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Updated: Feb 11, 2026

Anti-Nuclear Antibody Screening Using HEp-2 Cells
Published on: June 23, 2014
Occupational exposure to fluoro-edenite and prevalence of anti-nuclear autoantibodies
Venerando Rapisarda1, Carla Loreto2, Sergio Castorina2
1Occupational Medicine, Department of Clinical & Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
Abstract:
An environmental contamination due to an asbestiform mineral fiber, fluoro-edenite (FE), caused a significantly increased mortality rate for malignant mesothelioma in Biancavilla, Italy. Exposure to fluoro-edenite has been associated with inflammatory processes as an early response to inhaled fibers. The aim was to explore prevalence of anti-nuclear autoantibodies (ANA) in a group of construction workers residing and working in the contaminated area. Prevalences for samples positive to ANA were 60% (n = 9) and 13% (n = 2), for exposed and nonexposed, respectively (p-value <0.05), the odds ratio was 9.75 (95% CI: 1.59-59.69). The significance of elevated ANAs in subjects exposed to fibers is unknown; additional studies may provide a better opportunity to establish a correlation between autoimmunity and environmental exposure.
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