Asbestos bodies in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and in lung parenchyma

Journal Article · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1988 · Am. Rev. Respir. Dis.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1164/ajrccm/137.1.75· OSTI ID:5466839

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

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 1000 AB/g and that the patient has experienced a nontrivial asbestos exposure.

• Research Organization: McGill Univ., School of Occupational Health, Montreal, Quebec
• OSTI ID: 5466839
• Journal Information: Am. Rev. Respir. Dis.; (United States), Journal Name: Am. Rev. Respir. Dis.; (United States) Vol. 137:1; ISSN ARDSB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ASBESTOS
BODY
DISTRIBUTION
ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
INHALATION
INTAKE
LAVAGE
LUNGS
ORGANS
PATIENTS
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
TISSUE DISTRIBUTION