Role of Asbestos burden in Lung Disease in north Indian population

Abstract

Background:Malignancies in pulmonary system has been a matter of concern but. Its etiology is hardly established pathologically since asbestos is known to be carcinogenic and highly persistent. So we had planned to study the burden of asbestos in patients of carcinoma lung and pleura.
Material & method:Transbronchial biopsy was taken via bronchoscopy from the suspected lung cancer patients to evaluate asbestos fiber burden. Biopsy sample were send to Department of Pathology, Career Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, in formalin for histopathological examination and slides from pathology department and biopsy tissue were send to IITR for particle and fibre burden estimation. Results: Mean number of asbestos fibre which came out in different biopsy tissues was 9.3x104/gm of tissue. In which most common type was amphibole fibers. The mean of total, chrysotile and amphibole counts in age group <50 years is more than that of >50 years patients. Association between gender and fibre load reveals that mean of total, chrysotile and amphibole fibers counts in male patients are more than female patients. Risk prone occupationally exposed patients where having mean fibers (total, chrysotile and amphibole) more than that of no risk patients. Endobronchial type of biopsy tissues had mean fibre (total chrysotile and amphibole) more than other types of biopsies. Discussion: Association between histopathological type and fibre load did not showed any statistically significant difference in different histopathology of lung cancer however maximum values were obtained in squamous cell carcinoma patients and minimum for small cell carcinoma. Conclusion: As we see there is no significant result came out as far as asbestos burden and lung malignancy are concerned. However, the burden of the asbestos fibre has to be reviewed in larger studies so that any inference can be drawn for the source of this fibre in non occupationally exposed lung cancer patients.