Archive for the 'Environmental Asbestos Exposure' Category
February 27th, 2007. Pleural mesothelioma in New Caledonia: an acute environmental concern
Conclusion: Pö did not explain all cases; only serpentinite in the soil was identified as a significant risk factor. A research project has been initiated in the area around Houailou, with the objective of constructing a model taking into account: exposure to the Pö, exposure to airborne pollution by asbestos fibres at the place of residence, and occupational exposure. Epidemiological and geological investigations are underway.
February 14th, 2007. Age and sex differences in malignant mesothelioma after residential exposure to blue asbestos (crocidolite)
Conclusions: Former residents of a crocidolite mining town have a high rate of mesothelioma. The rate is higher in male subjects and those 15 years of age at first exposure, but women have a steeper dose-response curve.
February 3rd, 2007. Clinical types of thoracic cancer. Pleural mesothelioma
Interest in this disease has increased for several reasons: the increase in incidence in the last twenty years, the heavy exposure of several groups of workers, claims for compensation for industrial disease and other medico-legal aspects, the question of environmental exposure with no threshold and the great media interest in the subject (3 million internet pages devoted to mesothelioma). Medical interest in this disease has evolved from almost total fatalism to a real interest in active management with acceptable surgery, new cytotoxic drugs and effective combinations, biological therapies, new modalities of radiotherapy and, above all, the development of multidisciplinary strategies to set up prospective randomised comparative trials which have been largely absent in this field.
February 3rd, 2007. Clinico-pathological features and somatic gene alterations in refractory ceramic fibre-induced murine mesothelioma reveal mineral fibre-induced mesothelioma identities
They suggest that Nf2 mutation is complementary of Ink4 or Trp53 mutations and show similar profile of gene alterations resulting from exposure to ceramic or asbestos fibres in Nf2+/- mice, also consistent with the one found in HMM. These somatic genetic changes define different pathways of mesothelial cell transformation.
February 3rd, 2007. Asbestos-related diseases
br Abstract This chapter presents a bibliographic review of asbestos-related diseases. The latest diagnostic, radiological, computed tomography and lung function aspects of benign pleural disease, asbestosis, occupational lung cancer and mesothelioma are discussed.
January 26th, 2007. A mesothelioma epidemic in Cappadocia: scientific developments and unexpected social outcomes
Initially linked solely to the exposure to a fibrous mineral, erionite, recent studies by scientists from Turkey and the United States have shown that erionite causes mesothelioma mostly in families that are genetically predisposed to mineral fibre carcinogenesis. This manuscript reports, through the eyes of one of the researchers, the resulting scientific advances that have come from these studies and the social improvements that were brought about by both the scientists and members of the Turkish Government.
January 24th, 2007. Malignant pleural cancers mortality and compensated cases for asbestos related diseases in Lazio municipalities (1980-2001)
Conclusions: Epidemiological surveillance of incident cases of malignant mesothelioma in the Lazio Region and the investigation of modalities of asbestos exposure are urgently needed for prevention of occupational diseases.
January 18th, 2007. Mortality and hospital discharges in the population of Biancavilla (Sicily) contaminated by natural fibres
Conclusions: the excesses observed in this study are consistent with previous findings and suggest the need for further investigations aimed at improving the knowledge of the mineralogical aspects of the fibres, the assessment of human exposure and at estimating the prevalence of pleural plaques and lung fibrosis.
November 23rd, 2006. Adverse Health Effects of Fluoro-Edenitic Fibers
In this frame, special emphasis is given to the issue of communication, both to the general public and to target groups like family doctors, teachers, and media professionals. This experience could represent a useful basis for the elaboration of a strategy to approach similar environmental issues.
November 8th, 2006. The Portsmouth thoracoscopy experience, an evaluation of service by retrospective case note analysis
There was no mortality or significant morbidity associated with the procedure. Medical thoracoscopy is safe and effective in the diagnosis of benign and malignant pleural disease particularly in this high risk population.
October 17th, 2006. The pathogenesis of mesothelioma
These findings indicate that the risk varies among asbestos- and erionite-exposed individuals because of their genetic background or because of exposure to other carcinogens. Moreover, these data provide a rationale for the observation that only a fraction of heavily exposed asbestos workers developed mesothelioma, and novel targets for prevention and therapy.
October 3rd, 2006. National epidemiologic surveillance systems of asbestos-related disease and the exposed workers register
Conclusions: A national, coordinated and uniform epidemiological surveillance system of cases of mesothelioma and the definition of asbestos exposure through active research is extremely important in identifying unexpected contaminating sources. The register of asbestos-exposed workers allows risk to be monitored and protection measures to be implemented.
August 22nd, 2006. A Review of the Federal Government’s Health Activities in Response to Asbestos-Contaminated Ore Found in Libby, Montana
Some of these activities include conducting environmental exposure evaluations, health statistics reviews, community screenings, and disease-specific surveillance. This article presents the various follow-up activities that have been conducted to date by ATSDR and partnering state health departments.
July 20th, 2006. Involvement of IL-10 and Bcl-2 in resistance against an asbestos-induced apoptosis of T cells
This speculation was partially confirmed by the detection of elevated bcl-2 expression levels in CD4[Formula: see text] peripheral blood T cells from patients with MM compared with those from patients with ASB or healthy donors. Further studies will be required to verify the role of T cells with enhanced bcl-2 expression in tumor progression induced by asbestos exposure.
July 18th, 2006. Human cancer from environmental pollutants: The epidemiological evidence
An increased risk of bladder might be due to water chlorination by-products. The available evidence on cancer risk following exposure to other environmental pollutants, including, pesticides, dioxins and electro-magnetic fields, is inconclusive.
July 13th, 2006. Plasma vitamin concentrations and incidence of mesothelioma and lung cancer in individuals exposed to crocidolite at Wittenoom, Western Australia
Vitamin E concentrations were not significantly associated with mesothelioma or lung cancer incidence. These findings suggest that people with chronically low plasma levels of retinol have increased risk of developing mesothelioma and lung cancer.
June 26th, 2006. Determination of environmental exposure to asbestos (tremolite) and mesothelioma risks in the southeastern region of Turkey
The people in the region are continuously exposed to asbestos during normal activities. This cumulative exposure to asbestos carries sufficient risks for mesothelioma development.
June 24th, 2006. Nature and extent of the exposure to fibrous amphiboles in Biancavilla
Today, the environmental situation results to be changed following both the closing of the stone quarries and the urbanization works after 2001, above all the asphalting of dusty roads. Anyway sporadic mesothelioma cases have still to be expected in the next years.
June 1st, 2006. Chrysotile as a cause of mesothelioma: an assessment based on epidemiology
The review of 71 asbestos cohorts exposed to free asbestos fibers does not support the hypothesis that chrysotile, uncontaminated by amphibolic substances, causes mesothelioma. Today, decisions about risk of chrysotile for mesothelioma in most regulatory contexts reflect public policies, not the application of the scientific method as applied to epidemiological cohort studies.
May 26th, 2006. Diachronic study of pleural plaques in rural population with environmental exposure to asbestos
Conclusions: Radiological appearance of pleural plaques and respiratory function of people previously exposed to asbestos environmental pollution worsens over the years. Prevalence of mesothelioma was found to be higher than expected.
|
|  |
