[Histopathological study on changes of bronchial epithelium among chromate workers]

There have been many reports on lung cancer among chromate workers. Chromate compounds are thought to be a carcinogen and lung cancer among chromate workers is considered one of the occupational lung cancers. Recently, it is debated that metaplastic and hyperplastic changes of bronchial epithelium are revealed or not to the development of bronchogenic carcinoma. Histopathological study on changes of bronchial epithelium among chromate workers was performed in order to clarify the effect of chromate compounds to bronchial epithelium. The subjects were 14 cases of lung cancer among chromate workers. As a control, 18 cases of non cancer among chromate workers. Lung tissue which was obtained at necropsy or surgery was fixed by formalin and was produced cross-sections and was stained on Haematoxylin-Eosin. The results were as follows. 1. Of examined 235 cross-sections, basal cell hyperplasia of bronchial epithelium was found in 13 per cent. Squamous metaplasia was found in 29 per cent, on the contrary, atypical metaplastic changes were observed in 34 per cent. 2. Of four cases of carcinoma in situ and two cases of small invasive carcinoma, four cases revealed development from atypical squamous metaplasia to precancerous changes. 3. These cases developed invasive carcinoma from atypical squamous metaplasia for a long period, of which were found by successive exfoliative cytology of sputum. From these findings, it was concluded that inhalation of chromate dust affected bronchial epithelium and caused highly atypical squamous metaplasia which developed to carcinoma in situ and finally to invasive carcinoma.