy or surgically resected specimens. Asbestos bodies form on chrysotile fibres but are generally not a good indicator of human exposure to chrysotile because of their greater probability of formation on amphiboles. Chrysotile fibre analyses in lung have advantages and limitations. Chrysotile concentration is related to the level of environmental and occupational exposure, but in the latter situation owing to deposition, fibre alteration and clearance cumulative exposure and interval between end-exposure and death clearly affect results. Autopsy case series are biased toward increased proportions of asbestos-related diseases as compared to epidemiological cohort data. Analytical problems include potential contamination by chrysotile at autopsy, from fixatives, from post-fixative processing and in the analytical laboratory itself. These may have greatest effect in studies of individuals with low exposure, for tissue other than lung, and for short chrysotile fibres. Selection of control subjects should be contemporaneous with that of cases, and control subjects should fully reflect the hospital population at the time of case death. Limited data are available on fibre analysis in pleural tissue. More are needed. Issues requiring attention include avoidance of contamination, selection of controls, and sample site selection (parietal pleura, or tumour or plaque). For mesothelioma, two case-control studies of lung fibre burden show the principal relationship to be with long amphiboles, but some methodological problems exist. Lung cancer shows no such fibre-type differences. Asbestosis seems to be associated with long-fibre chrysotile and tremolite in one study and short fibres in others. Overall, lung retained dose is a useful indicator of chrysotile exposure if used cautiously in inference, and is very useful in the evaluation of historical exposures and industrial hygiene data in epidemiological studies.

Asbestos, Serpentine↗
PubMed1994

Symptoms and pulmonary functions as measures of morbidity.

A contemporary list of non-malignant respiratory conditions associated with exposure to environments contaminated by chrysotile asbestos dust includes pulmonary parenchymal and pleural fibrosis, small airway abnormality and conditions affecting the large airways such as chronic bronchitis and chronic airflow limitation. The first two are attributed to the specific biological effects of asbestos dust, the latter two to nonspecific effects of exposure to mineral dusts and/or other airborne pollutants in workplaces contaminated by asbestos dust. Prevalence rates for all the clinical markers of morbidity (radiographic change, lung function deficit and symptoms) have been shown to increase with increasing exposure to chrysotile but more steeply when exposure is in textile and other manufacturing plants than in mining and milling. The presence of amphiboles such as tremolite in the airborne dust may also result in steeper exposure-response relationships, while exposure in crocidolite mining results in very much steeper exposure-response relationships. Clinical asbestosis, though less frequent and less severe than previously, is still associated with increased moribidity, while localized pleural fibrosis in the form of plaques with minimal or no parenchymal fibrosis, currently the most frequently encountered non-malignant asbestos related condition encountered in clinical practice, may also be associated with morbidity, including lung function deficit. Determinants of progression of chrysotile-related parenchymal and pleural radiographic abnormality include duration and time since first exposure and, possibly, continued exposure after first appearance of radiographic changes. Progression of asbestos-related airway disease, documented as lung function loss over time, may, under the influence of continued exposure, be comparable to the progression observed under the influence of continued smoking.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Other diseases in animals.

Experimental inhalation in a number of studies has demonstrated that chrysotile asbestos can cause pulmonary fibrosis and both benign and malignant pulmonary tumours, two lesions which are associated in that the studies reporting high tumour rates also found high levels of asbestosis. One comparison reported that animals with malignant tumours had approximately twice the amount of fibrosis in the lung parenchyma as those of similar age without tumours. Many studies have examined the pathogenicity of asbestos administered by ingestion and most of these included chrysotile asbestos: the results have been universally negative apart from one study with amosite that contained no control animals and is best discarded. Only one inhalation study has reported an examination of the larynxes of animals: this found no pathological changes. In many studies, tumours other than the lung had been listed, but significant numbers of kidney tumours have never been recorded. Injection studies inducing mesothelioma have indicated that fibre geometry is important with long thin fibres (> 8 microns in length and < 0.25 microns in diameter) being the most carcinogenic. This has been difficult to confirm for inhaled fibres although fibres less than 5 microns in length appear to cause neither fibrosis nor pulmonary tumours. Similar results have been found with amosite for fibres up to 10-15 microns although longer fibres do produce these conditions. It is suggested that to produce pulmonary fibrosis and neoplasia fibres may need to be longer than 20 microns. Chrysotile has been shown in many studies to be removed from lung tissue much more rapidly than amphibole fibres.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Administration, Inhalation↗
PubMed1994

Macrophage-associated responses to chrysotile.

The different pulmonary macrophage (airway macrophages, alveolar macrophages, interstitial macrophages, intravascular macrophages, pleural macrophages) are an important part of the lungs' defences against non-fibrous and fibrous particles deposited by inhalation. The first line of defence is airway macrophages and alveolar macrophages (AM) which initially interact with deposited chrysotile fibres and subsequently release a number of mediators including growth regulatory and chemotactic proteins, arachidonic acid metabolites, proteases, NO and active oxygen species, all of which can affect--also adversely--specific target cells in the lung. Mechanical clearance via the mucociliary escalator and dissolution of phagocytized fibres in the acidic milieu of the phagolysosome in pulmonary macrophages are further important functions of AM. Chrysotile appears to be more toxic or at least has the same toxicity to AM as amphibole fibres when doses of a similar mass are administered. However, on a fibre number basis chrysotile appears to be less toxic to AM. The importance of the appropriate dose parameter--i.e. fibre mass, number or surface area--needs to be considered in in vitro as well as in in vivo studies. Short chrysotile fibres are cleared from rat lungs very rapidly whereas longer ones are cleared at a much slower rate. This is due to efficient phagocytosis of short fibres by AM accompanied by dissolution in the acidic milieu of the phagolysosome. Prediction of chrysotile clearance in primate lung based on results from rat studies result in an overall retention half-time of approximately 105 days, based on which no long-term accumulation of chrysotile in the primate lung is to be expected. Long-term inhalation studies in baboons exposed to chrysotile confirm the very fast build up of a low steady-state lung burden, consistent with a pulmonary retention half-time for chrysotile of approximately 90 days. Despite the fast clearance and low pulmonary accumulation of chrysotile, the resulting effects, such as asbestosis, were found to be of the same severity in rats as those induced by amphibole exposure. In the amphibole-exposed rats, the fibre lung burden continued to increase with exposure time. The potential contamination of chrysotile with tremolite cannot explain these results since there was no increased pulmonary accumulation of fibres in the chrysotile-exposed rats. Effects due to lung particle overload are not to be expected in long-term chrysotile inhalation studies since no accumulation occurs and one needs to distinguish clearly between a volumetric overload of the AM (not occurring with chrysotile) and failed or partial phagocytosis of long fibres.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