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BAL ABNORMALITIES AND RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS IN
MOLYBDENUM EXPOSED HARD-METAL WORKERS Harald C
Ott, Christian Prior, Manfred Herold, Markus
Riha, Guenter Ott Department of Cardiac Surgery,
Department of Medicine, University Hospital
Innsbruck
INTRODUCTION A group of hard-metal dust exposed
workers suffer from cough and chest thightness
without any signs of respiratory disease found in
common occupational screening programs. The aim
of the study was to detect an early adverse
effect of chronic inhalative molybdenum and
hard-metal dust exposure in those workers.
RESULTS
Fig.1 to 6. Results of the lung function tests
and the BAL cytology in symptomatic and non
symptomatic workers and in the control group. A
higher percentage count of macrophages correlated
with a decrease of carbon monoxyde transfer
coefficient (KCO) (r0,58, plt0,01) None of the
investigated individuals showed firm radiological
signs of interstitial lung disease
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PATIENTS 43 employees of a hard metal plant,
chronically exposed to hard-metal and molybdenum
dusts and 23 healthy individuals without
inhalative exposure were examined. Among the
workers, 33 were suffering from cough and chest
thightness whereas 10 were not symptomatic.
CONCLUSION Chronic hard-metal and molybdenum
dust exposure causes respiratory symptoms and a
relative increase in inflammatory BAL cells in a
subgroup of employees with no functional and
radiological signs of respiratory disease. The
cellular patterns we found in BAL in the group of
symptomatic workers are similar to those found in
patients suffering from interstitial lung
disease, but of a more moderate extent.
Respiratory symptoms in healthy workers are
related to a change of BAL cellular patterns and
therefore have to be considered as an indicator
for an early adverse effect.
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• METHODS
• Chest X-rays were seen by two independent
  pulmologists. Spirometry was performed on a
  Jaeger spirometer. Bronchoalveolar Lavage cells
  were spun into slices and stained
  May-Gruenwald-Giemsa
• Inhalative exposure was confirmed by electron
  mycroscopy of BAL fluid. (left top corner)

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Corresponding author Harald C Ott MD, Department
of Cardiac Surgery, University Hospital
Innsbruck, Anichstraße , 6020 Innsbruck, AUSTRIA,
Fax [phone], Phone [phone],
e-mail h.c.ott_at_aon.at
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