Abstract
Ever since it was discovered that tobacco smoking and asbestos exposure have a synergistic interaction on the risk of lung cancer (Selikoff et al, 1968), there has been a search for a plausible mechanism for this effect. One early proposal was that carcinogens from tobacco smoke such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are adsorbed onto the mineral fiber surfaces (Harington, 1973). This should increase both the retention and the cellular burden of such hydrocarbons in the lung. Bronchial cancer is the most prevalent neoplastic manifestation of both asbestos exposure and tobacco smoking. A rapid initial mucociliary clearance from the lung of both mineral fibers and tobacco tar indicates a dense density of deposition of these agents in the bronchial lining layer (Morgan et al, 1975: Lippmann and Schlesinger, 1984). This paper presents a model for how inhaled mineral fibers may influence the penetration of PAHs through the bronchial lining layer.
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© 1989 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Gerde, P., Scholander, P. (1989). A Model for the Influence of Inhaled Mineral Fibers on the Cellular Burden of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in the Lung. In: Mossman, B.T., Bégin, R.O. (eds) Effects of Mineral Dusts on Cells. NATO ASI Series, vol 30. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-74203-3_48
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-74203-3_48
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