Respiratory impairment due to asbestos exposure in brake-lining workers.
There is extensive evidence that exposure to asbestos causes pulmonary parenchymal fibrosis, pleural disease, and malignant neoplasm in asbestos-exposed workers. However, few data concerning brake-lining workers are available in the literature. In this study, we aimed to assess the long-term effects of chrysotile asbestos exposure on lung function and the risk of asbestos-related diseases in brake-lining workers. Seventy-four asbestos-exposed workers who processed brake-lining products and 12 unexposed office workers were offered pulmonary function tests (spirometry and transfer factor) in 1992 and 1999. In 1999, the mean duration of asbestos exposure was 10.00+/-4.07 and 11.02+/-4.81 years (7-31 years) in nonsmoking and smoking asbestos workers, respectively. Transfer factor (T(L), CO) and transfer coefficient (K(CO)) decline were significant in the 7-year follow-up in both smoking and nonsmoking asbestos workers. However, lung function indices of the control group, whom were all current smokers; were also found to be decreased, including FEF(75), T(L), CO and K(CO). We found minimal reticular changes in 10 asbestos workers who were all current smokers, they underwent high-resolution computed tomography scans of the chest and we found that they had peribronchial thickening resulting from smoking. As a conclusion, even in the absence of radiographic asbestosis, T(L), CO and K(CO) may decrease after a mean 10-year duration of exposure to asbestos in brake-lining workers and this is more noticeable with cigarette burden.
Erdinç
Münevver
M
Chest Disease Department, School of Medicine, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey.
Erdinç
Ertürk
E
Cok
Gürsel
G
Polatli
Mehmet
M
D000328:Adult; D001194:Asbestos / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001195:Asbestosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D011859:Radiography; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology
D001194:Asbestos