Abstract

Several occupational lung diseases, including asbestosis, exhibit a characteristic but poorly-defined initial inflammatory stage. Early detection of these diseases would be facilitated by the elucidation of the transformation process following inflammation.

An experimental model of asbestos-induced fibrosis in the rat was developed in order to study the inflammatory response and the dynamics of cellular and biochemical modifications.

The results indicate that an accumulation of macrophages (digesting cells) is associated with asbestosis, and that these cells are responsible for the progression from inflammation to fibrosis.

This research sets the stage for the development of new detection techniques for fibrotic pulmonary diseases. These techniques will, in turn, find application in biological monitoring strategies for workers with occupational exposure to fibres and dusts.