Analyzing biological and molecular characteristics and genomic damage induced by exposure to asbestos

Our plain-English summary of Analyzing biological and molecular characteristics and genomic damage induced by exposure to asbestos, by D. Ospina, V.E. Villegas, G. Rodríguez-Leguizamón, et al (Cancer Management and Research, 2019).

The study

• Authors: D. Ospina, V.E. Villegas, G. Rodríguez-Leguizamón, M. Rondón-Lagos
• Journal: Cancer Management and Research
• Published: 2019;11:4997-5012
• Type of article: Review
• Cited by: 15 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

Abstract

Asbestos is one of the most important occupational carcinogens. Currently, about 125 million people worldwide are exposed to asbestos in the workplace. According to global estimates, at least 107,000 people die each year from lung cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis as a result of occupational exposure to asbestos. The high pathogenicity of this material is currently known, being associated with the development of pulmonary diseases, of which lung cancer is the main cause of death due to exposure to this mineral. Pulmonary diseases related to asbestos are a common clinical problem and a major health concern worldwide. Extensive research has identified many important pathogenic mechanisms; however, the precise molecular mechanisms involved, and the generated genomic damage that lead to the development of these diseases, are not completely understood. The modes of action that underlie this type of disease seem to differ depending on the type of fiber, lung clearance, and genetics. This evidences the need to increase our knowledge about these effects on human health. This review focuses on the characteristics of asbestos and the cellular and genomic damage generated in humans via exposure.

In plain English

This article is a narrative review, not a new study. The authors summarized published research on how asbestos damages cells and genes, and they did not describe how they selected the studies. The review described the two groups of asbestos: serpentines (chrysotile) and amphiboles (including crocidolite, amosite and tremolite). It summarized earlier work linking the fibers to oxidative stress, fibrosis and chronic inflammation. It listed genes reported as altered in lung cancer and malignant pleural mesothelioma, including BAP1, CDKN2A and NF2. The authors noted that studies of chromosome damage in exposed people mostly used micronucleus and sister chromatid exchange tests, and that these studies gave very mixed results. Citing Ledda et al (2018), they wrote that none of the markers available today is reliable enough for monitoring people exposed to asbestos. They also reported figures for Colombia, including asbestos consumption of 5960 metric tons in 2015. The authors concluded that better knowledge of how cells and molecules respond to asbestos could help determine susceptibility to exposure, make earlier diagnoses and develop more effective treatments.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: Narrative review of published literature. No methods section, search strategy or count of reviewed studies is given.
• Who was studied: No study population of its own. The review draws on previously published human, animal and cell studies.
• Exposure: Asbestos in general: serpentines (chrysotile) and amphiboles (crocidolite, amosite, tremolite, anthophyllite, actinolite). Occupational, domestic and environmental exposure are discussed.
• Main results:
  • From the literature reviewed, the authors described oxidative stress, fibrosis and chronic inflammation as cellular effects of fiber accumulation.
  • Cited studies reported that 40% to 70% of pleural and peritoneal mesotheliomas have loss of 9p (including the CDKN2A gene) or of 22q (including the NF2 gene).
  • Human studies of chromosomal instability from asbestos were limited to micronucleus and sister chromatid exchange tests, and their results were very heterogeneous.
  • Some of the chromosomal alterations reported after asbestos exposure were observed in rat embryos, and information in humans is scarce.
  • Citing Ledda et al (2018), the authors wrote that none of the currently available markers is reliable enough for surveillance of people exposed to asbestos.
  • For Colombia, the review reported asbestos consumption of 5960 metric tons in 2015 (United States Geological Survey data). It also reported a survey for the national plan that found 256 companies, in which 7% of the workers (688 of 15,170) were calculated to be exposed.
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that improving knowledge of cellular and molecular responses to asbestos could help determine susceptibility to exposure and establish earlier diagnoses and more effective treatments.
• Limitations the authors state:
  • The authors noted that few studies describe the type and frequency of specific chromosomal alterations caused by asbestos exposure. This is a gap in the evidence, not a limitation of the review itself.

Topics

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Lung Cancer, Mesothelioma, Occupational Exposure.

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