Source: Annual Congress 2002 - Asbestos and silica
Disease area: Interstitial lung diseases

Abstract

There are a lot of workers whose exposure to asbestos fibres prior to the improved control measures places them at risk of asbestos-related diseases today. The present study aimed to evaluate lung function of a metalmechanic factory workers retired 20 years ago exposed to asbestos fibres and to evaluate different results in terms of radiological findings. We invited 966 subjects, ex workers assumed before 1970, living in the city of Pistoia (Italy) to performe dinamic spirometry, DLCO, arterial blood gases, chest radiograph and high-resolution (HR) CT scan. 162 men accepted to partecipate: 20 (21%) were smokers, 48 (29%) no smokers, and 94 (59%) ex smokers. The mean age was 70±]8; most subjects had pulmonary function tests in normal range (FEV1%pv=95.8±]17), (TLC%pv=94.5±]14), (DLCO%pv=94±]17). In 134 subjects chest radiograph showed: pleural plaques (n=42, 31%), emphysema (n=17, 12%), large opacities (n=9, 6%), pulmonary fibrosis (n=1, 0.7%). The results of firsts 90 HRCT showed different results: pleural plaques (n=74, 82%), bronchiectasis (n=40, 44%), emphysema (n=18, 20%), pulmonary opacities (n=17, 19%). In 85 subjects with both Rx and HRCT we found a significant difference between Rx and HRTC results in terms of pleural thickening (n=36, 43% and n=70, 82% respectively)and bronchiectasis (n=0 and n=38, 44% respectively)(p<0.05). Conclusions: 1) the occupational exposure to asbestos does not appear as a main risk factor for lung function; 2) HRCT findings better than Rx suggest that the asbestos exposure history increases the probability in resulting pleural thickness as well as bronchiectasis.

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M. Grazzini, A. Fabbri, F. Vannucci, A. Sanna, M. Guerrini, L. Vannucchi, L. Carmignani, F. Niccolai, A. T. Neri, F. Innocenti (Pistoia, Italy). Lung function and radiological findings in a group of fibre-exposed asbestos workers. Eur Respir J 2002; 20: Suppl. 38, 844

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