title: [Asbestos pulmonary content in workers of Ferrol shipyards, Spain].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In the last years, a study is being conducted about exposure to asbestos among shipyards workers in order to know the diagnosis of the diseases associated with the exposure. Our goal was to know the asbestos pulmonary contents in this population.
  
  
  METHODS
  We obtained autopsy pulmonary samples from individuals who had worked in Ferrol shipyards. We analyzed samples from both lungs in most cases. After removing the lung organic matter with sodium hypochlorite, the inorganic residue was analyzed with optic microscopy. Results were expressed as asbestos bodies (AB) per gram of dry tissue. We considered as disease causative levels those above 1,000 AB/g.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We studied 30 males, with a mean age of 67 years (r: 56-89 years). Twenty-six were smokers or former smokers, and 4 had never smoked. All had a lung, pleural or peritoneal disease related to asbestos exposure (16 lung cancer, 6 mesothelioma, 25 benign pleural disease). Only in 6 out of the 16 lung cancer cases there was coexisting asbestosis. The median (interval) of AB was 6,171 (249-4,660,059) AB/g. Ninety-seven per cent of individuals had levels above 1,000 AB/g. There was a correlation between AB and age (r=.5676; P=.0011).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Workers from Ferrol shipyards who were analyzed had increased pulmonary levels of asbestos. It is essential to raise clinical suspicion of asbestos as a factor that can potentially cause lung disease in this group.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neumología, Hospital Arquitecto Marcide, Ferrol, La Coruña, Spain.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Diego
authors.forename: María Isabel
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Velasco-García
authors.forename: María Jesús
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Cruz
authors.forename: María Dolores
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Untoria
authors.forename: Ferran
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Morell
authors.forename: Jaume
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ferrer
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001194:Asbestos / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D012767:Ships; D013030:Spain
chemical_list: D001194:Asbestos