Comparative quantitative evaluation of pleural fibrosis and its effects on pulmonary function in two large asbestos-exposed occupational groups--insulators and sheet metal workers.
Two large (N = 1584 and N = 1330) population groups of workers exposed to asbestos as insulators (I) or sheet metal workers (SM) were compared. Prevalence rates of radiographic changes including pleural fibrosis (circumscribed and diffuse) were found to be much higher in I than SM. An integrative index of pleural fibrosis (INDEX) showed similar distribution patterns in the two groups; the effect of INDEX on FVC% predicted was more marked in insulators. Factors that could contribute to this difference are thought to be the higher prevalence of interstitial pulmonary fibrosis (probably including that which is not yet radiologically detectable) in I than in SM, the possibility of more extensive pleural fibrosis in areas not accessible to the standard chest X ray (and thus not affecting INDEX) and a higher proportion of diffuse pleural fibrosis in the I group.
Lilis
R
R
Division of Environmental and Occupational Medicine (Community Medicine), Mount Sinai School of Medicine, City University of New York, New York.
Miller
A
A
Godbold
J
J
Benkert
S
S
Wu
X
X
Selikoff
I J
IJ
D001194:Asbestos / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008400:Mass Chest X-Ray; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010995:Pleural Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015995:Prevalence; D011658:Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014797:Vital Capacity
D001194:Asbestos