title: Pulmonary abnormalities as a result of exposure to Libby amphibole during childhood and adolescence-The Pre-Adult Latency Study (PALS).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of Pre-Adult Latency Study was to evaluate lung findings among adults who had been environmentally exposed to Libby Amphibole only during childhood and adolescence.
  
  
  METHODS
  Recruitment was restricted to volunteers who attended primary and/or secondary school, lived in Libby, MT, prior to age 23 years for males and 21 years for females and subsequently left the area. Subjects completed exposure and respiratory questionnaires, underwent pulmonary function tests (PFTs), and chest CT scans. A Pleural Score was calculated for degree and extent of pleural thickening. Logistic regression and multivariate linear regression were used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 219 who met inclusion criteria, 198 participated. Pleural thickening was found in 96 (48%) of 198 participants. In almost half of these, it was of the lamellar type, not generally seen in exposure to other asbestos. Environmental Libby amphibole exposure was associated with pleural thickening, and the likelihood of pleural thickening increased with the number of years lived in the area. An inverse association between Pleural Score and PFT was found, which remained significant for FVC and DLco after additional sensitivity analyses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cumulative environmental exposure was associated with risk of pleural thickening. Among this cohort, quantitative measures of pleural thickening were associated with decreased PFT. Am. J. Ind. Med. 60:20-34, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Medicine, Epidemiology and Prevention, North Shore-LIJ Health System, New Hyde Park, New York.
authors.forename: Jaime
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Szeinuk
authors.affiliation: Center for Environmental Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana.
authors.forename: Curtis W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Noonan
authors.affiliation: Mount Sinai Health System, Icahn School of Medicine, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Claudia I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Henschke
authors.affiliation: Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana.
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pfau
authors.affiliation: Center for Asbestos Related Disease, Libby, Montana.
authors.forename: Brad
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Black
authors.affiliation: Center for Environmental Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana.
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.affiliation: Mount Sinai Health System, Icahn School of Medicine, New York, New York.
authors.forename: David F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Yankelevitz
authors.affiliation: Mount Sinai Health System, Icahn School of Medicine, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Mingzhu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Mount Sinai Health System, Icahn School of Medicine, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Mount Sinai Health System, Icahn School of Medicine, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Rowena
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yip
authors.affiliation: Mount Sinai Health System, Icahn School of Medicine, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Linker
authors.affiliation: Center for Asbestos Related Disease, Libby, Montana.
authors.forename: Tracy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: McNew
authors.affiliation: Mount Sinai Health System, Icahn School of Medicine, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Raja M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Flores
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017636:Asbestos, Amphibole / Q000633:toxicity*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004391:Dust; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009009:Montana; D009929:Organ Size; D010994:Pleura / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D010995:Pleural Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011653:Pulmonary Diffusing Capacity; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014797:Vital Capacity; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D017636:Asbestos, Amphibole; D004391:Dust
keywords: Libby amphibole; asbestos; pleural disease