Anthracofibrosis attributed to mixed mineral dust exposure: report of three cases.

Anthracofibrosis, defined as bronchial luminal narrowing with black pigmentation of the overlying mucosa, has been attributed to tuberculosis. Three patients with anthracofibrosis without mycobacterial infection are described who had previous occupational exposure to mixed dusts. CT scans showed calcified hilar lymph nodes in two patients. Surgical biopsy in one patient and autopsy in another revealed fibrotic lymph nodes with black pigmentation. Mineralogical analysis by transmission electron microscopy of pulmonary, hilar and/or bronchial samples found high levels of particle retention, raised percentages of free crystalline silica and mica in two patients, and free crystalline silica, kaolin and other silicates in the third. No evidence of any other contributory factor was found, suggesting that mixed mineral dust was the most probable cause. These observations suggest that exposure to mixed mineral dust should be added to the aetiology of anthracofibrosis.

Environmental asbestotic pleural plaques in northeast Corsica: correlations with airborne and pleural mineralogic analysis.

We report a prevalence study of environmental pleural plaques in subjects over 50 years old from the northeastern Corsican village of Murato, built on asbestos surface deposits. The percentage of plaques was 41%, versus 7.5% in the control village of Vezzani. Although surface deposits contain both chrysotile and tremolite, airborne pollution and asbestos lung burden of exposed inhabitants consist essentially of tremolite as assessed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). However, TEM analysis of the parietal pleura of three animals bred in exposed areas showed a predominance of short fibers of chrysotile. The respective roles of tremolite and chrysotile in inducing pleural plaques in Corsica should thus be considered.

Biopersistence of nonfibrous mineral particles in the respiratory tracts of subjects following occupational exposure.

Transmission electron microscopy analysis (TEMA) was used to analyze the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of 262 subjects occupationally exposed (OE) to nonfibrous mineral particles (NFMP) and 42 controls not occupationally exposed to mineral dusts. OE subjects were divided into three groups according to the lapse of time since last exposure: < or = 1 year and < 10 years (E2), > or = 10 years (E3). The total BALF mineral particle concentration was significantly higher in OE patients than in controls and was closely related to the time lapse since last exposure to NFMP (median values for OE, 7.7 x 10(5) particles/ml; E1, 9 x 10(5) particles/ml; E2, 5 x 10(5) particles/ml; E3, 4.3 x 10(5) particles/ml; controls, 2 x 10(5) particles/ml). No statistical difference was observed for age and smoking habits between OE and control subjects. Concentrations of crystalline silica and metals (exogenous iron, aluminum, metallic alloys and other metals) were significantly higher in OE subjects than in controls, and even though these mineral concentrations decreased with increasing time since last occupational exposure, they still remained higher in the E3 group than in controls. Crystalline silica and metals were thus identified as biopersistent NFMP in the human lung using BALF ATEM method. This method is a useful tool in assessing occupational exposure to NFMP, even when a long period has elapsed since last exposure, and may be used in studying etiology of some respiratory diseases.

[Potential role of environmental and domestic exposure to tremolite in pleural cancer in New Caledonia]. / Rôle potentiel de l'exposition environnementale et domestique à la trémolite dans le cancer de la plèvre en Nouvelle Calédonie.

A previous study of respiratory cancers in New Caledonia (1978-1987) showed an excess risk of pleural cancer in this South Pacific French Territory, leading to the identification of an environmental pollution. In some villages, the residents use for their houses a whitewash made from a rock derived from local outcroppings. Analysis of samples of rock and whitewash showed that they consisted of tremolite asbestos. High levels of tremolite were detected in airborne samples collected in these villages and in biological specimens of patients with pulmonary cancer or mesothelioma; the concentrations of fibers are up to 78,000 fibers per litre of air and 44 millions of fibers per gramme of dry tissue. Besides the whitewash, the environmental exposure to tremolite fibers could also be associated with certain occupations. A case control study under process will allow the estimation of respiratory cancer risks associated with the exposure to tremolite.

