[Exposure to asbestos: role of respiratory function tests as tools for screening and follow-up]

Among pulmonary function tests, spirometries and flow-volume curves are used in occupational or environmental field. They require the compromise between simple and sufficiently performance to be useful. Limitation factors explain the low sensitivity and the absence of specificity related to asbestos (tobacco...). The wide interindividual variation compared to standards limits meaning for early detection. A significant epidemiological difference makes no sense for individual detection. The carbon monoxide diffusing capacity, even classical, has restricted uses. Unlike diffuse pleural thickening, the worst cases with circumscribed pleural plaques lead to limited lung capacity decline. If not, they are associated to pulmonary abnormalities or tobacco. The early asbestos-related parenchyma diseases are associated to restrictive ventilator disorders, small airway obstruction or isolated single breath carbon monoxide diffusing limitation, leading to great difficulties for specific early detection criteria validation. Comparative pulmonary changes over time greater than the physiological pulmonary slope should be a good alert indicator.