ASSESSMENT OF INTERSTITIAL LUNG MACROPHAGE PARTICLE BURDEN BY ANALYTICAL TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPE

Vingt biopsies pulmonaires transbronchiques réalisées au cours du bilan de pneumopathies diverses ont été étudiées en microscopie électronique à transmission analytique. La charge particulaire des macrophages interstitiels a été étudiée comme moyen d'évaluation des expositions antérieures aux particules inhalées.Transbronchial lung biopsies performed among 20 patients with various lung diseases were examined by means of an analytical transmission electron microscope. The particle burden of interstitial macrophages was studied for assessing exposures to inhaled airborne particles. Many interstitial lung diseases are related to the inhalation of mineral dusts and fumes in occupational and environmental settings. There is an increasing evidence that the study of biological specimens is very helpful for the assessment of human exposure to environmental pollutants. The analytical transmission electron microscope seems to be a very reliable method to obtain, on the same sample, both ultrastructural and analytical data on particles observed in situ. In this study the particle burden of transbronchial lung biopsies (TBLB) was investigated for assessing exposures to inhaled airborne particles

Biopersistence of Cerium in the Human Respiratory Tract and Ultrastructural Findings

International audienceFor diagnostic purposes, mineralogical analysis was performed in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and lung tissue from a 58-year-old patient previously exposed to asbestos and rare earth dusts. No significant retention of asbestos was demonstrated in lung tissue by light microscopy (asbestos bodies) or transmission electron microscopy analysis (uncoated fibers). Particles containing rare earth (cerium, lanthanum) and phosphorus were identified in alveolar macrophages in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, and cerium-containing particles accounted for 70% of particles observed in the lung tissue. Ultrastructural analysis of lung tissue revealed the presence of particles containing cerium and phosphorus in interstitial macrophages and elastic fibers. These results suggest that rare earth is metabolized and should be considered as biopersistent in the human respiratory tract, since occupational inquiries revealed that exposure to cerium oxide abrasive powder had ceased at least 15 years earlie

Physicochemical characterization of inorganic deposits associated with granulomas in cutaneous sarcoidosis

International audienceBACKGROUND: Sarcoidosis, characterized by epithelioid granulomas, is considered to be caused by a complex interplay between genetics and environmental agents. It has been hypothesized that exogenous inorganic particles as crystalline silica could be a causal or adjuvant agent in sarcoidosis onset.OBJECTIVES: To investigate the location, frequency and physicochemical characteristics of foreign materials and mineral tissue deposits in the granulomatous area of cutaneous sarcoidosis.METHODS: Skin biopsies (n = 14) from patients diagnosed with cutaneous sarcoidosis (mean age 43 years; 11 patients with extracutaneous involvement) were investigated using polarized light examination (PLE), μFourier Transform Infra-Red (μFT-IR) spectroscopy and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (FE-SEM/EDX).RESULTS: Combined PLE, μFT-IR, FE-SEM/EDX analysis allowed to characterize mineral deposits in 7/14 biopsies (50%). It identified crystalline silica (SiO2 ) inside granulomas in three biopsies and calcite (CaCO3 ) at their periphery in 4.CONCLUSION: This study emphasizes the need of using combined methods for assessment of mineral deposits in granulomatous diseases. According to the location and characteristics of deposits, we can hypothesize that SiO2 particles contribute to the granuloma formation, whereas CaCO3 deposits are related to the granuloma biology. However, the significance of the association between SiO2 deposits and sarcoidosis is still disputed

First partial cool down of the SPIRAL 2 LINAC

International audienceSpiral2 is a rare isotope accelerator dedicated to the production of some of the highest intensitybeams on earth. Its driver is a superconducting linear accelerator that takes advantages of 26 bulkniobium quater wave accelerating cavities. It takes up to 1000W@4K, 95 cryo-valves and 22automations systems to cryogenically operate the LINAC. The talk will present the achievement ofyears of hardwork to make the first trials of the LINAC partial cool down with its successes andchallenges

Etude de la sante d'un groupe d'ouvriers exposes a l'inhalation d'huiles minerales usees

SIGLECNRS AR 10013 / INIST-CNRS - Institut de l'Information Scientifique et TechniqueFRFranc