[Measurement of asbestos fibers in the air: description and limitations of the measuring techniques used]. / Métrologie des fibres d'amiante dans l'atmosphère: description et limites des techniques de mesurages utilisées.

Since the beginning of this century a wide range of methods were used to evaluate the asbestos exposure of workers. Instruments such as the konimeter, thermal precipitator, impinger or tyndallometer were employed to collect dust samples. Currently, the membrane filter method associated with phase contrast optical microscopy is widely accepted. These different sampling methods are presented in this paper and the relationships between asbestos concentration recorded by means of methods used in the past and with the current membrane filter method or with direct-reading instruments are discussed. Emphasis is put on the difficulty to use such relationships which were often established for specific situations (in the mine industry for instance). For non occupational exposure the use of electron microscopy methods is evaluated.

[Retrospective study of pneumoconiosis in Champagne-Ardenne]. / Etude rétrospective sur les pneumoconioses en Champagne-Ardenne.

This study was carried out in two departments of Champagne-Ardenne. The aim was to assess the level of retrieval in patient population suffering from pneumoconiosis who were hospitalised with this disorder, compared to another population who had contracted the same disease in the working environment and were known to the local social security benefit office in the North East (CRAMNE). A list of 77 names of hospitalised patients had been obtained following requests for mineralogical analysis addressed to a specialised national laboratory. A second list of 59 names of patients who were receiving compensation for pneumoconiosis was provided by CRAMNE. Five subjects were common to both populations. The discordance between the two was partly explained by the non-recognition of the system of compensation for indemnifiable occupational disease. The recruitment of hospitalised patients leads to a bias which influences the distribution of pneumoconiosis patients. Subjects presenting with the most consistent abnormalities in pulmonary function did not all figure amongst the notified cases.

[Bronchial anthracosis and pulmonary mica overload]. / Anthracose bronchique et surcharge pulmonaire en micas.

INTRODUCTION: The discovery of anthracotic plaques generally suggests either a history of tuberculosis or occupational exposure to dust. Other etiologies should, however, be considered. CASE REPORTS: A 60-year-old Iranian woman presented with a history of dyspnoea and with chest radiography demonstrating calcified hilar lymph nodes and interstitial lung disease. Pulmonary function tests revealed airway obstruction. A diffuse bronchial inflammatory appearance accompanied by anthracotic plaques was found at bronchoscopy, which prompted transmission electron microscopy analysis of non-fibrous mineral particles in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). This demonstrated the presence of an alveolar particle count greater than 10(7) particles/ml (p/ml), significantly more than that found in 42 BALF samples taken from controls without a history of occupational dust exposure (4,4.10(5) p/ml). Furthermore, the analysis also revealed an abnormally elevated proportion of mica particles (64%). Two other individuals, a 68 year-old Moroccan woman and a 70-year-old Algerian woman, who had anthracotic plaques, but no radiological evidence of interstitial lung disease, also underwent mineral analysis of BALF. Neither were found to have a raised alveolar particle count, but the mineral profile showed an abnormally elevated proportion of micas (62%) for one patient, and silica crystalline (40%) as well as micas (32%) for the other patient. CONCLUSIONS: Even if mica is present in 30 to 90% of the BALF, the results observed in these three patients raises the possibility of non-occupational environmental exposure and that anthracotic plaques might be associated with domestic pollution.

[The assessment of asbestos exposure]. / Evaluation des expositions à l'amiante.

The aim of the study is to present the principles of assessing asbestos exposure in two different contexts: that of a patient suffering from pleuropulmonary pathology that could be attributed to asbestos and that of a group possible exposed to asbestos. In the first case this evaluation concerns past exposure and depends typically on information obtained during the course of an interview with the patient. In the second case, the exposure is assessed by atmospheric analysis. Jobs in which occupational exposure to asbestos occurs should be examined, the tasks which entail this exposure and objects containing asbestos are discussed in the first part of the article. The accent is placed on the source of exposure, and the use of materials containing asbestos outside the asbestos industry. Some guidelines enabling the appreciation of the intensity of asbestos exposure as a function of the jobs involved and the objects handled are suggested. Regulations and the principle of quantifying asbestos in the atmosphere during direct exposure in the working environment of the one hand and during the course of passive exposure in the environment of the other are discussed in the second part of the article.

