Asbestos bodies in lungs at necropsy

Our plain-English summary of Asbestos bodies in lungs at necropsy, by G.H. Roberts (Journal of Clinical Pathology, 1967).

The study

• Author: G.H. Roberts
• Journal: Journal of Clinical Pathology
• Published: 1967;20(4):570-3
• Cited by: 18 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

Abstract

This study was made in Glasgow, Scotland, near an industrial area where ship building is an important industry. Asbestos bodies were found in 23% of 100 consecutive hospital necropsies, bodies were present in 37% of the 62 males, none were found in 38 females. These findings are compared with results of other similar surveys. In 85.4% of cases showing asbestos bodies, hyaline pleural plaques were found. There was one case of asbestosis and three of bronchial carcinoma in the cases showing asbestos bodies.

In plain English

This study looked for asbestos bodies (coated asbestos fibers) in the lungs of 100 consecutive adults examined at necropsy (autopsy) at a hospital serving south-west Glasgow, near the Clyde's heavy industry. There were 62 men and 38 women; mean age at death was 65. Smears from both lower lungs were examined under a microscope. Detailed work histories were not available. Asbestos bodies were found in 23 of the 100 cases (23%): 37% of the 62 men and none of the 38 women. In 11 positive cases, fewer than five bodies were seen in the 600 low-power microscope fields examined. Pleural plaques were looked for in 81 cases and found in 13, all men; 11 of these 13 had asbestos bodies. Of the 23 positive cases, 12 died of cancer, three of them of bronchial carcinoma; one was considered the only case of asbestosis. No mesotheliomas were found. The author concluded that the findings suggest occupational exposure in men rather than urban contamination. The author also stated that the series was too small for valid conclusions about cancer frequency in those with versus without asbestos bodies.

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: Consecutive hospital necropsy (autopsy) series, with microscopic examination of lung smears for asbestos bodies
• Who was studied: 100 consecutive adult necropsies at the Southern General Hospital, Glasgow, which serves south-west Glasgow near the Clyde. There were 62 males and 38 females, mean age at death 65 years (range 24 to 85). Study dates are not given.
• Exposure: Asbestos bodies counted in smears from the basal segments of both lower lobes (300 low-power fields per slide). The fiber type was not identified. No detailed occupational history was available; only the occupation noted in the clinical records was recorded where available.
• Main results:
  • Asbestos bodies were found in 23 of the 100 cases (23%). All were in the 62 males (37%); none were found in the 38 females.
  • 11 of the positive cases were in the seventh decade of life. In that age group, 50% of male cases showed asbestos bodies.
  • In 11 of the 23 positive cases, fewer than five asbestos bodies were seen in a total of 600 low-power microscope fields.
  • Parietal pleural plaques were looked for in 81 cases. They were present in 13 (16.0%), all males. Asbestos bodies were identified in 11 of these 13 (printed as 85.4%).
  • Of the 23 asbestos-body-positive cases, 12 (52.1%) died of malignant disease, including three cases of bronchial carcinoma.
  • One case (case 38) was considered the only example of asbestosis in the series.
  • There were no cases of pleural or peritoneal mesothelioma in the series.
  • No obvious correlation was seen between occupation and the number of asbestos bodies in the smears.
• The authors' conclusion: The author concluded that the findings suggest occupational exposure of the males, because if urban contamination were a factor, some asbestos bodies would be expected in females.
• Limitations the authors state:
  • The smears are only a small random sample of the lung bases and do not show the concentration of asbestos bodies in the whole lung.
  • No detailed occupational history was available for any case.
  • The series is too small for valid conclusions about the incidence of malignant disease in people with asbestos bodies compared with people without them.
  • The number of bodies seen may depend partly on lung congestion and oedema at death. Two cases with widespread calcified plaques but no bodies had grossly oedematous lungs.

Topics

The National Library of Medicine indexes this study under subjects our site covers: Asbestosis.

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Asbestos Bodies, Autopsy, Pleural Plaques, Carcinoma.

Related studies

• Prevalence of "asbestos" bodies in human lungs at necropsy — T.E. Dicke, B. Naylor (1969)
• Asbestos bodies and pleural plaques in human lungs at necropsy — I. Hägerstrand, B. Seifert (1973)
• Smoking, occupational risk factors, and bronchial tumor location: a possible impact for lung cancer computed tomography scan screening — M. Gonzalez, J.M. Vignaud, et al. (2012)
• Correlation between lung asbestos count at necropsy and radiological appearances — P. Macpherson, J.K. Davidson (1969)
• Using in vitro iron deposition on asbestos to model asbestos bodies formed in human lung — Z. Shen, D. Bosbach, et al. (2000)
• Lung asbestos bodies and pulmonary cancer in subjects without occupational exposure — A. Andrion, E. Pira, et al. (1982)

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