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Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022 03 29;19(7). Epub 2022 Mar 29.

Environmental Solutions Research Centre, Unitec Institute of Technology, Auckland 1025, New Zealand.

There are six elongate mineral particles (EMPs) corresponding to specific dimensional and morphological criteria, known as asbestos. Responsible for health issues including asbestosis, and malignant mesothelioma, asbestos has been well researched. Despite this, significant exposure continues to occur throughout the world, potentially affecting 125 million people in the workplace and causing thousands of deaths annually from exposure in homes. Read More

Int J Surg Pathol 2022 Apr 5:10668969221092113. Epub 2022 Apr 5.

Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.

Pneumoconioses are a group of non-neoplastic pulmonary disorders caused by inhaled inorganic particles. Well-described pneumoconioses include asbestosis, silicosis, coal worker's pneumoconiosis, chronic beryllium disease, and hard metal lung disease. Giant cell interstitial pneumonia (GIP) is a distinctive and rare pneumoconiosis most frequently found in workers exposed to hard metals, primarily cobalt and tungsten carbide. Read More

Occup Med (Lond) 2022 Mar 31. Epub 2022 Mar 31.

Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan.

Background: Patients with pneumoconiosis, such as silicosis and asbestosis, have a high risk of lung cancer. However, whether these patients are at high risk for neoplasms other than lung cancer and mesothelioma remains inconclusive.

Aims: To examine whether patients with pneumoconiosis have a higher incidence of malignant neoplasms other than lung cancer. Read More

Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022 03 19;19(6). Epub 2022 Mar 19.

Fundacentro, Ministério do Trabalho e Previdência, São Paulo 05409-002, Brazil.

The aim of this study is to compare the mortality rates for typical asbestos-related diseases (ARD-T: mesothelioma, asbestosis, and pleural plaques) and for lung and ovarian cancer in Brazilian municipalities where asbestos mines and asbestos-cement plants had been operating (areas with high asbestos consumption, H-ASB) compared with in other municipalities. The death records for adults aged 30+ years were retrieved from multiple health information systems. In the 2000-2017 time period, age-standardized mortality rates (standard: Brazil 2010) and standardized rate ratios (SRR; H-ASB vs. Read More

J Drug Deliv Sci Technol 2022 Apr 5;70:103219. Epub 2022 Mar 5.

Tecnológico de Monterrey, School of Engineering and Sciences, Ave. Eugenio Garza Sada 2501, CP 64849, Monterrey, N.L., Mexico.

Respiratory diseases are leading causes of death and disability in developing and developed countries. The burden of acute and chronic respiratory diseases has been rising throughout the world and represents a major problem in the public health system. Acute respiratory diseases include pneumonia, influenza, SARS-CoV-2 and MERS viral infections; while chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma and, occupational lung diseases (asbestosis, pneumoconiosis) and other parenchymal lung diseases namely lung cancer and tuberculosis are examples of chronic respiratory diseases. Read More

Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022 Feb 27;19(5). Epub 2022 Feb 27.

Department of Respiratory Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Fukuoka 807-8555, Japan.

Ambient pollutants and occupational pollutants may cause and exacerbate various lung and respiratory diseases. This review describes lung and respiratory diseases in relation to ambient pollutants, particularly particulate matter (PM), and occupational air pollutants, excluding communicable diseases and indoor pollutants, including tobacco smoke exposure. PM produced by combustion is an important ambient pollutant. Read More

Zhonghua Lao Dong Wei Sheng Zhi Ye Bing Za Zhi 2022 Jan;40(1):1-6

Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology, Clinical Center for Interstitial Lung Diseases, Beijing 100020, China.

To analyze the radiological characteristics of chest high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) of patients with asbestosis, and to investigate the signs of predicting the disease progression of asbestosis. A prospective method was used to enroll 68 patients with asbestosis who were regularly followed up from 2013 to 2016. The radiological characteristics of patients with asbestosis were described by the International Classification of HRCT for Occupational and Environmental Respiratory Diseases (ICOERD) , and the differences between patients with and without progression were compared during the observation period. Read More

Med Lav 2022 Feb 22;113(1):e2022002. Epub 2022 Feb 22.

