title: An epidemiological study in an Anatolian village in Turkey environmentally exposed to tremolite asbestos.
abstract: After several cases of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) were detected in the village of Kureyşler in the Kütahya district of western Turkey, an epidemiological study was conducted. A questionnaire was completed by 124 villagers who were older than 20 years and standard posteroanterior chest X-rays were taken. The films were evaluated by three chest physicians. Samples of the white stucco that had been used by almost all villagers for indoor painting for many years were mineralogically examined. Chest X-rays showed that 23 (18%) had pleural plaques and calcifications compatible with asbestos exposure. Male sex and old age were associated with occurrence of pleural plaques. An analysis of white stucco samples revealed tremolite asbestos. In conclusion, tremolite fibers might be the cause of the high incidence of pleural plaques and MPM cases in the village of Kureyşler.
authors.affiliation: Chest Department, Hacettepe University, School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cöplü
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dumortier
authors.forename: A U
authors.initials: AU
authors.lastname: Demir
authors.forename: Z T
authors.initials: ZT
authors.lastname: Selçuk
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kalyoncu
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kisacik
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: DeVuyst
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Sahin
authors.forename: Y I
authors.initials: YI
authors.lastname: Bariş
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D017636:Asbestos, Amphibole / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008654:Mesothelioma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010997:Pleural Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D012424:Rural Population; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D017636:Asbestos, Amphibole; C005846:tremolite