Asbestos-related diseases in construction carpenters.

To assess the association of minimal parenchymal fibrosis and pleural plaques with respiratory functional impairment, we conducted a survey of 631 asbestos-exposed construction carpenters. This population had a relatively low prevalence of radiographic abnormalities and lung function impairment. Pleural plaques was the asbestos-related disease most prevalent, followed by interstitial fibrosis with predominantly low profusion scores. The most frequent functional impairment was the obstructive pattern, followed by restrictive and mixed patterns. After adjusting for potential confounders, the presence of pleural plaques was significantly associated with a mixed respiratory pattern of impairment (OR = 3.7, 95% CI 1.4-12.3). Furthermore, our data were consistent with a weak association between pleural plaques and a predominantly restrictive defect (OR-1.3, 95% CI 0.4-3.9). This study also suggested an association between minimally detectable profusions and both obstructive (OR = 1.9, 95% CI 0.6-6.3) and mixed (OR = 1.6, 95% CI 0.3-7.1) defects. Although only 631 of a potential 7,649 active and retired union members participated in this first-time survey and were relatively young, these findings add new evidence to the functional importance of pleural fibrosis and minimal parenchymal fibrosis.