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.

Key words

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

Schlüsselwörter

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

References

• 1 Donham K J, Berg J W, Will L A, Leininger J R. The effects of long-term ingestion of asbestos on the colon of F344 rats.  Cancer. 1980;  45 1073-1084
• 2 Müller K M, Fischer M. Malignant Pleural mesotheliomas: An environmental health risk in southeast turkey.  Respiration. 2000;  67 608-609
• 3 Selikoff I J, Churg J, Hammond E C. Asbestos exposure and neoplasia.  JAMA. 1964;  188 142-146
• 4 Goodman M, Morgan R W, Ray R. et al . Cancer in asbestos-exposed occupational cohorts: A meta-analysis.  Cancer Causes Control. 1999;  10 453-465
• 5 Neugut A l, Wylie P. Occupational cancers of the gastrointestinal tract.  Occup Med. 1987;  2 109-133
• 6 Xu Z, Pan G W, Liu L M, Brown L M. et al . Cancer risks among iron and steel workers in Anshan, China, Part I: Proportional mortality ratio analysis.  Am J Ind Med. 1996;  30 1-6
• 7 McDonald J C, Liddell F DK, Gibbs G W, Eyssen G E, McDonald A. Dust exposure and mortality in chrysotile mining.  Br J Ind Med. 1980;  37 11-24
• 8 Jakobsson K, Albin M, Hagmar L. Asbestos, cement, and cancer in the right part of the colon.  Occup Environ Med. 1994;  51 95-101
• 9 McNeil B J, Eddy D M. The costs and effects of screening for cancer among asbestos-exposed workers.  J Chron Dis. 1982;  35 351-358
• 10 Szeszenia-Dabrowska N, Wilczynska U, Szymczak W, Laskowicz K. Environmental exposure to asbestos in asbestos cement workers: A case of additional exposure from indiscriminate use of industrial wastes.  Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 1998;  11 171-177
• 11 Raffn E, Villadsen E, Lynge E. Colorectal cancer in asbestos cement workers in Denmark.  Am J Ind Med. 1996;  30 267-272
• 12 Levine D S. Does asbestos exposure cause gastrointestinal cancer?.  Dig Dis Sci. 1985;  30 1189-1198
• 13 Gaudichet A, Sebastien P, Dufour G, Bonnaud G. Asbestos fibers in wines: Relation to filtration process.  J Environ Pathol Toxicol. 1978;  2 417-425
• 14 Cunningham H M, Pontefract R. Asbestos fibres in beverages and drinking water.  Nature. 1971;  232 332-333
• 15 Harrington K J, Craun G F, Meigs J W. et al . An investigation of the use of asbestos cement pipe for public water supply and the incidence of gastrointestinal cancer in Connecticut, 1935-1973.  Am J Epidemiol. 1978;  107 96-103
• 16 Corpet D E, Pirot V, Goubet I. Asbestos induces aberrant crypt foci in the colon of rats.  Cancer Lett. 1993;  74 183-187
• 17 Ehrlich A, Gordon R E, Dikman S H. Carcinoma of colon in asbestos-exposed workers. Analysis of asbestos content in colon tissue.  Am J Ind Med. 1991;  19 629-636
• 18 Rosen P, Savino A, Melamed M. Ferruginous (asbestos) bodies and primary carcinoma of the colon.  Am J Clin Pathol. 1974;  61 135-138
• 19 Kishimoto T. Cancer due to asbestos exposure.  Chest. 1992;  101 58-63
• 20 McNeil B J, Eddy D M. The costs and effects of screening for cancer among asbestos-exposed workers.  J Chron Dis. 1982;  35 351-358
• 21 Seidman H, Selikoff I J, Gelb S K. Mortality experience of amosite asbestos factory workers: Dose-response relationships 5 to 40 years after onset of short-term work exposure.  Am J Ind Med. 1986;  10 479-514
• 22 de Gerhardsson V erdier M, Plato N, Steineck G, Peters J M. Occupational exposures and cancer of the colon and rectum.  Am J Ind Med. 1992;  22 291-303
• 23 Hardell L. Relation of soft-tissue sarcoma, malignant lymphoma and colon cancer to phenoxy acids, chlorophenols and other agents.  Scand J Work Environ Health. 1981;  7 119-130
• 24 Fredriksson M, Bengtsson N -O, Hardell L, Axelson O. Colon cancer, physical activity, and occupational exposures: A case-control study.  Cancer. 1989;  63 1838-1842
• 25 Arbman G, Axelson O, Fredriksson M, Nilsson E, Sjodahl R. Do occupational factors influence the risk of colon and rectal cancer in different ways?.  Cancer. 1993;  72 2543-2549
