Lung cancer and exposure to asbestos - Determining the cause

Lung cancer and exposure to asbestos - Determining the cause

 

you were a plumber, steam fitters, auto mechanic, the manufacturer of the boiler, were in the construction industry, trade or demolition, the chances are pretty good that you have been exposed to the exhibition is asbestos.Asbestos has been linked to a deadly form of cancer known as mesothelioma.There there has been a lot of academic work done in this area, and we should all keep trying to raise awareness of this deadly disease.One interesting study is called "Apoptosis was observed in mesothelial cells after exposure to crocidolite asbestos. "By BERUBE KA, Quinlan TR, Fung H, J magicians, Vacek P, and Mossman BT Taatjes DJ. - Department of Pathology, University of Vermont, Burlington 05405, USA. Am J Respir Cell Mol. . July 1996, 15 (1): 141-7 Here is an excerpt: "Asbestos causes prolonged increases in dose dependent mRNA levels in the state of the proto-oncogenes c-fos and c-jun, and AP -1 DNA binding activity in normal rat pleural mesothelial cells (RPM) (1). to determine endpoints overexpression phenotype of these early response genes by asbestos, both cell proliferation and apoptosis were examined RPM in confluent cells exposed to a range of concentrations (1.25 to 10 micrograms/cm2 dish) crocidolite asbestos for 24 and 48 h. Quantifying RPM cells pulsed with 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine revealed that asbestos caused dependent decreases dose in cells undergoing DNA synthesis. the decrease in cell proliferation was accompanied by increases dose-related apoptosis using (1) terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate labeled nick-end ( ie the ApopTag) technique, (2) 4 ',6-staining diamino-2-phenylindole cells, and (3) fluorescence activated sorter after propidium iodide incorporation cells. increases less conspicuous but significant dose -dependent apoptosis is observed in cells exposed to H2O2 RPM (300 micrometers), and no apoptosis at high concentrations (10 micrograms/cm2 plate) of glass beads after exposure of the cells observed. Our findings are unique because they demonstrate that asbestos induces apoptosis in mesothelial cells at concentrations that attract greater expression of proto-oncogenes c-fos and c-jun. "Another interesting study is called," lung cancer is associated with asbestos exposure when there are no small opacities on chest radiograph "Wilkinson P, Hansell DM, Janssens J, Rubens M, Rudd RM, Taylor AN, McDonald C. - London Chest Hospital, UK. Lancet. . 29 April 1995, 345 (8957) :1074-8 Here is an excerpt: "This study was designed to test the hypothesis that the risk of lung cancer from asbestos exposure is limited to persons with radiographic evidence of pulmonary fibrosis . occupational Stories and smoking were obtained from 271 patients with confirmed primary lung cancer and 678 referents (279 with other respiratory and 399 diseases with heart disease) cancer diagnosis.'s blind were reviewed to assess the timing, duration and probability exposure to asbestos. To allow a lag between exposure to asbestos and the development of lung cancer, subjects were classified by the time they had spent in an occupation involving the definite or probable exposure of more than 15 years before diagnosis. the presence and degree of fibrosis blindly chest radiographs were evaluated by three readers and scored for small opacities with 1989 International Classification of Radiographs of Pneumoconiosis ILO. 93 (34.3%) cases had worked in an occupation with exposure the definite or probable asbestos compared with 176 (25.8%) referents (crude odds ratio for lung cancer 1.49, 95% CI: 01.09 to 02.04). After adjusting for age, sex, smoking history and the reference area, the odds ratio (95% CI) was 2.03 (1.00 to 4.13) in the subgroup of 211 with an average score of the ILO for small parenchymal opacities 1 / 0 or more and 1.56 (1.02, 2.39) at 738 with a score of 0/1 or less (that is, those with no radiographic evidence of pulmonary fibrosis) .. These results suggest that asbestos is associated with lung cancer, even in the absence of radiologically apparent pulmonary fibrosis "If you find any of these studies interesting or useful, please read the full studies Art By:. Mont Wrobleski