The utility of electron microscopy in detecting asbestos fibers and particles in BALF in diffuse lung diseases

BMC Pulmonary Medicine

Table 5 The comparison of the results of analysis of particles in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid by electron microscopy

	Exposure-positive (n = 48)		Exposure-negative (n = 59)
AFs in electron microscope	AFs-positive (n =11)	AFs-negative (n = 37)	AFs-negative (n = 59)
Detection rate of particles	11 (100)	37 (100)	59 (100)
Concentration of particles, ×10⁶/ml	2.75 ± 2.27	2.43 ± 1.88	3.27 ± 3.94
Silicon,%	88.0 ± 12.3	92.2 ± 12.7	94.2 ± 10.4
Iron,%	16.2 ± 18.3^*	9.0 ± 16.8^**	1.0 ± 2.8
Phosphorus,%	15.5 ± 14.6^*	11.4 ± 17.7^**	3.3 ± 9.1
Aluminum,%	5.3 ± 6.7	3.2 ± 3.7	1.8 ± 2.5
Sodium,%	0.8 ± 1.4	1.5 ± 3.9	2.9 ± 7.1
Titanium,%	0.3 ± 1.1	0.6 ± 1.4	0.7 ± 3.5
Magnesium,%	0.2 ± 0.6	0.8 ± 2.6	0.6 ± 1.6
Zinc,%	0.0 ± 0.0	0.0 ± 0.2	0.7 ± 1.8
Calcium,%	0.0 ± 0.0	0.1 ± 0.5^**	2.2 ± 9.3
Sulfur,%	0.0 ± 0.0	0.2 ± 0.9	0.0 ± 0.2
Copper,%	0.0 ± 0.0	0.0 ± 0.3	0.0 ± 0.0
Potassium,%	0.0 ± 0.0	0.3 ± 0.9	0.6 ± 2.0
Chlorine,%	0.0 ± 0.0	0.0 ± 0.0	0.0 ± 0.2
Sulfur,%	0.0 ± 0.0	0.0 ± 0.0	10.0 ± 31.6

Data are presented as n (%) or mean ± SD, unless otherwise stated
^* P < 0.01 versus AFs-negative subgroup; ^** P < 0.05 versus exposure-negative group
AFs uncoated asbestos fibers and asbestos bodies, Exposure-positive positive history of occupational exposure to inorganic dust, Exposure-negative negative history of occupational exposure to inorganic dust

ISSN: 1471-2466