• 26 Vineis P, Ciccone G, Magnino A. Asbestos exposure, physical activity and colon cancer: A case-control study.  Tumori. 1993;  79 301-303
• 27 Weiss W. The lack of causality between asbestos and colorectal cancer.  J Occup Environ Med. 1995;  37 1364-1373
• 28 Garabrant D H, Peters R K, Homa D M. Asbestos and colon cancer: Lack of association in a large case-control study.  Am J Epidemiol. 1992;  135 843-853
• 29 Demers R Y, Burns P B, Swanson G M. Construction occupations, asbestos exposure, and cancer of the colon and rectum.  J Occup Med. 1994;  36 1027-1031
• 30 Homa D M, Garabrant D H, Gillespie B W. A meta-analysis of colorectal cancer and asbestos exposure.  Am J Epidemiol. 1994;  139 1210-1222
• 31 Gamble J F. Asbestos and colon cancer: A weight of the evidence review.  Environ Health Perspect. 1994;  102 1038-1050
• 32 Berry G, Newhouse M L, Wagner J C. Mortality from all cancers of asbestos factory workers in east London 1933-80.  Occup Environ Med. 2000;  57 782-785
• 33 Fredriksson M, Bengtsson N -O, Hardell L, Axelson O. Colon cancer, physical activity, and occupational exposures: A case-control study.  Cancer. 1989;  63 1838-1842
• 34 Zhao Y L, Piano C Q, Wu L J, Suzuki M, Hei T K. Differential expressed genes in asbestos-induced tumorigenic human bronchial epithelial cells: Implication for mechanism.  Carcinogenesis. 2000;  21 2005-2010
• 35 Lechner J F, Tokiwa T, LaVeck M. et al . Asbestos associated chromosomal changes in human mesothelial cells.  Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 1985;  82 3884-3889
• 36 Jaurand M, Kheuang L, Magne L, Bignon J. Chromosomal changes induced by chrysotile fibers or Benzo(3,4)pyrene in rat pleural mesothelial cells.  Mutat Res. 1986;  169 141-145
• 37 Mossman B T, Craighead J E. Mechanisms of asbestos carcinogenesis.  Environ Res. 1981;  25 269-280
• 38 Appel J, Fasy T M, Kohtz D S, Kohtz J D, Johnson E M. Asbestos fibers mediate transformation of monkey cells by exogenous plasmid DNA.  Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 1988;  85 7670-7674
• 39 Hei T K, Piao C Q, He Z Y, Vannais D, Waldren C A. Chrysotile fiber is a strong mutagen in mammalian cells.  Cancer Res. 1992;  52 6305-6309
• 40 Davis J MG, Bolton R E, Garrett J. Penetration of cells by asbestos fibers.  Environ Health Perspect. 1974;  9 255-260
• 41 Volkheimer G. Passage of particles through the wall of the gastrointestonal tract.  Environ Health Perspect. 1974;  9 215-225
• 42 Amacher D E, Alarif A, Epstein S S. The dose-dependent effects of ingested chrysotile on DNA synthesis in the gastrointestinal tract, liver, and pancreas of the rat.  Environ Res. 1975;  10 208-216
• 43 Neugut A I, Murray T I, Garbowski G C. et al . Association of asbestos exposure with colorectal adenomatous polyps and cancer.  J Natl Cancer Ins. 1991;  83 1827-1828
• 44 Polissar L, Severson R K, Boatman E S. A case-control study of asbestos in drinking water and cancer risk.  Am J Epidemiol. 1984;  119 456-471
• 45 Marsh G M. Critical review of epidemiologic studies related to ingested asbestos.  Environ Health Perspect. 1983;  53 49-56
• 46 Howe H L, Wolfgang P E, Burnett W S, Nasca P C, Youngblood L. Cancer incidence following exposure to drinking water with asbestos leachate.  Public Health Rep. 1989;  104 251-256
• 47 Auerbach O, Conston A S, Garfinkel L. et al . Presence of asbestos bodies in organs other than the lung.  Chest. 1980;  77 133-137
• 48 Kobayashi H, Zhang W M, Watanabe H, Ohnishi Y. A quantitative study on the distribution of asbestos bodies in extrapulmonary organs.  Acta Pathol Jpn. 1987;  37 375-383
• 49 Huang J, Hisanaga N, Sakai K. et al . Asbestos fibers in human pulmonary and extrapulmonary tissues.  Am J Ind Med. 1988;  14 331-339
• 50 Bolton R E, Davis J MG. The short-term effect of chronic asbestos ingestion in rats.  Ann Occup Hyg. 1976;  19 121-128

Address for correspondence