[Environmental mesotheliomas in northeast Corsica]. / Les mésothéliomes environnementaux en Corse du nord-est.

Since 1980, we have collected fourteen cases of mesothelioma induced by environmental exposure to asbestos, going back to childhood in patients from north-east Corsica, in a region which was remote from the asbestos mine of Canari. There were eight men and six women with a mean age of 69.5 +/- 4 years. Six patients presented with bilateral calcified pleural plaques as evidence of environmental exposure. The mineral analysis carried out on five patients (four had thoracoscopies and one an alveolar lavage), showed a moderate deposit of chrysotile (0.3 to 3.4 x 10(6) fibres per gram of dry tissue), and elevated level of tremolite (1.4 to 62 x 10(6) fibres/g). The ambient dosage of asbestos has confirmed the existence of environmental pollution by chrysotile fibres and above all by tremolite. In addition, the same type of fibres have been identified in the parietal pleural of animals subjected to the same risk. In this region, the risk is estimated, on the basis of our results, as 10 cases of mesothelioma per 100,000 inhabitants per year.

[Osteoarthritis with rice bodies rich in calcium microcrystals. 4 cases with ultrastructural study]. / Arthropathies mécaniques avec grains de riz riches en microcristaux calciques. Quatre cas avec étude ultrastructurale.

Rice bodies are often found in inflammatory joint fluid specimens, especially from rheumatoid arthritis patients, but have rarely been reported in osteoarthritis. We found rice bodies in knee joint fluid specimens from four of 88 patients with osteoarthritis. There were three males and one female. Age ranged from 61 to 86 years. Three patients had slowly progressive knee osteoarthritis and one had rapidly destructive disease. Abundant, recurrent effusions occurred in all four patients despite one to five local corticosteroid injections per patient and radiation synovectomy in two patients. The joint fluid specimens contained 120 to 320 cells/mm3 and large numbers of rice bodies that stained with alizarin red S. Transmission electron microscopy studies showed that the rice bodies were composed of fibrin and contained numerous intra- and extra-cellular calcium crystals composed of apatite alone in two cases and of a combination of apatite and calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate in the two others. Collagen fibers and fragments of bone and cartilage were present in a few rice bodies. Phagocytic cells, type C synoviocytes, chondrocytes and a few inflammatory cells were also seen. These rice bodies composed mainly of fibrin and apatite may have played a role in the pathogenesis of the recurrent joint effusions in our patients.

[Exposition markers: mineralogical analysis in the sputum and the bronchoalveolar lavage--asbestos bodies--uncoated fibres]. / Les marqueurs de l'exposition: analyses biométrologiques dans l'expectoration et le LBA - corps asbestosiques - fibres non gainées.

The aim of mineralogical analysis of lung tissue, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and sputum is to characterize individuals' exposure to asbestos fibres by identifying markers of this; asbestos bodies (AB) and uncoated fibres. The techniques of mineralogical analysis, habitually used to identify AB and uncoated fibres, are respectively optical microscopy (OM) and analytical electronic microscopy (EM). Correlations between levels of retention of AB in lung tissue, BAL and sputum have been established and validated threshold values indicating a high probability of significant exposure exist. These results must be interpreted in the context of clinical and occupational information. Mineralogical analysis is not suitable for use in routine medical screening but it can be considered when a source of exposure is not evident from the questionnaire since a positive analysis of BAL or of sputum is highly specific and thus useful to confirm an important retention of asbestos in the lung, which justifies medical follow-up. A negative result does not exclude previous significant asbestos exposure (frequent false negatives occur especially in sputum and biopersistence of chrysotile is lower than for amphiboles). Thus it can be a complementary tool for the assessment of asbestos exposure but its use imposes conditions for the collection and handling of samples.

