Pulmonary Function and CT Scan Imaging at Low-Level Occupational Exposureto Asbestos
| Autor: | Veronica Piras, Ilaria Pilia, Marcello Campagna, Elisa Bosu, Luigi Isaia Lecca, Pier Luigi Cocco, Giannina Satta, Michele Lai, Antonella Coratza, Nicola Frau, Nicola Mascia, Alessandra Argiolas, Achille Lazzarato, Tiziana Serra, Federico Meloni, Giovanni Sferlazzo |
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| Rok vydání: | 2019 |
| Předmět: |
CT scan
Adult Male medicine.medical_specialty Health Toxicology and Mutagenesis Asbestosis Cumulative Exposure medicine.disease_cause Article Asbestos Pulmonary function testing 03 medical and health sciences 0302 clinical medicine respiratory function Occupational Exposure medicine Humans Respiratory function Lung Retrospective Studies Exposure assessment business.industry retrospective exposure assessment Public Health Environmental and Occupational Health Retrospective cohort study Middle Aged medicine.disease 030210 environmental & occupational health medicine.anatomical_structure Italy 030228 respiratory system Radiology Tomography X-Ray Computed business |
| Zdroj: | International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Volume 17 Issue 1 |
| ISSN: | 1660-4601 |
| DOI: | 10.3390/ijerph17010050 |
| Popis: | Background: In spite of the reduced exposure level, and its ban in numerous countries, compensation claims for asbestos-related diseases are far from decreasing. Methods: We used retrospective exposure assessment techniques to explore respiratory function and a computerized tomography (CT) scan in relation to past asbestos exposure in 115 male workers retired from an acrylic and polyester fiber plant. Based, on detailed information on exposure circumstances, we reconstructed a cumulative exposure estimate for each patient. Results: Time-weighted average exposure in our study population was 0.24 fibers/ml (95% confidence inteval (CI) 0.19&ndash 0.29), and the average cumulative exposure was 4.51 fibers/mL-years (95% CI 3.95&ndash 5.07). Exposure was elevated among maintenance workers, compared to other jobs (p = 0.00001). Respiratory function parameters did not vary in relation to the exposure estimates, nor to CT scan results. Risk of interstitial fibrosis showed a significant upward trend (Wald test for trend = 2.62, p = 0.009) with cumulative exposure to asbestos risk associated with 5.26 fibers/mL-years or more, was 8-fold (95% CI 1.18&ndash 54.5). Conclusions: Our results suggest that a CT scan can detect pleuro-parenchymal lung alterations at asbestos exposure levels lower than previously thought, in absence of respiratory impairment. Further studies are required to validate our techniques of retrospective assessment of asbestos exposure. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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