Putzu Maria Grazia, Bruno Caterina, Zona Amerigo, Massiccio Marilena, Pasetto Roberto, Piolatto Pier Giorgio, Comba Pietro
Department of Traumatology, Orthopaedics and Occupational Medicine - University of Turin, Via Zuretti 29 - I-10126 Turin, Italy.
Environ Health. 2006 Jun 16;5:20. doi: 10.1186/1476-069X-5-20.
An excess of mortality for malignant neoplasms of the pleura in Biancavilla, promoted an investigation for pleural mesothelioma, disclosing 17 cases. As the absence of known sources of asbestos exposure, a local stone quarry, located near the inhabited area, used for the extraction of building materials, was investigated. Amphibolic fibres were found in the quarry and identified as fluoro-edenite "new end-member of the edenite / fluoro-edenite series" and recognized as the fluoro-edenite holotype by International Mineralogical Association--Commission on New Minerals and Mineral Names. A pilot study was performed to verify the feasibility of using spontaneous sputum as an exposure indicator for these fibres, in a context in which the use of aerosol-induced sputum technique would not be easily accepted.
Hypothesizing a behaviour of the new fibre analogous to that of asbestos, the determination of the free fibres and the ferruginous bodies in spontaneous sputum was carried out. Phase Contrast Optical Microscope and an Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope fitted with X-ray energy dispersive analysis system (micro-analysis) were used to examine the samples. The criteria for inclusion in the study were: 1) subjects hospitalized for exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease symptoms, 2) age > or = 45 years, 3) residence in Biancavilla for at least 30 years.
The preliminary findings are related to 12 subjects (7 females and 5 males). Uncoated fibres (with length > 5 microm, diameter < 3 microm, aspect ratio 3.1) and ferruginous bodies were searched. Six out of twelve subjects (4 females, 2 males) had at least one of the three samples positive for the presence of fluoro-edenite, confirmed by micro-analysis. The fibre concentration found in the sputum ranged from 0.04 to 10 fibres/g; the length from 20 to 40 microm, the diameter was < 0.5 microm. No ferruginous bodies were found in any of the samples. The four women with a positive sample were housewives. Of the two men with a positive sample, one was a farmer and the other a mason. Therefore, it may be assumed that the exposure to fluoro-edenitic fibres was mainly environmental.
The occurrence of the pleural mesothelioma cases and the presence of fluoro-edenitic fibres in spontaneous sputum, evidence the need to study the biological activity of fluoro-edenitic fibres and the implementation of epidemiological monitoring systems.
比安卡维拉胸膜恶性肿瘤死亡率过高，促使对胸膜间皮瘤展开调查，发现了17例病例。由于缺乏已知的石棉暴露源，于是对位于居民区附近、用于开采建筑材料的当地采石场进行了调查。在采石场发现了闪石类纤维，经鉴定为氟浅闪石（浅闪石/氟浅闪石系列的新端员），并被国际矿物学协会新矿物及矿物命名委员会认定为氟浅闪石的正模标本。开展了一项初步研究，以验证在气溶胶诱导痰液技术不易被接受的情况下，将自发痰液用作这些纤维暴露指标的可行性。
假设这种新纤维的行为与石棉类似，对自发痰液中的游离纤维和含铁小体进行了测定。使用相差光学显微镜和配备X射线能量色散分析系统的环境扫描电子显微镜（微分析）对样本进行检查。纳入研究的标准为：1）因慢性阻塞性肺疾病症状加重而住院的患者；2）年龄≥45岁；3）在比安卡维拉居住至少30年。
初步研究结果涉及12名受试者（7名女性和5名男性）。对未包覆纤维（长度>5微米、直径<3微米、长宽比3.1）和含铁小体进行了检测。12名受试者中有6名（4名女性，2名男性）的三个样本中至少有一个因存在氟浅闪石而呈阳性，经微分析证实。痰液中发现的纤维浓度范围为0.04至10根/克；长度为20至40微米，直径<0.5微米。在任何样本中均未发现含铁小体。样本呈阳性的4名女性均为家庭主妇。样本呈阳性的两名男性中，一名是农民，另一名是泥瓦匠。因此，可以认为对氟浅闪石纤维的暴露主要是环境暴露。
胸膜间皮瘤病例的出现以及自发痰液中氟浅闪石纤维的存在，证明有必要研究氟浅闪石纤维的生物活性并实施流行病学监测系统。
