Inorganic particulate matter in the lung tissue of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients reflects population density and fine particle levels

• Published in: Annals of diagnostic pathology 2019-06, Vol.40, p.136-142
• Main Authors: Mäkelä, Kati, Ollila, Hely, Sutinen, Eva, Vuorinen, Vesa, Peltola, Emilia, Kaarteenaho, Riitta, Myllärniemi, Marjukka
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Air pollution; Air Pollution - adverse effects; Dust; Female; Humans; Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis; Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis - pathology; Lung - pathology; Male; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Microscopy, Polarization; Middle Aged; Particulate Matter; Polarizing light microscopy; Population Density; Risk Factors; Scanning electron microscopy; Usual interstitial pneumonia
• ISSN: 1092-9134; 1532-8198
• DOI: 10.1016/j.anndiagpath.2019.04.011

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic lung disease with a dismal prognosis and an unknown etiology. Inorganic dust is a known risk factor, and air pollution seems to affect disease progression. We aimed to investigate inorganic particulate matter in IPF lung tissue samples. Using polarizing light microscopy, we examined coal dust pigment and inorganic particulate matter in 73 lung tissue samples from the FinnishIPF registry. We scored the amount of coal dust pigment and particulate matter from 0 to 5. Using energy dispersive spectrometry with a scanning electron microscope, we conducted an elemental analysis of six IPF lung tissue samples. We compared the results to the registry data, and to the population density and air quality data. To compare categorical data, we used Fisher's exact test; we estimated the survival of the patients with Kaplan-Meier curves. We found inorganic particulate matter in all samples in varying amounts. Samples from the southern regions of Finland, where population density and fine particle levels are high, more often had particulate matter scores from 3 to 5 than samples from the northern regions (31/50, 62.0% vs. 7/23, 30.4%, p = 0.02). The highest particulate matter scores of 4 and 5 (n = 15) associated with a known exposure to inorganic dust (p = 0.004). An association between particulate matter in the lung tissue of IPF patients and exposure to air pollution may exist. •Particles existed in the lung tissue of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients•The amount of particles associated with population density and fine particle levels•A history of inorganic dust exposure associated with the highest amount of particles•A possible connection between histological particles and air pollution levels