Respiratory disease caused by synthetic fibres: a new occupational disease.

Abstract

Seven patients exposed to the inhalation of synthetic fibres presented with various bronchopulmonary diseases, such as asthma, extrinsic allergic alveolitis, chronic bronchitis with bronchiectasis, spontaneous pneumothorax, and chronic pneumonia. The histological features are described and an attempt has been made to set up immunological techniques for the diagnosis. A series of histochemical techniques, based on textile chemistry, are proposed for the identification of the inclusions found in bronchopulmonary lesions. The results of the experimental production of the disease in guinea-pigs by the inhalation of synthetic fibre dusts are presented. The prognosis of these cases is good in the acute or recently established cases but is poor when widespread and irreversible fibrosis has set in. The authors consider that pulmonary disease due to inhaled particles is probably set off by an individual factor, possibly immunological.

Respiratory findings in synthetic textile workers

“…In 1975, Pimentel et al [1975] first described bronchopulmonary symptoms (e.g., asthma, chronic bronchitis, alveolitis) in seven textile workers who made clothes from synthetic fabrics. Susequent epidemiologic studies of rayon workers documented only a few workers with mild respiratory symptoms; no significant across-shift change in lung function were found [Tiller, 1958;Tiller and Schilling, 1958;Chwat and Mordish, 1963].…”

Health hazard evaluation report: HETA-96-0093-2685, Microfibres, Inc. Pawtucket, RI.

“…Some evidence, however, raises some concern about the respiratory toxicity of nylon. As reported in a paper by Portuguese investigators [Pimentel et al 1975], two workers who had been occupationally exposed for 10 or more years were found to have nylon fiber inclusions within lesions seen in lung biopsies. Although both had interstitial disease (fibrosis in one and cellular infiltrate in the other), suggesting a possible similarity with the ILD diagnosed among Microfibres workers, these two cases were apparently substantially different.…”

“…The granulomatous nature of the nylon-associated lung pathology described by Pimentel et al [1975] in patients occupationally exposed to nylon, as well as in experimentally exposed animals, would seem to distinguish it histopathologically from the ILD occurring among Microfibres workers. It may be that this difference relates to difference in exposure intensity.…”

“…No detailed information on work process or particulate exposures was provided by the authors. Pimentel et al [1975] followed up their clinical observations with experiments in which 28 guinea pigs were inhalationally exposed several times a day to pulverized nylon for 325 days. Granulomatous interstitial lung disease resulted in half the exposed animals.…”

Synthetic Polymers: Polyesters, Polyethers, Polysulfones, and Other Polymers

“…In one study, seven patients with histories of exposure to various synthetic textiles (as well as cotton and/or wool for five patients) during manufacturing exhibited asthma, extrinsic allergic alveolitis, chronic bronchitis with bronchiectasis, spontaneous pneumothorax, and/or pneumonia and one patient died. Many fibers were found in fibrotic tissue and some were identified as polyester (7). In two patients in another report, unusual "sarcoid-like granulomas" of the skin were attributed to acrylic or nylon fibers, respectively; one of the patients also had respiratory tract lesions (47).…”