Mr. Giovagnoli et al., Carbon and hemosiderin-laden macrophages in sputum of traffic policemen exposed to air pollution, ARCH ENV HE, 54(4), 1999, pp. 284-290
In this study, we evaluated (a) quantitative modifications of dust cells an
d siderocytes and (b) qualitative modifications (i.e., cellular changes and
inflammatory infiltrate) in sputum of 164 traffic policemen occupationally
exposed to environmental pollution in an urban area. Such modifications we
re correlated with time of exposure and smoking habits. Seventy-three (45%)
of the policemen were smokers, and a control group of 119 nonexposed indiv
iduals (24% smokers) who resided in a rural district near Perugia, Italy, w
ere examined. The sputa, which was collected for 3 d, were smeared on glass
slides stained according to Papanicolaou's and Perl's methods. The mean nu
mbers of dust cells in the sputa policemen and the rural population were 10
3.8 and 12.48, respectively (p < .0001). The numbers of dust cells were hig
hest in policemen who smoked (relative risk = 3.95; p < .006). The mean num
bers of siderocytes in policemen and the rural population were 0.99 and 5.3
1, respectively (not statistically significant, Mann-Whitney test). The dif
ference between the number of subjects with hemosiderin-laden macrophages i
n traffic policemen and in the control group was small, but it was signific
ant statistically (p < .004). In traffic policemen, it was related to smoki
ng and time of exposure to air pollution, whereas in the control population
it was related to heart-pulmonary diseases. In this study, we observed a s
ynergistic effect between smoking and environmental pollution. In addition,
less than 5 y of exposure can caused significantly increased (a) numbers o
f macrophages and (b) inflammatory infiltrate in sputa. The results of the
cytological diagnosis revealed a statistically significant difference betwe
en policemen and the rural population (p < .001). The cytological exam of s
puta and correlations with smoking within each population were not statisti
cally significant. In conclusion, macrophage count in sputum is a sensitive
and reproducible method for investigators to verify pulmonary changes that
may be observed before they can be measured by functional tests.