University of Health Sciences, Ankara Atatürk Chest Diseases and Thoracic Surgery Training and Research Hospital, Occupational Diseases Clinic.

Purpose: Radiological identification of lung masses in patients with pneumoconiosis is difficult. The aim of the study is to characterize Computed Tomography (CT) findings of Progressive Massive Fibrosis (PMF).

Methods: The data of pneumoconiosis patients, who were diagnosed with PMF between 2014-2019 in a tertiary hospital, were collected. Read More

Am J Ind Med 2022 May 26;65(5):425-426. Epub 2022 Feb 26.

Section of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA.

Am J Ind Med 2022 May 26;65(5):427. Epub 2022 Feb 26.

Curtin Medical School, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.

Am J Ind Med 2022 04 8;65(4):262-267. Epub 2022 Feb 8.

Department of Public Health Sciences, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA.

Background: Coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) is an occupational lung disease due to inhalation of coal dust. We estimated mortality from CWP and other pneumoconioses among Medicare beneficiaries.

Methods: We used the 5% Medicare Limited Claims Data Set, 2011-2014, to identify patients diagnosed with ICD-9-CM 500 (CWP) through 505 (Asbestosis, Pneumoconiosis due to other silica or silicates, Pneumoconiosis due to other inorganic dust, Pneumonopathy due to inhalation of other dust, and Pneumoconiosis, unspecified) codes. Read More

Cureus 2021 Dec 23;13(12):e20646. Epub 2021 Dec 23.

Internal Medicine, Grand Strand Medical Center, Myrtle Beach, USA.

Round atelectasis (RA) is a rare disorder most commonly occurring in the presence of chronic pleural effusions due to the formation of adhesions and resultant pulmonary collapse. The most common culprit to this disease is asbestosis, but other causes of pleural effusions such as congestive heart failure and pneumonia are reported in the literature. RA can occasionally mimic pulmonary cancers and should be identified to prevent the associated morbidity of tumor workup. Read More

J Occup Environ Med 2022 Apr 25;64(4):e224-e230. Epub 2022 Jan 25.

From the Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (Dr Tao); Department of Epidemiology (Dr Tao); Department of Epidemiology (Dr Curriero); Departmental of Environmental Health and Engineering (Dr Chee), Bloomberg School of Public Health; The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science (Dr Mahesh); Division of Cardiology (Dr Mahesh), Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Environmental Health and Engineering (Dr Mahesh), Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland.

Objective: To examine the risk of diseases among industrial workers with low and fractionated radiation exposures.

Method: The 372,047 US male shipyard radiation and non-radiation workers were followed for 54 years and compared with US men using standardized mortality ratio (SMR) method.

Results: SMRs for both radiation and non-radiation workers had lower risks of death from all causes (0. Read More

Cureus 2021 Nov 28;13(11):e19966. Epub 2021 Nov 28.

General Medicine, Central Coast Local Health District, Gosford, AUS.

Primary pericardial mesothelioma (PPM) is an extremely rare malignancy with a very poor prognosis. It poses a diagnostic challenge given its often late and non-specific presentation. This report describes a 74-year-old man who presented with central pleuritic chest pain and mild breathlessness. Read More

Am J Ind Med 2022 03 27;65(3):196-202. Epub 2021 Dec 27.

Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Drexel University School of Public Health, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

Background: Vermiculite ore from Libby, Montana contains on average 24% of a mixture of toxic and carcinogenic amphibole asbestiform fibers. These comprise primarily winchite (84%), with smaller quantities of richterite (11%) and tremolite (6%), which are together referred to as Libby amphibole (LA).

Methods: A total of 1883 individuals who were occupationally and/or environmentally exposed to LA and were diagnosed with asbestos-related pleuropulmonary disease (ARPPD) following participation in communitywide screening programs supported by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and followed up at the Center for Asbestos Related Disease (CARD) between 2000 and 2010. Read More

Int J Med Inform 2021 Dec 20;158:104667. Epub 2021 Dec 20.

