title: Secular trends in prevalence and concentration of pulmonary asbestos bodies--1940 to 1972. A necropsy study.
abstract: This study was designed to inquire into changes in the prevalence and concentration of asbestos bodies in the lungs of the necropsy population in Sinai Hospital of Baltimore during a 33-year period, 1940 to 1972. A tissue digestion technique was used to extract and quantitate asbestos bodies not only in fresh samples of pulmonary tissue but also in older fixed and blocked samples. A significant increase in the proportion of lungs containing asbestos bodies was found in the later years, as well as an increase in the concentration of asbestos bodies in lungs of the older age groups. Currently, 91.1%of this necropsy population in Baltimore harbor asbestos bodies in their lungs. The biologic importance of this increase is uncertain and speculative.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001194:Asbestos / Q000032:analysis*; D001344:Autopsy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008168:Lung / Q000032:analysis* / Q000473:pathology; D008396:Maryland; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D001194:Asbestos