Characterizing Lung Particulates Using Quantitative Microscopy in Coal Miners with Severe Pneumoconiosis

Details

• Personal Author:
  Almberg KS ; Cohen RA ; Cool CD ; Franko AD ; Go LHT ; Hua JT ; Lowers HA ; Majka SM ; Pang KD ; Rose CS ; Sarver EA ; Vorajee NI ; Zell-Baran LM
• Description:
  Context.- Current approaches for characterizing retained lung dust using pathologists' qualitative assessment or scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) have limitations. Objective.- To explore polarized light microscopy coupled with image-processing software, termed quantitative microscopy-particulate matter (QM-PM), as a tool to characterize in situ dust in lung tissue of US coal miners with progressive massive fibrosis. Design.- We developed a standardized protocol using microscopy images to characterize the in situ burden of birefringent crystalline silica/silicate particles (mineral density) and carbonaceous particles (pigment fraction). Mineral density and pigment fraction were compared with pathologists' qualitative assessments and SEM/EDS analyses. Particle features were compared between historical (born before 1930) and contemporary coal miners, who likely had different exposures following changes in mining technology. Results.- Lung tissue samples from 85 coal miners (62 historical and 23 contemporary) and 10 healthy controls were analyzed using QM-PM. Mineral density and pigment fraction measurements with QM-PM were comparable to consensus pathologists' scoring and SEM/EDS analyses. Contemporary miners had greater mineral density than historical miners (186 456 versus 63 727/mm3; P = .02) and controls (4542/mm3), consistent with higher amounts of silica/silicate dust. Contemporary and historical miners had similar particle sizes (median area, 1.00 versus 1.14 µm2; P = .46) and birefringence under polarized light (median grayscale brightness: 80.9 versus 87.6; P = .29). Conclusions.- QM-PM reliably characterizes in situ silica/silicate and carbonaceous particles in a reproducible, automated, accessible, and time/cost/labor-efficient manner, and shows promise as a tool for understanding occupational lung pathology and targeting exposure controls. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Dust Lung Microbiology Occupational Health Particulate Matter Pathology Respiratory System Safety
• Keywords:
  Coal Dust Dust Inhalation Histopathology Imaging Techniques Lung Tissue Microscopic Analysis Microscopy Particulates Pneumoconiosis
• ISSN:
  0003-9985
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Colorado ; Illinois ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 5 ; OSHA Region 8 ; Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  327-335
• Volume:
  148
• Issue:
  3
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20069495
• Citation:
  Arch Pathol Lab Med 2024 Mar; 148(3):327-335
• Contact Point Address:
  Jeremy T. Hua, MD, Division of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, National Jewish Health, 1400 Jackson St, Denver, CO 80206
• Email:
  huaj@njhealth.org
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2024
• Performing Organization:
  University of Colorado, Denver
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20070701
• Source Full Name:
  Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
• End Date:
  20250630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:ae41c6b6993487820e6d8fc4088bd69127eb8442e69efaa4199b1f214fa58cbe2deab08bb7d344a8fa6905971729e9369089490e6e707e8243e97d1ace26dcad
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/207928/cdc_207928_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 2.90 MB ]