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Biomedical subjects

G Piolatto

Publications and source records attributed to G Piolatto.

30 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1980

Pleural plaques and lung asbestos bodies in the general population: an autoptical and clinical-radiological survey.

Of 218 necropsies of male subjects, pleural hyaline plaques were detected in 67 (30%). The prevalence of pleural plaques was found to be related to age at death and to history of previous occupational contact with asbestos. The presence of asbestos bodies in lungs was also associated with pleural plaques; however, the reliability of the presence of ferruginous bodies as an indicator of exposure to asbestos is questioned. The role of environmental exposure will be better demonstrated at the end of an investigation on place of residence, which is still in progress. Chest X-rays showed little sensitivity for use in epidemiological surveys.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1979

Mortality of chrysotile asbestos workers at the Balangero Mine, Northern Italy.

The mortality from 1946 to 1975 of over 900 North Italian chrysotile asbestos workers first employed between 1930 and 1965 has been studied. Nine deaths were certified as attributable to asbestosis, and eleven to lung cancer. One death was attributed to mesothelioma of pleura but this diagnosis was not supported by histological examination. Comparison with the national figures for all Italy did not reveal an excess of deaths from lung cancer but during the last quinquennium of observation, the SMR for lung cancer rose to 206. Simulation experiments enabled a dust index in fibre/years to be attached to each man in the cohort. All but two of the deaths from lung cancer occurred in the higher exposure group. The relative risk of lung cancer in this group was 2.89. The eleven workers who died from lung cancer were all cigarette smokers. A further period of observation is required to monitor the mortality of the surviving workers.

Asbestos↗
PubMed1977

[Epidemiological study of diabetes in the occupational environment].

Fasting blood sugar was determined in 277 subjects with early forms of silicosis during statutory outpatient examinations. Values were related to the clinical and occupational history and objective and blood chemistry parameters. The results showed that epidemiological examination is useful in the prevention and early diagnosis of diabetes in occupational environments.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Effects of long-term use of inhaled steroids (beclomethasone dipropionate) in patients with occupational asthma no longer exposed].

Ten subjects with occupational asthma who, were either no longer exposed or had minimal exposure, were controlled every three months after cessation of exposure. All subjects showed airway responsiveness to metacholine, complained of mild symptoms and had minor lung function abnormalities. The subjects underwent inhalation therapy with beclomethasone dipropionate (2000 micrograms/day) for 3 to 12 months. Although pulmonary function values and symptoms did not change significantly during treatment, PD20 FEV1 improved markedly after 3 months and further improved after the longest period of treatment. PD20 FEV1 after treatment was significantly correlated with the base PD20 FEV1 value and not with the FEV1 increase. Good therapeutic results were obtained in 6 subjects. In the remaining 4 subjects who did not respond to treatment, the base PD20 FEV1 value was below 200 micrograms. In 4 of the 6 subjects who responded to treatment PD20 FEV1 was lower than during treatment but higher than before treatment.

Administration, Inhalation↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Respiratory impairment and metal exposure in a group of 68 industrial welders].

A group of 68 currently employed welders were examined who were exposed to welding fumes either for the whole or for at least half the working day and who used at least two welding processes, which were mainly manual metal arc welding and metal active gas welding, but also metal and tungsten inert gas welding, or oxyacetylene welding. The welders were classified into 3 groups according to the class of materials used, i.e.: 1) only mild and stainless steel; 2) mild and stainless steel and other metals; 3) only other metals. Chronic bronchitis symptoms were observed in 22% of the subjects; signs of suspected radiological fibrosis were present in 18%, initial signs of radiological fibrosis in 4%. Small airway disease was prevalent in the smokers (28 smokers versus 2 nonsmokers); one worker had an obstructive syndrome and another a restrictive syndrome (both were smokers). There was a good correlation between years of exposure and: 1) MEF25 in non-smokers; 2) urinary cobalt in the whole group. There was also a correlation between smoking and FEV1, MEF50, MEF25, PaO2 and urinary cadmium. Serum copper was higher in workers exposed full time than in those exposed part time. Urinary chromium and cobalt and serum copper were high in steel welders, lower in welders using steel and other metals and low in welders using other metals. Urinary chromium was similar in smokers and non-smokers. Serum zinc was found to be of little use for biological monitoring of welders. Urinary chromium was studied for one week in 10 full-time exposed steel welders. The difference between the chromium values at the end of the workshift and those at the beginning was small (low current exposure); the chromium values at the end of the workshift were not uniform in the whole group (different past exposure levels).

Air Pollutants, Occupational↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Various air pollutants in Torino].

The trend of concentrations of some pollutants (total particulate, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), benzo(a)pyrene (BaP), chromium, nickel, lead, vanadium) in the urban air of Turin for the years 1986-87-88 was studied. The air was sampled daily by glass fiber's filters; a ponderal determination of total particulate was made; PAH was dosed by gas-chromatography and by mass spectrometry, metals was determined by atomic absorption spectrometry. These are the values of the three years mean concentration: total particulate 156.3 micrograms/mc, PAH 27.2 ng/mc, B(a)P 2.16 ng/mc, Cr 28.6 ng/mc, Ni 40.5 ng/mc, Pb 1.37 micrograms/mc, V 55.2 ng/mc. Finally, we try to calculate the conjectural carcinogenic effect of the B(a)P for the residents of Turin.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[The use and utility of multistage models of carcinogenesis in cohort studies].

Multistage models have been widely employed in recent years and are thought to be useful for the interpretation of biological bases of epidemiological results. We have employed two general models, both interpretable under the multistage theory, using GLIM package for the simultaneous analysis of the effect on mortality of several factors, including age at first exposure, duration of exposure, time interval since exposure ended. In the multiplicative model (relative risk, RR) each variable is supposed to act multiplicatively on the number of expected cases. In the additive model (absolute risk, AR; excess of risk, ER) each variable is thought to act multiplicatively on the excess risk; the result is then added to the expected number of cases. These models were applied to data regarding exposure to aromatic amines and bladder cancer mortality. The results suggested that aromatic amines act on more than one stage of the carcinogenic process, most probably on both early and late stages. In addition, hints for prevention measures were obtained. In fact, the effect on late stages implies a decreasing risk after cessation of exposure, and in this case discontinuing exposure can be useful; an effect on early stages, instead, indicates the necessity of intensive medical surveillance even after cessation of exposure. However, it seems that the possibility of obtaining results interpretable under the multistage theory is at present confined to the rare cases in which there is a substantial excess mortality from specific cancers.

Age Factors↗