Tumore alle ovaie amianto: tutela legale gratuita

[2] Heller DS, Gordon RE, Katz N. Correlation of asbestos fiber burdens in fallopian tubes and ovarian tissue. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1999; 181: 346–347.

[3] Questo studio è stato oggetto di esame da parte del Prof. Giancarlo Ugazio nella sua pubblicazione Asbesto/Amianto. Ieri, oggi, domani. Viaggio tra verità, ipocrisia, reticenza e dolore, Ed. Aracne, Roma, luglio 2012, pag. 58. Sintesi: “Ricerche epidemiologiche suggeriscono un aumento del rischio di cancro ovarico in donne lavoratrici nel campo dell’asbesto e un incremento di malignità generale nei contatti domiciliari con lavoratori dell’asbesto. Furono studiate le ovaie di 13 donne in contatto domiciliare con uomini certamente esposti ad asbesto e di 167 donne sottoposte occasionalmente ad ooforectomia. Il tessuto ovarico fu esaminato mediante microscopia elettronica analitica. Furono osservate rilevanti concentrazione di fibre d’asbesto in 9 delle 13 donne con esposizione domiciliare ad asbesto (69,2%), e in 6 delle 17 donne che non presentavano una storia anamnestica di esposizione (35%). Tre delle donne esposte presentavano conteggi di fibrille superiori ad un milione di fibre per grammo di peso umido (23%), ma solo 1/17 donne senza una storia anamnestica di esposizione aveva un conteggio altrettanto elevato (6%). Sebbene sia stato dimostrato che l’asbesto è un contaminante di vecchie preparazioni cosmetiche di talco, le specie molecolari dell’asbesto, crisotilo e crocidolite, che noi abbiamo trovato sono indicative di un’esposizione di base od occupazionale. Questa ricerca dimostra che l’asbesto può raggiungere l’ovaio. Sebbene il numero dei soggetti sia piccolo, l’asbesto sembra presente nel tessuto ovarico più frequentemente in elevate concentrazioni nelle donne con una storia anamnestica positiva per l’esposizione”.

[4] Questo studio è stato oggetto di esame da parte del Prof. Giancarlo Ugazio nella sua pubblicazione Asbesto/Amianto. Ieri, oggi, domani. Viaggio tra verità, ipocrisia, reticenza e dolore, Ed. Aracne, Roma, luglio 2012, pag. 58. Sintesi: “L’evidenza suggerisce che l’esposizione ad asbesto aumenta il rischio di contrarre il cancro dell’ovaio. Le ovaie e le corrispondenti tube di Falloppio furono studiate con microscopia elettronica analitica. Ci fu una concordanza al 71,4% tra le tube e le ovaie per la  concentrazione e la tipizzazione molecolare delle fibre d’asbesto. La tuba di Falloppio può fornire informazioni utili a proposito dell’esposizione ad asbesto quando non sia disponibile tessuto ovarico”.

[5] Haque AK, Mancuso MG, Williams MG, Dodson RF. Asbestos in organs and placenta of five stillborn infants suggests transplacental transfer. Environ. Res. 1992; 58: 163–175. Abstract: “Digests of lungs, liver, and placenta from five stillborn infants of 22 to 38 weeks gestational age were examined for asbestos and other fibers using light and electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis, and selected area diffraction analysis. Uncoated chrysotile asbestos fibers were found in the digests of at least one of the three tissues examined from each stillborn infant. The asbestos fiber burdens ranged from 71,000 to 357,000 fibers/g wet tissue. Most of the fibers were small, with the mean length ranging from 0.83 to 2.53 microns. While appreciable numbers of uncoated chrysotile fibers were present, no coated asbestos fibers were found in any of the stillborns. Both coated and uncoated nonasbestos fibers were found in at least one of the tissue digests of all five stillborns. The uncoated nonasbestos fibers were characterized as aluminum silicates, diatomaceous earth fragments, or other fibers. The coated nonasbestos fibers or ferruginous bodies were consistent with being formed on diatomaceous earth fragments, black carbon cores, or sheet silicate cores. Since the placenta is the only route of communication between the fetus and the outside environment, our findings strongly suggest a transplacental transfer of asbestos and other fibers in humans”.

