Fig. 2

The detection rate and concentration of AFs and ABs in the 11 of 107 patients who were detected AFs by EM. ABs were only detected in 5 of these 11 patients (45.5%) by EM, and in 4 of these 11 patients (36.3%) by LM (P < 0.01) (a). The actual number of concentrations of AFs and ABs by EM and LM in BALF, suggest that EM has an approximately 1,000-fold-greater ability to detect AFs and a 500-fold-greater ability to detect ABs than LM does for ABs in BALF (b). Abbreviations: ABs, Asbestos bodies; AFs, uncoated asbestos fibers and ABs; BALF, BAL fluid; EM, electron microscopy; LM, light microscopy