Asbestos bodies in normal lung of western Mediterranean populations with no occupational exposure to inorganic dust.
The aim of this study was to determine the following: (a) asbestos body count in lung tissue of different western Mediterranean populations; (b) the association, if any, of urban industrial residence with higher lung tissue asbestos exposure posed for lung cancer in our population. Lung-tissue samples were studied in three groups of subjects from the general population: (1) group A comprised 18 patients from Barcelona's urban industrial area (mean age = 62.2 y, standard deviation [SD] = 13.6); (2) group B comprised 16 patients who lived in a rural area of Albacete in the south of Spain (mean age = 62.2 y, SD = 13.7); and (3) group C comprised 8 patients who had been diagnosed with lung cancer, who lived in or near Barcelona, and who had never been exposed occupationally to asbestos (mean age = 62.1 y, SD = 7.4). A wet lung/dry lung weight ratio was determined. In group A, asbestos bodies were observed in 9 of 18 (50%) subjects, and asbestos bodies numbered 52.35 per g dry lung (SD = 101.72) (upper limit of normality [higher value] = 430.12 asbestos bodies per g dry lung). In group B, asbestos bodies were observed in 2 of 16 (12.5%) subjects, and asbestos bodies numbered 5.37 per g dry lung (SD = 8.79) (upper limit normality = 35.15 asbestos bodies per g dry lung). In group C, we observed asbestos bodies in 2 of 8 subjects (25.0%), and asbestos bodies numbered 20.59 per g dry weight (SD = 24.10).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Monsó
E
E
Serveis de Pneumologia i Anatomia Patològica, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Catalonia, Spain.
Texidó
A
A
Lopez
D
D
Aguilar
X
X
Fiz
J
J
Ruiz
J
J
Rosell
A
A
Vaqueró
M
M
Morera
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001194:Asbestos / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000737:chemistry*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012424:Rural Population; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D014505:Urban Population
D001194:Asbestos