Biomedical subjects
J L Abraham
Publications and source records attributed to J L Abraham.
Health hazard of poorly regulated exposure during manufacture of cemented tungsten carbides and cobalt.
Forty two of 125 former workers in a factory in Syracuse, New York, which manufactured hard metal parts from tungsten carbide and cobalt, were studied by chest radiographs, spirometry, and plethysmographically determined lung volumes. The plant was closed in 1982 and the studies were performed in 1983-5. Recorded measurements of carbide dust concentrations were only mildly excessive by modern standards, but deceitful efforts to reduce the apparent concentration of dust were known to have occurred during an inspection by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Lung biopsies in four cases in the study and necropsy in one of the 83 cases not studied during life showed giant cell interstitial pneumonia and appreciable concentrations of tungsten carbide. This information indicates that exposure was substantial. Four workers had evidence of pulmonary fibrosis by chest radiographs; two of these workers had normal pulmonary function. Fourteen had abnormal pulmonary function, five of whom had a restrictive pattern, eight a pattern of air trapping, and one a combined pattern. Thus radiographic, or functional abnormalities, or both occurred in 16 of the 42 cases studied. No correlation with duration of exposure was established. Progressive clinically important disease (one fatal) has been found in four ex-workers, two in each of the restrictive and air trapping groups. These findings suggest that poorly regulated dust concentrations in a hard metals factory possibly cause pulmonary abnormalities and sometimes severe illness.
Development and use of a pneumoconiosis database of human pulmonary inorganic particulate burden in over 400 lungs.
Over 400 cases with data from in situ electron microprobe quantitation of non-fibrous inorganic particles (e.g., silica, alumino-silicates, talc, metals) in pulmonary tissue sections, and data from quantitative digestion analyses for fiber content (e.g., asbestos, silica, alumino-silicates, man-made fibers, talc) comprise an extensive microcomputer data set of lung particle burden. When allied with demographic and histopathologic information the result is a comprehensive database of occupational pulmonary pathology. Examples of the kinds of information which can be extracted from the database include: 1) summary information on the types sizes and associations of particles in lungs with a variety of exposures, 2) concentrations of etiologic particle type in cases with recognized pneumoconioses, and 3) correlations between particle type, pathology, occupation and social history. The database provides a powerful tool for assessing such information on statistically meaningful sample sets.
Confusing labeling of food products.
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Silicone in gold-associated lymphadenopathy.
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Zirconium compound-induced pulmonary fibrosis.
Despite suspicion that inhalation of zirconium should be capable of causing human pulmonary disease, documentation of zirconium pneumoconiosis in humans has been lacking. We studied a likely case of zirconium compound-induced pulmonary fibrosis. The diagnosis was based on the following: (1) a history of gradual increase in symptoms and slowly progressing pulmonary fibrosis by chest roentgenogram compatible with a pneumoconiosis; (2) an appropriate history of exposure and a latency period of about 15 years before the onset of dyspnea and of roentgenographic changes; (3) analysis of open lung biopsy material revealing end-stage fibrosis and honeycombing, a moderate number of birefringent particles, and extremely high levels of a variety of zirconium compounds; and (4) no other potential cause of fibrosis. We conclude that zirconium should be considered a likely cause of pneumoconiosis and that appropriate precautions should be taken in the workplace.
Silicosis and lung cancer.
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Pulmonary fibrosis in aluminum oxide workers. Investigation of nine workers, with pathologic examination and microanalysis in three of them.
Epidemiologic surveys have indicated an excess of nonmalignant respiratory disease in workers exposed to aluminum oxide (Al2O3) during abrasives production. However, clinical, roentgenographic, histologic, and microanalytic description of these workers are lacking. This is a report of nine Al2O3-exposed workers with abnormal chest roentgenograms (profusion greater than or equal to 1/0, ILO/UC) from a plant engaged in the production of Al2O3 abrasives from alundum ore. Mean duration of exposure was 25 yr, and time since first exposure was 28 yr. in a subgroup of three, the severity of symptoms, reduction in the forced vital capacity (67% predicted) and diffusing capacity (51% predicted), and progressive roentgenographic changes (profusion greater than or equal to 2/2) prompted open lung biopsy. Lung tissue was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and electron microprobe analysis. In each of the three biopsies, interstitial fibrosis with honeycombing was seen on routine section. In one biopsy, silica and asbestos fiber counts were at the low end of the range seen with silicosis and asbestosis; however, the absence of asbestos bodies and silicotic nodules suggested that the fibrosis was due to another cause. Metals occurred in amounts several orders of magnitude above background, and the majority was aluminum as Al2O3 and aluminum alloys. The findings in these nine workers suggests a common exposure as the possible cause. The nonspecific pathologic findings, absence of asbestos bodies and silicotic nodules, and the striking number of aluminum-containing particles suggest that Al2O3 is that common exposure. The possibility of "mixed dust" fibrosis should also be considered.
