%0 Journal Article %J Environ Sci Pollut Res Int %D 2018 %T Ferruginous bodies resolved by synchrotron XRF in a dog with peritoneal malignant mesothelioma. %A Pascotto, Ernesto %A Gianoncelli, Alessandra %A Calligaro, Carla %A Marcuzzo, Thomas %A Melato, Mauro %A Rizzardi, Clara %A Pascolo, Lorella %K Animals %K Asbestos %K Dogs %K Environmental Exposure %K Immunohistochemistry %K Iron %K Lung %K Lung Neoplasms %K Male %K Mesothelioma %K Peritoneal Neoplasms %K Silicon %K Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission %K Synchrotrons %X

Mesothelioma is a malignant tumor mainly correlated to occupational asbestos exposure. Rare reports describe its occurrence also in animals, mainly linked to asbestos in the environment. Asbestos exposure is demonstrated by the appearance of characteristic histological hallmarks: asbestos containing ferruginous bodies that are iron-based structures forming around fibers and also other dust particles. Here we present a clinical case of a suspect of mesothelioma in the peritoneum of a dog with parallel histological observation of ferruginous bodies. To possibly correlate the dog tumor to environmental exposure, we performed X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyses at two different synchrotrons to resolve the ferruginous bodies' composition. While the histological examination diagnoses a tubulo-papillary mesothelioma, the XRF analyses show that ferruginous bodies contain Si particles, resembling formations of exogenous origin; however, the morphology is unlikely that of asbestos fibers. We speculate that the peritoneal mesothelioma of this dog could be related to environmental exposure to non-asbestos material.

%B Environ Sci Pollut Res Int %V 25 %P 35707-35714 %8 2018 Dec %G eng %N 35 %1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30357666?dopt=Abstract %R 10.1007/s11356-018-3521-x %0 Journal Article %J Sci Rep %D 2015 %T Differential protein folding and chemical changes in lung tissues exposed to asbestos or particulates. %A Pascolo, Lorella %A Borelli, Violetta %A Canzonieri, Vincenzo %A Gianoncelli, Alessandra %A Birarda, Giovanni %A Bedolla, Diana E %A Salomè, Murielle %A Vaccari, Lisa %A Calligaro, Carla %A Cotte, Marine %A Hesse, Bernhard %A Luisi, Fernando %A Zabucchi, Giuliano %A Melato, Mauro %A Rizzardi, Clara %X

Environmental and occupational inhalants may induce a large number of pulmonary diseases, with asbestos exposure being the most risky. The mechanisms are clearly related to chemical composition and physical and surface properties of materials. A combination of X-ray fluorescence (μXRF) and Fourier Transform InfraRed (μFTIR) microscopy was used to chemically characterize and compare asbestos bodies versus environmental particulates (anthracosis) in lung tissues from asbestos exposed and control patients. μXRF analyses revealed heterogeneously aggregated particles in the anthracotic structures, containing mainly Si, K, Al and Fe. Both asbestos and particulates alter lung iron homeostasis, with a more marked effect in asbestos exposure. μFTIR analyses revealed abundant proteins on asbestos bodies but not on anthracotic particles. Most importantly, the analyses demonstrated that the asbestos coating proteins contain high levels of β-sheet structures. The occurrence of conformational changes in the proteic component of the asbestos coating provides new insights into long-term asbestos effects.

%B Sci Rep %V 5 %P 12129 %8 2015 %G eng %1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26159651?dopt=Abstract %R 10.1038/srep12129