Department of Occupational and Environment Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, 222 Banpo-daero, Seocho-gu, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea. Electronic address:

Background: Early detection of asbestosis is important; hence, quick and accurate diagnostic tools are essential. This study aimed to develop an algorithm that combines lung segmentation and deep learning models that can be utilized as a clinical decision support system (CDSS) for diagnosing patients with asbestosis in segmented computed tomography (CT) images.

Methods: We accurately segmented the lungs in CT images of patients examined at Seoul St. Read More

J Bras Pneumol 2021 15;47(6):e20210172. Epub 2021 Dec 15.

. Laboratório de Pesquisa em Fisioterapia Pulmonar - LFIP - Departamento de Fisioterapia, Universidade Estadual de Londrina - UEL - Londrina (PR) Brasil.

Objective: To investigate the reliability, internal consistency and validity of the Brazilian Portuguese version of the University of California San Diego Shortness of Breath Questionnaire (UCSD SOBQ) in patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD).

Methods: Patients with ILD completed the questionnaire at three different time points, one week apart, with the assistance of two independent assessors. Intra- and inter-rater reliability were analysed via the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Read More

Ther Adv Med Oncol 2021 10;13:17588359211061956. Epub 2021 Dec 10.

Service d'oncologie thoracique and Early Phase Unit CIC1425, Hôpital Bichat-Claude Bernard, 46 rue Henri Huchard, FR-75018 Paris, France.

Due to occupational asbestosis exposure, the incidence of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) has continuously increased over the last 30 years, with a plateau anticipated around the year 2030 in Western countries. Molecular MPM carcinogenesis involves alterations of NF2, RASSF1, LATS2WT1, p16, as well as BAP-1tumor-suppressor genes, which usually regulate apoptosis, cell invasion, motility, cell division, chromatin remodeling, as well as control of DNA repair. In few selected patients, debulking surgery consisting of pleurectomy-decortication is carried out, resulting in unsatisfactory long-term results. Read More

J Clin Med 2021 Oct 22;10(21). Epub 2021 Oct 22.

Pharmacogenetics Laboratory, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.

The early diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma (MM) could improve the prognosis of MM patients. To confirm an MM diagnosis, an immunohistochemical analysis of several tumor tissue markers, including calretinin, is currently required. Our aim is to evaluate serum calretinin as a potential biomarker in asbestos-related diseases, especially in MM. Read More

Pneumologie 2022 Jan 28;76(1):35-46. Epub 2021 Oct 28.

Berufsgenossenschaft Holz und Metal (BGHM), Dortmund.

In Germany, pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) traditionally takes place in rehabilitation clinics. According to the current German guideline "Diagnostics and assessment of asbestos-related occupational diseases", PR can also be offered as outpatient program with the essential elements of inpatient PR (compact rehabilitation [CR]). Our project investigated the effects of CR regarding acceptance, physical performance, and quality of life of patients with occupational lung diseases. Read More

Int J Mol Sci 2021 Oct 12;22(20). Epub 2021 Oct 12.

Department of Biological Sciences, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID 83209, USA.

Exposure to Libby amphibole (LA) asbestos-like fibers is associated with increased risk of asbestosis, mesothelioma, pulmonary disease, and systemic autoimmune disease. LGM2605 is a small molecule antioxidant and free radical scavenger, with anti-inflammatory effects in various disease models. The current study aimed to determine whether the protective effects of LGM2605 persist during the late inflammatory phase post-LA exposure. Read More

J Occup Environ Med 2022 03;64(3):250-262

ExxonMobil Biomedical Sciences, Inc., Annandale, New Jersey (Ms Wojcik, Ms Gallagher, Dr Alexander, and Dr Lewis).

Objective: To describe mortality trends of men and women working in various petrochemical and refinery operations of a U.S.-based company. Read More

Int J Environ Res Public Health 2021 09 23;18(19). Epub 2021 Sep 23.

Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, Istituto Nazionale per l'Assicurazione Contro gli Infortuni sul Lavoro, 00100 Roma, Italy.

Asbestos is one of the major worldwide occupational carcinogens. The global burden of asbestos-related diseases (ARDs) was estimated around 231,000 cases/year. Italy was one of the main European asbestos producers until the 1992 ban. Read More

J Prev Med Hyg 2021 Jun 30;62(2):E539-E543. Epub 2021 Jul 30.

