Mesothelioma due to environmental exposure to erionite in Turkey

Purpose of review The prevalence of malignant mesothelioma due to erionite exposure in Central Anatolia is very high. In this report, we review the recent developments on this epidemic on the basis of previous literature. Recent findings Recently, it has been shown that erionite is poorly cytotoxic, induces proliferating signals and high growth rate in human mesothelial cells. Additionally, long-term exposure to erionite transforms human mesothelial cells in vitro, regardless of the presence of Simian Virus 40 sequences, leading to foci formation in cultured monolayers. It has also been confirmed that a genetic predisposition to erionite carcinogenesis is the cause of the mesothelioma epidemic in Cappadocia. Summary The data obtained recently on the epidemiology, etiology, and pathogenesis of the mesothelioma due to erionite exposure in Turkey are described.