title: [Pleural lymphatics and pleural diseases related to fibres].
abstract: It is now well established that some pleural diseases, pleural plaques and malignant mesothelioma are related to asbestos fibre exposure although the mechanism of action of asbestos fibres is not fully understood. The development of artificial mineral fibres and carbon nanotubes, which share some morphological characteristics similar to asbestos fibres, is a present concern in the context of pleural diseases. Pleural plaques develop only in the parietal pleura, and in the 1990s, clinical observations have shown that the early development of mesothelioma also occurred on the parietal pleura. The peculiarity of the parietal pleura in contrast to the visceral pleura is the presence of "stomas" which are communication holes between the pleural cavity and the parietal pleura lymphatics. Morphological observations by thoracoscopy and experimental studies have shown that inhaled fibres translocate to the pleural space and, in human, are present in the parietal pleura at specific anthracotic areas (blackspots). Fibres accumulate on the stomas, up to block and locally induce an inflammatory reaction with cytokines release, that can be the bed of mesothelioma. However, despite the experimental data and observations in human pathology, the mechanisms of fibre translocation into the pleura is not yet clearly established.
authors.affiliation: Faculté de médecine, université Pierre-et-Marie-Curie, 75013 Paris, France. Electronic address: jocelyne.fleury@tnn.aphp.fr.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fleury Feith
authors.affiliation: Inserm, UMR-674, IUH, 75010 Paris, France. Electronic address: marie-claude.jaurand@inserm.fr.
authors.forename: M-C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Jaurand
mesh_terms: D001194:Asbestos / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D008206:Lymphatic Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D042601:Lymphatic Vessels / Q000473:pathology; D019016:Mineral Fibers / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010994:Pleura / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D010995:Pleural Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D019016:Mineral Fibers; D001194:Asbestos
keywords: Amiante; Asbestos fibres; Blackspots; Carbon nanotubes; Lymphatiques pleuraux; Mesothelioma; Mésothéliome; Nanotubes de carbone; Pleural lymphatics; Stomatas