[Exposure to asbestos and the indoor environment]. / Situations d'exposition à l'amiante et environnement intérieur.

A link between the inhalation of asbestos fibres and the outcome of benign and malignant respiratory diseases has been established from numerous epidemiological data in occupational settings. Occupational exposure limit values have been established with a gradual lowering of these over time. Conversely, there are few epidemiological data dealing with exposure in the indoor environment. However, numerous materials and products containing asbestos (MPCA) are present in the indoor environment, due to their widespread use in the construction sector in the years between 1960 and 1990. The regulations were changed from the late 1990s, leading to a systematic inventory of the presence of asbestos-containing materials in buildings. The aim of this manuscript is to clarify the different types of MPCA encountered in the indoor environment, to describe the techniques used to highlight asbestos depending on the nature of the materials, the regulatory requirements relating to asbestos in non-occupational situations, and to update on the state of knowledge on asbestos-related diseases in the indoor environment.

The use of a new static device based on the collection of the thoracic fraction for the assessment of the airborne concentration of asbestos fibres by transmission electron microscopy.

A new static device, the CATHIA sampling head, based on the collection of the thoracic fraction is proposed for the assessment of the airborne concentration of asbestos fibres by transmission electron microscopy. By comparison with a standard aerosol sampling head, it has been shown that this sampler reduces the total mass concentration, but does not introduce any change in the most common index used to characterize an asbestos aerosol fibre, that is the concentration of fibres with length greater than 5 microns, diameter less than 3 microns and length to diameter ratio greater than 3. The homogeneity of the deposited dust on the collection filter favours the use of this sampling head with both the indirect and direct preparation methods.

Levels of atmospheric pollution by man-made mineral fibres in buildings.

The widespread use of man-made mineral fibres (MMMF) as insulation products in buildings can be a potential source of indoor pollution, but few data are available. Pollution levels were determined at 79 indoor and 18 outdoor locations. The standardized method (membrane filter method) was adapted to the environmental settings: 10 m3 of air was sampled over a period of 5 days; the specimen was prepared by an indirect method (low-temperature ashing); counting was carried out at a magnification of 250; MMMF were identified by their optical properties under the polarizing optical microscope. Indoor pollution levels were found to be in the range 0-6230 respirable fibres per m3, with a median value of 3. Outdoor airborne pollution levels were lower than 15 respirable fibres per m3, with a median value of 1. More data are needed in order to make a more precise assessment of the risk associated with environmental MMMF pollution; a standardized method of obtaining such data is also necessary.

Occupational exposures and lung cancer in New Caledonia.

AIMS: To study the associations between occupational exposures and the risk of lung cancer in New Caledonia. METHODS: All cases diagnosed between January 1993 and December 1995 (228 lung cancers) and 305 population controls were included. Detailed information on lifetime job history, smoking, and other potential risk factors was collected by interview. Occupational exposures were assessed from the questionnaires by an industrial hygienist, without knowledge of case-control status. RESULTS: No significant association was found with exposures related to nickel mining and refining, the main industrial activity in the territory. Among men, an excess risk of lung cancer was found for bus and truck drivers. Increased risks were also observed in men with the highest level of cumulative exposure to cleaning products and inorganic fertilisers. Exposure to field dust was associated with lung cancer risk in both sexes, and risk increased with cumulative exposure level. In some areas tremolite asbestos derived from local outcroppings was used as a whitewash. The association between exposure to field dust and lung cancer was limited to men and women exposed to this whitewash-that is, living in areas where the soil may contain tremolite. CONCLUSION: This study shows several associations between occupational exposures and lung cancer. The findings suggest that exposure to tremolite fibres from cultivated fields may increase the risk of lung cancer in New Caledonia.

Lung retention of cerium in humans.

