RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ASBESTOS BODIES IN SPUTUM AND THE NUMBER OF SPECIMENS

Objectives This study investigated the relationship between asbestos b ody identification and the number of sputum specimens obtained from ea ch subject. Methods The presence of asbestos bodies in sputum was stud ied in 142 asbestos workers with former low-exposure levels; the numbe r of specimens collected during 1-3 weeks varied from 2 to more than 4 . Furthermore the persistence of asbestos bodies in the sputum of 15 a sbestos workers was studied during a longtime follow-up. Results Asbes tos bodies were present in at least 1 specimen in 44.4% of the 142 sub jects. The cumulative percentage of asbestos body presence increased l inearly, from 20% to 68%, as the number of specimens increased. Conclu sions Five specimens did not seem to be sufficient to obtain satisfact ory sensitivity in a group with low exposure to asbestos. Neither the type of exposure (to chrysotile only or to chrysotile plus amphibole) nor the presence of an asbestos-related disease clearly influenced the probability of finding asbestos bodies.