Superior limbic keratoconjunctivitis apparently related to particulate material from a ventilation system.
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Asbestosis occurring after brief inhalational exposure: usefulness of bronchoalveolar lavage in diagnosis.
A case of clinically and radiologically typical asbestosis manifesting in a 55 year old man occurred 36 years after a brief exposure period of less than one year. A transbronchial lung biopsy was performed but the samples were considered non-diagnostic. The diagnosis was supported by the use of bronchoalveolar lavage to obtain alveolar samples and scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive x ray analysis of fibres found in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid which showed a predominance of amosite.
Sequence of bronchoalveolar lavage and histopathologic findings in rat lungs early in inhalation asbestos exposure.
To assess the early cellular inflammatory response of the lungs, 7 rats per group were exposed nose-only to 13 mg/m3 of chrysotile asbestos, 7 h/day for 2, 4, or 6 wk. Lung histopathology and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) were analyzed. In exposed animals, dose-related bronchiolitis and fibrosis were found that were not seen in control rats (p less than 0.001). In exposed rats, total BAL cells were increased six-to sevenfold over matched controls, and more cells were retrieved with longer exposure (p less than 0.001). In the BAL, counts of macrophages, lymphocytes, and polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs) were each elevated in the exposed rats (each p less than 0.001). PMNs seen histologically and in the BAL may be related to the time period examined. PMNs and lymphocytes observed throughout this 6-wk study support the idea that these cells may have an important role in the early events of asbestos lung injury.
Granulomatous disease associated with pulmonary deposition of titanium.
A patient presented with granulomatous lung disease associated with the pulmonary deposition of various metallic particles. To evaluate the relation between the metallic dust and the granulomatous process, lymphocyte transformation tests to aluminium sulphate, titanium chloride, beryllium sulphate, and nickel sulphate were performed. A lymphocyte proliferative response to titanium chloride was observed on two separate occasions; no responses to the other metals were shown. These results are consistent with hypersensitivity to titanium, and suggest, in this individual, a possible aetiological role between the inhalation of titanium and a granulomatous disease process.
Rheumatoid pneumoconiosis in a dolomite worker.
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Inorganic particulates associated with pulmonary alveolar proteinosis: SEM and X-ray microanalysis results.
Twenty-four cases of pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) were studied by light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to test the hypothesis that PAP was related to silica exposure. Increased numbers of birefringent particles (vs. controls) were found in 78% of PAP cases. SEM was used to locate inorganic particulates in situ, which were individually analyzed using energy dispersive X-ray analysis. When analyzed as an aggregate group of cases, no specific inorganic particulate was evidently associated with the PAP reaction. However, analysis of individual cases revealed more specific associations. The concentration of particles determined by SEM exceeded that found by LM by a factor ranging from 2.7 to 964. The concentration of inorganic particulates per cm3 in the areas of PAP ranged from 1.3 X 10(7) to 1.02 X 10(9). Controls all had less than 10(7) particles per cm3. Available environmental history correlated well with particulate analysis results, e.g., silica in a sandblaster, metal fumes in a welder, and cement particles in a cement finisher. Particulates with unique composition were also found in cases with unavailable histories, e.g. metal fumes suggestive of welding or soldering exposure, silicates suggestive of fine particle exposure (greater than 50% of particles less than 1 micron). Only 1 case (the sandblaster) showed greater than 50% of the particles to be silica. Of the 5 infants with PAP, 3 showed the major particulate to be talc, and 1 had evidence of toxic cadmium selenide fume exposure. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that PAP, at least in the majority of cases, is associated with exposure to small inorganic particulates of several types.
Hard metal disease: a multidisciplinary evaluation of two cases.
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Asbestos exposure--quantitative assessment of risk.
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Silicone-induced endocarditis. A complication of transvenous cardiac pacing catheterization.
We report a case of silicone-induced endocarditis as a newly recognized complication of transvenous cardiac pacing catheterization. Silicone was found embedded in thrombotic vegetations on the tricuspid valve of a patient who had a long-standing pacing catheter in the right side of his heart. Scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive x-ray analysis confirmed the presence of silicone in the vegetations and in the catheter tip.