A study of dust toxicity using a quantitative tissue culture technique.

A number of workers have employed tissue culture techniques in pneumoconiosis research since Fenn (1921) examined the phagocytosis of quartz and coal by rat exudate leucocytes. However, most attention has been directed to the degree of phagocytosis achieved rather than to evaluating accurately the toxicity of dust to the phagocytic cell. Moreover, the techniques used did not provide concordant results in the hands of different workers. For example, Policard, Doubrow, and Boucharlat (1929) found that chick embryo macrophages were damaged by ingested quartz whereas Lauche (1931) observed no effect. Kasten (1939) and Belt, Friedmann, and King (1947) found coal was phagocytosed more readily than quartz whereas Buckup (1950) did not detect any difference. A quantitative study of the phagocytosis of quartz was undertaken by Marwyck and Fischer (1951).