A retrospective study was conducted to evaluate lung retention of particles containing cerium in subjects with and without previous occupational exposure to mineral dusts. Analytical transmission electron microscopy was performed on 459 samples of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and 75 samples of lung tissue. Study of the distribution of mineralogical species in human samples showed that particles containing cerium were encountered in less than 10% of subjects. The proportion of subjects with particles containing cerium in their biological samples was not different between controls and subjects with previous occupational exposure to fibrous or nonfibrous mineral dusts. This was considered as the background level of lung retention of cerium in the general population. By contrast, determination of the absolute concentration of particles containing cerium in BAL fluid and lung tissue samples showed that 1.2% (from BAL fluid) and 1.5% (from lung tissue) of subjects with previous exposure to mineral particles had high lung retention of particles containing cerium. This study is believed to be the first one in which lung retention of cerium was estimated in the general population.

Retention of asbestos bodies in the lungs of welders.

Examination of asbestos bodies (AB) retained in the lungs is a useful way of assessing past occupational exposure to this material. AB retention has been extensively studied in workers directly exposed to asbestos, but less so in those end users, such as welders, who use asbestos-containing products. We therefore retrospectively studied AB retention in 211 welders, for whom biological testing procedures had been requested by a chest physician, between 1988 and 1991. Optical microscopy of AB was performed on samples of sputum (40 subjects), bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL) (147 subjects), and lung tissue obtained after thoracotomy (38 subjects). Information on previous jobs and exposure was obtained using a questionnaire (the mean duration of welding activities was 16.6 years). Eighty-two subjects (38.9%) had elevated lung retention of AB in all the samples studied. Significant AB retention occurred in only 30% of sputum samples, but in 40.1% of BAL samples and 39.5% of lung tissue samples. The duration of welding activities correlated with the density of AB in BAL or lung tissue (r = 0.31, p < 0.01 and r = 0.49, p < 0.05, respectively). On the basis of the questionnaire, only two of the welders with significant AB retention had other occupational exposure to asbestos. Our findings suggest that welding activities may increase lung retention of AB, and consequently might produce higher risks of fibrotic and/or malignant pulmonary diseases. These potential risks need to be brought to the attention of doctors; a longitudinal follow-up may also be warranted in such populations, even after individuals have ceased their welding jobs.

Environmental pleural plaques in an asbestos exposed population of northeast Corsica.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the inhabitants of villages environmentally exposed to asbestos, in northeast Corsica, had a higher incidence of pleural plaques. X-rays were obtained from subjects aged over 50 yrs, with no occupational exposure to asbestos or history of pleural disease, in one village exposed to asbestos, Murato, and a nonexposed, control village, Vezzani. In addition, the mineral content of the air and parietal pleura of animals in the exposed zone was studied, using transmission electron microscopy. The incidence of bilateral pleural plaques in the exposed population was 41%, as compared to 7.5% in the nonexposed population (p < 0.00001). The levels of airborne tremolite were higher in Murato (6-72 ng.m-3) than in Vezzani (< 1 ng.m-3), but chrysotile levels were similar. Significant numbers of chrysotile and tremolite fibres were identified in the parietal pleura of animals from the exposed village. This study confirms the well-known correlation between bilateral pleural plaques and environmental exposure to low levels of asbestos.

Pleural mesothelioma and exposure to asbestos: evaluation from work histories and analysis of asbestos bodies in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid or lung tissue in 131 patients.

Exposure to asbestos was evaluated in 131 patients with pleural malignant mesothelioma in the Paris area between 1986 and 1992 using data from a detailed specific questionnaire and light microscopy analysis of the retention of asbestos bodies in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid or lung tissue. Probable or definite exposure to significant levels of asbestos dust was identified in only 48 (36.6%) subjects, and significant asbestos body counts (above 1 asbestos body/ml in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid or 1000 asbestos bodies/g of dry lung tissue) were found in only 45 (34.3%) subjects. Overall 50 subjects had experienced exposure to only low levels of asbestos or no exposure at all and showed no significant retention of asbestos bodies in the biological sample analysed. Previous studies have shown that light microscopy may be useful in the identification of subjects with previous exposure to asbestos. In this study, apart from cases with obvious exposure to asbestos, a large group of subjects seemed to have a history of exposure or lung retention of asbestos bodies suggestive of very low levels of cumulative exposure, similar to those described in the general population.