Bronchoalveolar lavage and gallium-67 lung scanning in the evaluation of asbestos-exposed individuals

Thesis/Dissertation · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:6855426

Al-Tawil, W G

In this study, an attempt is made to evaluate certain parameters that might indicate the beginning of a certain fibrogenic activity in the lung parenchyma, even before such changes become visible on the chest x-ray. The hypothesis is that studies such as certain bronchoalveolar immunological characteristics and Gallium-67 lung scans may be more sensitive indicators of parenchymal lung damage in response to asbestos inhalation than conventional radiographic criteria. If so, then in those cases where the criteria for the diagnosis of asbestosis lack the presence of parenchymal changes, it would be unwise to deny the diagnosis unless further investigation, such as the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid analysis and the Gallium-67 lung scan techniques, are made available. The most significant laboratory parameter for bronchoalveolar lavage, in this study, is that of Neutrophils (PMNs). All three asbestos-exposed groups showed no differences when compared with each other, while such differences were statistically significant when such groups were separately compared with the normal comparison group. A similar finding existed also when the Helper: suppressor T-Cell ratios were compared, and found to be higher in all the asbestos-exposed groups.

• Research Organization: Texas Univ., Houston (USA). School of Public Health
• OSTI ID: 6855426
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550601 -- Medicine-- Unsealed Radionuclides in Diagnostics
560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ASBESTOS
BODY
COUNTING TECHNIQUES
DIAGNOSIS
DISEASES
FIBROSIS
INHALATION
INTAKE
LAVAGE
LUNGS
ORGANS
PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES
RADIOISOTOPE SCANNING
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM DISEASES
TOXICITY