Tissue burden evaluation of elongated mineral particles in two individuals with mesothelioma and whose work history included manufacturing tile

Our plain-English summary of Tissue burden evaluation of elongated mineral particles in two individuals with mesothelioma and whose work history included manufacturing tile, by R.F. Dodson, L.W. Poye (Ultrastructural Pathology, 2020).

The study

• Authors: R.F. Dodson, L.W. Poye
• Journal: Ultrastructural Pathology
• Published: 2020;44(1):17-31
• Type of article: Case report
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

Abstract

Two cases with diagnosis of mesothelioma were referred to our laboratories with a request for tissue burden analysis in order to determine the presence of ferruginous bodies and uncoated elongated mineral particles in tissue samples. The individuals shared in common a past background of working in tile manufacturing facilities where industrial talc was used in the production of the products. Both were found to have ferruginous bodies in their lung tissues as well as elongated talc fibers/ribbons and elevated numbers of noncommercial amphiboles in their tissues. To our knowledge, this is the first report of tissue assessment for the presence of elongated mineral particles in individuals whose exposures to talc occurred were while working in the manufacture of tile products and who developed the fiber-related cancer - mesothelioma.

In plain English

This article reports two cases. Two men with pleural mesothelioma, both diagnosed in 2016, had worked in tile manufacturing plants where industrial talc was used. Case 1 worked there about 12 to 14 months in the early 1970s, and Case 2 from 1979 to 2005. The authors analyzed digested lung and lymph node tissue for ferruginous bodies and uncoated fibers. Lung ferruginous body counts, per gram of deparaffinized wet tissue, were 44 for Case 1, and 1944 and 42 in two Case 2 samples. The laboratory's general-population upper limit for lung tissue was 20 or fewer ferruginous bodies per gram of wet tissue. Lung asbestos fiber counts, per gram of deparaffinized wet tissue, were 64,448 for Case 1, and 1,267,595 and 1,619,690 for Case 2. The lung samples contained anthophyllite asbestos fibers, with smaller amounts of tremolite asbestos and talc fibers. Case 2's lymph node tissue held 1,730,342 anthophyllite asbestos fibers per gram of deparaffinized wet tissue. No commercial type of asbestos was found in either man's tissues. The authors concluded that these workers had inhaled asbestiform amphiboles and asbestiform talc particulates.

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: Report of two cases; tissue burden analysis of lung and lymph node tissue by light microscopy and analytical transmission electron microscopy
• Who was studied: Two individuals with pleural mesothelioma (both men, diagnosed in 2016) who had worked in tile manufacturing facilities
• Exposure: Work in tile manufacturing facilities where industrial talc was used. Case 1 worked about 12 to 14 months in the early 1970s. Case 2 worked from 1979 to 2005.
• Main results:
  • Case 1 lung: 44 ferruginous bodies per gram of deparaffinized wet tissue
  • The laboratory's upper limit for lung tissue from the general population is 20 or fewer ferruginous bodies per gram wet weight
  • Case 1 lung: the area scanned contained 15 anthophyllite asbestos fibers, one tremolite asbestos fiber and six transitional fibers (talc fibers/ribbons were also found)
  • Case 1 lung: the 16 asbestos fibers equaled 64,448 fibers per gram of deparaffinized wet tissue
  • Case 1 lymph tissue: no classical ferruginous bodies were found by light microscopy
  • Case 2 lung, first sample set (2a): 1944 ferruginous bodies per gram of deparaffinized wet tissue
  • Case 2 lung, sample set 2a: the 102 asbestos fibers equaled 1,267,595 fibers per gram of deparaffinized wet tissue
  • Case 2 lung, second sample set (2b): 42 ferruginous bodies per gram of deparaffinized wet tissue
  • Case 2 lung, sample set 2b: the 100 asbestos fibers equaled 1,619,690 fibers per gram of deparaffinized wet tissue
  • Case 2 lymph tissue: 83 ferruginous bodies per gram of deparaffinized wet tissue
  • Case 2 lymph tissue: 104 anthophyllite asbestos fibers, equal to 1,730,342 fibers per gram of deparaffinized wet tissue
  • In both men, lung samples contained anthophyllite asbestos fibers, with smaller amounts of tremolite asbestos and talc fibers
  • No commercial type of asbestos was found in either man's tissues
  • In both men, the ferruginous bodies whose cores were identified by electron microscopy had anthophyllite asbestos cores
  • Average length of anthophyllite asbestos fibers in lung tissue was 14 µm (Case 1), 11 µm (Case 2a) and 10 µm (Case 2b)
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that individuals who worked in tile manufacturing facilities using industrial talc had inhaled asbestiform amphiboles and asbestiform talc particulates
• Limitations the authors state:
  • For Case 1's lymph tissue, all filters were too loaded with dust to allow quantitative electron microscopy counts

Topics

The National Library of Medicine indexes this study under subjects our site covers: Mesothelioma, Talc and vermiculite.

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Mesothelioma, Work History, Ferruginous Bodies, Industrial Talc, Talc, Amphibole Group.

Related studies

• Asbestos burden in two cases of mesothelioma where the work history included manufacturing of cigarette filters — R.F. Dodson, M.G. Williams, et al. (2002)
• A clinical assessment and lung tissue burden from an individual who worked as a Libby vermiculite miner — B. Black, R.F. Dodson, et al. (2017)
• Dimensions of elongated mineral particles: a study of more than 570 fibers from more than 90 cases with implications for pathogenicity and classification as asbestiform vs. cleavage fragments — V.L. Roggli, C.L. Green (2019)
• Comments on "Dimensions of elongated mineral particles with implications for pathogenicity and classification as asbestiform versus cleavage fragments" — M.M. Finkelstein (2019)
• Quantitative analysis of asbestos burden in a series of individuals with lung cancer and a history of exposure to asbestos — R.F. Dodson, D.R. Brooks, et al. (2004)
• Analysis and identification of elongated mineral particles in road coated aggregates — E. Leocat, C. Rielland, et al. (2018)

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