[6] Haque AK, Vrazel DM, Burau KD, et al. Is there transplacental transfer of asbestos? A study of 40 stillborn infants. Pediatr. Pathol Lab Med. 1996; 16:877–892. Abstract: “An autopsy study was conducted to investigate whether there is transplacental transfer of asbestos in humans. The asbestos burden of lung, liver, skeletal muscle, and placenta digests of 40 stillborn infants was determined using a bleach digestion method. The fibers detected in the tissue digests were characterized as to the type of asbestos, using electron microscopy, energy-dispersive x-ray analysis, and selected-area diffraction analysis. Placental digests of 45 full-term, liveborn infants were similarly processed as controls. Low levels of small, thin, uncoated asbestos fibers were detected in the placentas and organs of 37.5% of the stillborn infants (15 of 40). The fiber sizes ranged from 0.05 to 5.0 microns in length and 0.03 to 0.3 micron in width, with a mean length of 1.15 microns and a mean width of 0.069 micron. Maximum numbers of fibers were found in the lungs (mean 235,400 fibers/g; n = 10), followed by liver (mean 212,833 fibers/g; n = 6), placenta (mean 164,500 fibers/g; n = 4), and skeletal muscle (80,000 fibers/g; n = 1). The fibers were detected at all stages of gestation and showed no association with gestational age. A significant association was found between fiber presence and working mothers, and positive but nonsignificant associations were found with maternal history of drug abuse, previous abortions, and fetal maceration. No association was found between premature rupture of membranes and fiber presence. No fibers were detected in the 45 placentas of the liveborn control infants. There was a highly significant difference in the asbestos fiber counts of the placentas of the stillborn and liveborn infants (P < .001). Our studies demonstrate the presence of short and thin asbestos fibers in stillborn infants and their positive association with working mothers”.

[7] Haque AK, Vrazel DM, Uchida T. Assessment of asbestos burden in the placenta and tissue digests of stillborn infants in South Texas Arch Environ Contam Toxicol. 1998; 35: 532–538. Abstract: “The primary aim of this prospective study was to examine the tissues and placentas of autopsied stillborn infants for presence of asbestos fibers.Asbestos burden of lung, liver, skeletal muscle, and placenta digests of 82 stillborn infants was determined using standard bleach digestion technique. The digests were examined by electron microscopy, and the types of fibers determined using energy dispersive x-ray analysis and selected area diffraction analysis. Digests of 45 placentas collected from deliveries of liveborn healthy infants were processed and examined similarly as controls. Asbestos fibers were detected in 50% of the fetal digests and 23% of the placental digests of stillborn infants. Of the fibers present, 88% were chrysotile, 10% were tremolite, and 2% were actinolite and anthophyllite. Fibers measured 0.5-16.73 microgram in length (mean 1.55 microgram), and 0.03-0.8 microgram in width (mean 0.098 microgram). Lungs were most frequently positive for fibers (50%), followed by muscle (37%), placenta (23%), and liver (23%). Mean fiber counts were highest in the liver (58,736 f/g), followed by placenta (52,894 f/g), lungs (39,341 f/g), and skeletal muscle (31,733 f/g). Digests of 15% of the control placentas also showed asbestos fibers, although in very small numbers. The mean fiber count of the stillborn placentas (52,894 f/g) was significantly higher than the mean fiber count of the control placentas (mean 19 f/g) (p = 0.001). A highly significant association was found between fiber presence in stillborns and a maternal history of previous abortions (p = 0.007). A significant association was also found between fiber presence and placental diseases (p = 0.041). An association was suggested between working mothers and fiber presence (p = 0.19), although it did not reach statistical significance. The study documents the presence of small and thin asbestos fibers in stillborn fetal tissues and placenta. Significantly higher number of fibers were found in stillborn tissues compared to controls (liveborn placenta). The absence of a maternal history of asbestos-related occupations suggests that the fibers may have been acquired through environmental exposure”.

[8] Tsurikova GV, Spitsyn VA, Gladkova EV, Minaeva OP. Biodemographic parameters as indicators of genetic adaptation to harmful occupational factors (e.g., asbestos). Gig Tr Prof Zabol. 1992; 6: 28–30.

[9] Wassermann M, Wassermann D, Steinitz R, et al. Mesothelioma in children. IARC Sci Publ. 1980; 30: 253–257.

[10] Straif K, Benbrahim-Tallaa L, Baan R, et al. A review of human carcinogens—Part C: Metals, arsenic, dusts, and fibres. Lancet Oncol. 2009; 10: 453–454.

[11] IARC, Asbestos (Chrysotile, Amosite, Crocidolite, Tremolite, Actinolite, And Anthophyllite), 2010. Sintesi dell’autore: “Vi è una sufficiente evidenza della cancerogenicità per l'uomo di tutte le forme di amianto (crisotilo, crocidolite, amosite, tremolite, actinolite e antofillite). L'amianto provoca il mesotelioma e il cancro del polmone, della laringe e dell'ovaio. Anche associazioni positive sono state osservate tra l'esposizione a tutte le forme di amianto e tumore della faringe, stomaco, colon-retto e. Per il cancro del colon-retto, il Gruppo di lavoro è stato equamente diviso sul fatto che la prova era abbastanza forte da giustificare la classificazione come sufficiente”.