Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health
Abstract
Samples of lung tissue taken from deceased asbestos-cement workers, with (N = 7) and without (N = 69) mesothelioma, and from individually matched controls (N = 96) were examined. The number of asbestos bodies and the grade of fibrosis were determined with light microscopy, and the type, size, and number of fibres with transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry. The asbestos content was, as expected, higher among the exposed workers than among the controls. Chrysotile was the major fibre type in terms of fibre count. Conversion to fibre mass reversed the pattern to a predominance of amphibole fibres, and accentuated the differences between exposed workers and controls. Duration of exposure and the number of asbestos bodies displayed significant associations with all the singular amphiboles (amosite, crocidolite, tremolite, and anthophyllite), but not with chrysotile. Fibrosis was related to the tremolite content, but not to chrysotile, both among exposed workers and controls. The workers with mesothelioma had higher levels of crocidolite and tremolite than the other asbestos-cement workers.Ispitivani su uzorci plućnog tkiva umrlih radnika koji su bili izloženi azbestnom cementu, s mezoteliomom, i bez njega, i njihovim odgovarajućim kontrolama. Broj azbestnih tjelešaca i stupanj fibroze određeni su svjetlosnim mikroskopom, a tip, veličina i broj vlakana elektronskom mikroskopijom i rendgenskom spektrometrijom. Sadržaj azbesta bio je veći kod izloženih radnika negoli u kontrola. Krizotilna vlakna bila su najbrojnija među formiranim vlaknima. Nađena je da je duljina izloženosti i broj azbestnih tjelešaca u korelaciji sa svim pojedinačnim amfolitima (amozit, krocidolit, tremolit i antofilit), ali ne i s krizotilom. Nalaz fibroze bio je u korelaciji s tremolitom, za razliku od krizolita, i to u eksponiranih i kontrolnih radnika. Uzorci plućnog tkiva radnika s mezoteliomom sadržavali su više krocidolita i tremolita od drugih radnika koji su bili izloženi azbestnom cementu
