Murai Y, Kitagawa M, Yasuda M, Okada E, Koizumi F, Miwa A
Department of Pathology, Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Japan.
Arch Environ Health. 1994 Jan-Feb;49(1):67-72. doi: 10.1080/00039896.1994.9934418.
Asbestos bodies and fibers deposited in the lungs of seven asbestosis cases were counted after tissue digestion. The types and sizes of 100 asbestos fibers for each case were also analyzed. Asbestos bodies were counted with an optical microscope at 100x magnification, and asbestos fibers were counted with a transmission electron microscope (TEM) at 2000x magnification. Most asbestos fibers detected with TEM were longer than 3 microns (92.5%) and thicker than 0.1 microns (92.3%). Short fibers less than 2 microns--both chrysotile and amphiboles, as well as long, thin fibers less than 0.06 microns--would be missed at 2000x (TEM). An average of 1.37 (0.081-5.5) x 10(6) asbestos bodies and 164.8 (0.55-610) x 10(6) asbestos fibers per 5 g wet (0.88 g dry) lung tissue were found, and these values are higher than what was reported in mesothelioma cases without asbestosis that were reported previously. More than 13 (average = 266.2) asbestos bodies were found in a 4-micron-thick tissue section (average area = 3.24 cm2). One asbestos body in a section equaled approximately 5,000 per 5 g wet lung tissue. The intensity of fibrosis was minimal in one case, mild in four, moderate and severe in one each, and the intensity was correlated with the number of asbestos bodies and fibers. The fibrosis in the severe case may have been intensified by repeated infection. Crocidolite fibers were found most frequently (84.7%), were thin, and had a high aspect ratio by our counting rules. Crocidolite with a high aspect ratio may be most fibrogenic in the lung.
对7例石棉沉着病患者肺组织中的石棉小体和纤维进行消化处理后计数。同时分析了每例患者100根石棉纤维的类型和大小。用光学显微镜在100倍放大倍数下计数石棉小体，用透射电子显微镜（TEM）在2000倍放大倍数下计数石棉纤维。TEM检测到的大多数石棉纤维长度超过3微米（92.5%），直径超过0.1微米（92.3%）。在2000倍（TEM）下会遗漏长度小于2微米的短纤维（包括温石棉和闪石类）以及直径小于0.06微米的细长纤维。每5克湿肺组织（0.88克干肺组织）中平均发现1.37（0.081 - 5.5）×10⁶个石棉小体和164.8（0.55 - 610）×10⁶根石棉纤维，这些数值高于之前报道的无石棉沉着病的间皮瘤病例。在4微米厚的组织切片（平均面积 = 3.24平方厘米）中发现超过13个（平均 = 266.2个）石棉小体。切片中的1个石棉小体约等于每5克湿肺组织中有5000个。纤维化程度在1例中为轻微，4例为轻度，1例为中度，1例为重度，纤维化程度与石棉小体和纤维数量相关。重度病例中的纤维化可能因反复感染而加重。按照我们的计数规则，青石棉纤维最常被发现（84.7%），纤维细且长径比高。长径比高的青石棉在肺中可能最具致纤维化性。
