Premium
Asbestos content in the lymph nodes of nonoccupationally exposed individuals
Author(s) -
Dodson Ronald F.,
Huang Ju,
Bruce James R.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
american journal of industrial medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.7
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1097-0274
pISSN - 0271-3586
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0274(200002)37:2<169::aid-ajim2>3.0.co;2-v
Subject(s) - asbestos , medicine , lymph , lymph node , pathology , lung , asbestos fibers , asbestosis , population , environmental health , materials science , metallurgy
Background The thoracic lymph nodes are a part of the clearance system from lung tissue. Accumulation of dust in these nodes are known to occur following some types of exposure. However, no information exists as to asbestos content in lymph nodes from the general population. Methods The study cohort consisted of 21 individuals previously defined as nonoccupationally exposed to asbestos. Tissue burden of asbestos obtained from lung analysis by analytical electron microscopy was compared with burden in the lymph nodes. Results No asbestos fibers were detected in nodes from 8 cases. The majority of the fibers found in lymph nodes were short (<5 μm) and most often noncommercial amphiboles. Ferruginous bodies (FBs) were detected in lymph node from only two samples. Conclusions The total asbestos burden in the lung tissue from these individuals was quite low. However, in 12 of the 13 cases that had positive nodes, the tissue burden in the node was appreciably heavier per gram than in the lung. This raises the question as to whether the lymph nodes, though less efficient clearance, may be better indicators of lifetime exposure to dust than lung tissue. Am. J. Ind. Med. 37:169–174, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.