Asbestosis

One of Asbestos Caused Disease

Asbestosis is a disease that mainly caused by asbestos, it is one of lung disease that has slowly progressing. Even though the cause is the same with mesothelioma, there is a difference. Mesothelioma comes from a long time and a lot of asbestos exposure, however, unlike any other asbestos caused disease; it is not a cancer (like lung cancer and mesothelioma).

Asbestosis is actually a chronic inflammatory condition that caused by asbestos fibers inhalation, this condition affecting the parenchymal tissue of the lungs. Asbestosis won’t occur unless someone has a very intensive and long term of asbestos exposure. This is the reason why majority of asbestosis patient are those who works at manufacturing, mining, handling or removal of asbestos.


The patients of asbestosis are usually experienced breath shortness (dyspnea), plus they have a higher risk in getting lung cancer and mesothelioma. Asbestosis specifically refers to interstitial (parenchymal) fibrosis from asbestos, and not pleural fibrosis or plaguing.

When asbestosis occurs, the lung tissue around terminal bronchioles and alveolar ducts is scarring as the result from the inhalation of asbestos fibers. Amphibole is a fiber type that responsible for human disease that penetrates deeply into the lungs. And when its reach the air sacs (alveoli) in the lungs, this is caused the activation of the lung’s local immune system and provoke an inflammatory reaction.

The inflammatory will last in a long time, with a slow ongoing progression of the immune system in an attempt to eliminate the foreign fibers. Macrophages phagocytose (ingest) the fibers and stimulate fibroblasts to deposit connective tissue. Due to the asbestos fibers' natural resistance to digestion, the macrophage dies off, releasing cytokines and attracting further lung macrophages and fibrolastic cells to lay down fibrous tissue, which eventually forms a fibrous mass. The result is interstitial fibrosis. The fibrotic scar tissue causes alveolar walls to thicken, which reduces elasticity and gas diffusion, reducing oxygen transfer to the blood as well as the removal of carbon dioxide.