Biomaterial Database

Asbestos bodies in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and in lung parenchyma. 1988

P Sebastien, and B Armstrong, and G Monchaux, and J Bignon

McGill University, School of Occupational Health, Dust Disease Research Unit, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Numerical concentrations of asbestos bodies (AB) were measured by light microscopy both in samples of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and in samples of lung parenchyma from 69 patients with suspected asbestos-related diseases who had had lavages and later open lung biopsies or autopsies. Objectives were to study the recovery of pulmonary AB by BAL and the ability of BAL concentrations to predict parenchymal concentrations. BAL and parenchymal concentrations were both spread over 6 orders of magnitude and were positively correlated (r = 0.74 between logarithmic values). It is believed that, by a process of progressive elution, AB firmly adherent to the alveolar wall become suspended in BAL fluid; such suspended bodies represent roughly 2% of all the bodies stored in the portion of lung lavaged. Recovery is associated with great interindividual variations. When a measured BAL concentration exceeds 1 AB/ml, it can be quite confidently predicted, however, that the parenchymal concentration is in excess of 1,000 AB/g and that the patient has experienced a nontrivial asbestos exposure.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008168	Lung	Either of the pair of organs occupying the cavity of the thorax that effect the aeration of the blood.	Lungs
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D001992	Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid	Washing liquid obtained from irrigation of the lung, including the BRONCHI and the PULMONARY ALVEOLI. It is generally used to assess biochemical, inflammatory, or infection status of the lung.	Alveolar Lavage Fluid,Bronchial Lavage Fluid,Lung Lavage Fluid,Bronchial Alveolar Lavage Fluid,Lavage Fluid, Bronchial,Lavage Fluid, Lung,Pulmonary Lavage Fluid,Alveolar Lavage Fluids,Bronchial Lavage Fluids,Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluids,Lavage Fluid, Alveolar,Lavage Fluid, Bronchoalveolar,Lavage Fluid, Pulmonary,Lavage Fluids, Alveolar,Lavage Fluids, Bronchial,Lavage Fluids, Bronchoalveolar,Lavage Fluids, Lung,Lavage Fluids, Pulmonary,Lung Lavage Fluids,Pulmonary Lavage Fluids
D004781	Environmental Exposure	The exposure to potentially harmful chemical, physical, or biological agents in the environment or to environmental factors that may include ionizing radiation, pathogenic organisms, or toxic chemicals.	Exposure, Environmental,Environmental Exposures,Exposures, Environmental
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D001194	Asbestos	Asbestos. Fibrous incombustible mineral composed of magnesium and calcium silicates with or without other elements. It is relatively inert chemically and used in thermal insulation and fireproofing. Inhalation of dust causes asbestosis and later lung and gastrointestinal neoplasms.
D001195	Asbestosis	A form of pneumoconiosis caused by inhalation of asbestos fibers which elicit potent inflammatory responses in the parenchyma of the lung. The disease is characterized by interstitial fibrosis of the lung, varying from scattered sites to extensive scarring of the alveolar interstitium.	Idiopathic Interstitial Pneumonitis - from Asbestos Exposure,Pulmonary Fibrosis - from Asbestos Exposure,Asbestoses
D012907	Smoking	Willful or deliberate act of inhaling and exhaling SMOKE from burning substances or agents held by hand.	Smoking Behaviors,Smoking Habit,Behavior, Smoking,Behaviors, Smoking,Habit, Smoking,Habits, Smoking,Smoking Behavior,Smoking Habits