Department of Medicine and Health Sciences "Vincenzo Tiberio", University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy.

General Practitioners (GPs) have good knowledge of health status and sociocultural backgrounds of their patients, thus could be decisive in early detection of cases of asbestos-related diseases (ARDs). In this cross-sectional pilot study, we investigated perception and knowledge on asbestos risk amongst a sample of GPs practicing in Molise region, central Italy, who have anonymously completed a 29-items questionnaire specifically developed for this research. Based on GPs' answers, we obtained scores and classified awareness and knowledge into four percentage quartile classes including inadequate (0-24%), poor (25-49%), moderate (50-74%) and high (75-100%), and scarce (0-24%), sufficient (25-49%), good (50-74%) and optimal (75-100%), respectively. Read More

Respir Med Case Rep 2021 27;34:101489. Epub 2021 Jul 27.

University of Maryland Medical Center & Baltimore VA Medical Center, Baltimore, MD, USA.

Pulmonary talcosis is a rare pneumoconiosis that is difficult to diagnose and may progress to debilitating lung disease. Four types of talcosis are described in literature: talc-silicosis and talc-asbestosis secondary to inhalation in industry workers and talc-emboli in intravenous drug users that self-inject talc-containing oral tablets. Although found in common household products, talc is overlooked as a cause of pneumoconiosis. Read More

Am J Ind Med 2021 11 11;64(11):952-959. Epub 2021 Aug 11.

Department Epidemiology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.

Background: In low- and middle-income countries, such as Brazil, studies on the causes of death in asbestos-exposed workers are scarce.

Methods: A cohort study was performed involving 988 males who had worked in the asbestos-cement industry in the state of São Paulo, with a total of 12,217 person-years of observation between 1995 and 2016. The standardized mortality ratio (SMR) stratified by age was calculated as the ratio between the observed rate and the expected rate in the state of São Paulo. Read More

J Clin Med 2021 Jul 15;10(14). Epub 2021 Jul 15.

Equipe GEIC20, INSERM U955, F-94000 Créteil, France.

Objective: the aim of this study was to evaluate the association between interstitial lung abnormalities, asbestos exposure and age in a population of retired workers previously occupationally exposed to asbestos.

Methods: previously occupationally exposed former workers to asbestos eligible for a survey conducted between 2003 and 2005 in four regions of France, underwent chest CT examinations and pulmonary function testing. Industrial hygienists evaluated asbestos exposure and calculated for each subject a cumulative exposure index (CEI) to asbestos. Read More

Occup Med (Lond) 2021 08;71(4-5):223-230

Fundacentro, Brazil.

Background: Brazil has a long history of heavy asbestos consumption. However, the number of asbestos-related diseases (ARDs) falls far below the one expected compared with other asbestos consumer countries.

Aims: To examine underreporting of ARDs, that is mesothelioma, asbestosis and pleural plaques, in Brazil's Mortality Information System (SIM). Read More

Int J Environ Res Public Health 2021 07 5;18(13). Epub 2021 Jul 5.

Centro Regionale Microscopia Elettronica, Laboratorio Area Ovest-Settore Laboratori, Agenzia Regionale per la Protezione Ambientale della Lombardia, 20129 Milano, Italy.

We read with interest the report by Visonà and coworkers on the lung asbestos fiber burden in an autopsy series of decedents from mesothelioma (MM: 59 cases) and individuals who "suffered from asbestosis and died of its complications" (13 cases) [... Read More

Thorax 2022 05 8;77(5):477-485. Epub 2021 Jul 8.

Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.

Introduction: The risk of asbestosis, malignant mesothelioma and lung cancer among motor vehicle mechanics is of concern because of potential exposure to chrysotile asbestos during brake, clutch and gasket repair and maintenance. Asbestos has also been used in insulation and exhaust systems.

Methods: We examined the long-term risk of incident mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis and other lung diseases and mortality due to mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis and other lung diseases in a nationwide cohort of all men registered as motor vehicle mechanics since 1970 in Denmark. Read More