Association of asbestos fibers and colon cancer: An electron-microscopic study of mineral fiber concentrations in colon tissue of asbestos-exposed and non-exposed patients with and without colon cancer

Summary

Based on epidemiological and animal studies asbestos fibers are under discussion as carcinogen for colon cancer. In addition to occupational asbestos exposure, there is an every day exposure to asbestos by air, food and water. Thus the role of asbestos as a carcinogen for colon cancer is of importance for the population as a whole. Therefore we investigated asbestos fiber contents of colonic tissues of patients with and without colon cancer by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis.

Large bowel resections of 31 patients with colon cancer with (n = 8) and without (n = 23) exposure to asbestos fibers and of 30 patients with inflammatory bowel diseases with asbestos exposure (n = 4) and without (n = 26) were analyzed.

In all specimens we found a considerable number of organic and inorganic fibers, however, no asbestos fibers, not even in specimens from patients with confirmed asbestos exposure. Concerning the other mineral fibers found, there were no differences found neither with regard to elemental composition, nor with regard to localization (tumorous, tumor-free respectively inflamed colonic tissue) or asbestos exposure. Therefore we would like to contradict the hypothesis of asbestos fibers causing colon cancer in individuals with every day non-excessive occupational asbestos exposure.

Furthermore, this analysis demonstrates a relatively high number not only of organic but also of other mineral fibers in colonic tissue for the first time. Since there were no differences found between tissues from colon cancer and tumor free colonic tissue, these fibers do not seem to possess carcinogenic potential.

Zum Zusammenhang zwischen Asbestfasern und Kolonkarzinom: eine elektronenmikroskopische Untersuchung von Mineralfaserkonzentrationen im Darmgewebe von asbest- und nichtasbestexponierten Patienten mit und ohne Kolonkarzinom

Aufgrund epidemiologischer und tierexperimenteller Untersuchungen wird Asbest als Karzinogen von Kolonkarzinomen diskutiert. Da neben der beruflichen Asbestexposition auch eine alltäglich Exposition durch Luft, Nahrung und Wasser besteht, betrifft diese Frage die gesamte Bevölkerung. Daher untersuchten wir mittels Rasterelektronenmikroskop (REM) und dispersiver Röntgenmikroanalyse (EDX) den Asbestfasergehalt im Darmgewebe von Patienten mit und ohne Dickdarmkarzinom. Dabei handelte es sich um Dickdarmresektate von 31 Patienten mit Kolonkarzinom (8 mit/23 ohne Asbestexposition) und von 30 Patienten (4 mit/26 ohne Asbestexposition) mit entzündlichen Darmerkrankungen.

In allen Proben fanden wir eine erhebliche Anzahl von organischen und anorganischen Fasern, jedoch keine Asbestfaser, insbesondere nicht in Proben von Patienten mit Asbestexposition. Bezüglich der gefundenen Mineralfasern fanden sich keine Unterschiede in der Elementzusammensetzung, der Lokalisation (Tumor, tumorfreie oder entzündlich veränderte Darmwand) oder Asbestexposition. Daher möchten wir der Hypothese, dass Asbestfasern Kolonkarzinome verursachen, für Patienten ohne exzessive Asbestexposition widersprechen.

Des Weiteren konnte mit dieser Studie zum ersten Mal der erhebliche Anteil von organischen und sonstigen anorganischen Fasern in der Dickdarmwand nachgewiesen werden. Da sich keine Unterschiede zwischen Tumorgewebe und tumorfreiem Darmgewebe fanden, kann diesen anorganischen Fasern keine karzinogene Wirkung zugesprochen werden.

Asbestos - Colon Cancer - Energy Dispersive X-ray Microanalysis - Fiber Analysis - Electron Microscopy - Scanning Microscopy

Asbestose - Kolonkarzinom - Energiedispersive Röntgenmikroanalyse - Faseranalyse - Elektronenmikroskopie - Rasterelektronenmikroskopie

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