Asbestos And Pleural Calcification And Functional Defects

One interesting study is called, “Physiological changes in asbestos pleural disease” by Lumley KP - Inhaled Part. 1975 Sep;4 Pt 2:781-8. Here is an excerpt: “Abstract - This paper reports the findings of a study of lung function at rest and during progressive sub-maximal exercise in a group of men with varying degrees of asbestos-related pleural abnormality. The results show that pulmonary fibrosis is accompanied by more adverse functional change than pleural abnormality, diffuse pleural thickening is associated with more functional abnormality than non-calcified pleural plaques, and pleural calcification is not associated with significant functional defects. The relationship between lung function and asbestos exposure in this selected group is discussed. It is also suggested that VE1-0 is as useful an index of the ventilatory cost of exercise as VE1.5.”

Another study is called, “Asbestos Body Content of the Larynx in Asbestos Workers A Study of Five Cases” by Victor L. Roggli, MD; S. Donald Greenberg, MD; Jerry L. McLarty, PhD; George A. Hurst, MD; Charles G. Spivey, MD; Leroy R. Hieger, MD - Arch Otolaryngol. 980;106(9):533-535. Here is an excerpt: “Abstract - Occupational exposure to asbestos has been epidemiologically associated with carcinoma of the larynx; however, no search for or quantitation of laryngeal asbestos bodies has been performed. This report concerns an autopsy study of five patients with occupational asbestos exposure and proven asbestos-associated pulmonary disease in whom histologic sections of the larynx were examined and a digestion-concentration technique was used to isolate and quantitate the asbestos bodies in the remaining laryngeal tissues. No dysplastic epithelial changes were present in the mucosa. Asbestos bodies were recovered from two of the five larynges but from none of ten larynges obtained from autopsy controls.”

Another study is called, “Levels of 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine in DNA of white blood cells from workers highly exposed to asbestos in Germany” by X. Baura - Mutation Research/Genetic Toxicology and Environmental Mutagenesis Volume 468, Issue 2, 10 July 2000, Pages 195-202. Here is an excerpt: “Abstract - Asbestos fibers have genotoxic effects and are a potential carcinogenic hazard to occupationally exposed workers. The ability of inhaled asbestos fibers to induce the formation of 8-hydroxy-22-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) in the DNA of white blood cells (WBC) of workers highly exposed at the workplace has been studied. The 8-OHdG adduct level of asbestos-exposed workers was significantly increased