• Chest · Jul 2023

    Pleural plaques and the role of exposure to mineral particles in the Asbestos Post-Exposure Survey.

    • Christophe Paris, Isabelle Thaon, François Laurent, Anastasia Saade, Pascal Andujar, Patrick Brochard, Julia Benoist, Bénédicte Clin, Gilbert Ferretti, Antoine Gislard, Cecile Gramond, Pascal Wild, Aude Lacourt, Fleur Delva, and Jean-Claude Pairon.
    • Centre de Pathologies Professionnelles et environnementales, CHU Pontchaillou, Rennes, France; INSERM, IRSET U1085, Equipe ESTER, Rennes, France. Electronic address: christophe.paris@inserm.fr.
    • Chest. 2023 Jul 1; 164 (1): 149158149-158.

    BackgroundPrevious studies have inconsistently reported associations between refractory ceramic fibers (RCFs) or mineral wool fibers (MWFs) and the presence of pleural plaques. All these studies were based on chest radiographs, known to be associated with a poor sensitivity for the diagnosis of pleural plaques.Research QuestionDoes the risk of pleural plaques increase with cumulative exposure to RCFs, MWFs, and silica? If the risk does increase, do these dose-response relationships depend on the co-exposure to asbestos or, conversely, are the dose-response relationships for asbestos modified by co-exposure to RCFs, MWFs, and silica?Study Design And MethodsVolunteer workers were invited to participate in a CT scan screening program for asbestos-related diseases in France. Asbestos exposure was assessed by industrial hygienists, and exposure to RCFs, MWFs, and silica was determined by using job-exposure matrices. A cumulative exposure index (CEI) was then calculated for each subject and separately for each of the four mineral particle exposures. All available CT scans were submitted to randomized double reading by a panel of radiologists.ResultsIn this cohort of 5,457 subjects, significant dose-response relationships were determined after adjustment for asbestos exposure between CEI to RCF or MWF and the risk of PPs (ORs of 1.29 [95% CI, 1.00-1.67] and 1.84 [95% CI, 1.49-2.27] for the highest CEI quartile, respectively). Significant interactions were found between asbestos on one hand and MWF or RCF on the other.InterpretationThis study suggests the existence of a significant association between exposure to RCFs and MWFs and the presence of pleural plaques in a large population previously exposed to asbestos and screened by using CT scans.Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc.

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