Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:6.2.1.7 (BAL)
 1,977 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

In recent years, with the aging of patients with pneumoconiosis, autoimmune diseases as a complication have been observed. One of the reasons for this may be that autoimmune diseases are prone to develop among the elderly. On the other hand, it has been reported that dust itself, such as silica for example, has adjuvant effect. A review of the recent literature published in Japan and abroad was made to clarify the relationship between pneumoconiosis and autoimmune diseases and the following results were obtained. 1) Disorders which accompany pneumoconiosis: Scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and disorders of the kidney and liver have been reported. In Japan, about 30 cases of pneumoconiosis accompanied with autoimmune diseases have been reported. In many of the reports, patients with pneumoconiosis and scleroderma have a past history of exposure to silica. In both case studies and case control studies, patients with rheumatoid arthritis and history of silica exposure are prone to develop pneumoconiosis. 2) Immunological studies of patients with pneumoconiosis: As for humoral immunity, elevation of polyclonal gamma-globulin, especially IgG, has been often reported together with high positive rate of autoantibodies such as antinuclear antibodies. In cellular immunity, decreased delayed type skin reaction and decreased CD4/8 ratio have been reported. In human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing the elevated frequency of DR4 has been reported. In the study of BAL increased production of superoxide anion O2- by alveolar macrophages has been observed. 3) EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES: Silica is well known for its toxicity to cells and also for its adjuvant effect. In the German Democratic Republic, patients with scleroderma and history of long term silica exposure are recognized as patients with occupational disease even though pneumoconiosis is not clearly demonstrated on X-ray film. It is difficult from this review to nrake a definite conclusion regarding the relation between silicosis and autoimmune diseases. There is a need to repeat this review of the literature on autoimmune diseases and pneumoconiosis in the near future.
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PMID:[Relationship between autoimmune diseases and pneumoconiosis]. 140 2

Risk groups with regard to bronchopulmonary precancerous and tumor diseases of occupational origin can be deduced from current occupational disease statistics. Most prominent are those working with asbestos. Each year about 250 asbestos-associated bronchial carcinomas and 400 mesotheliomas are recognized and compensated; the tendency is increasing. Because of the long latency time, the frequency peak will probably be reached in about 15 years in spite of the prohibition of asbestos usage. The second place is probably taken by malignomas among the underground uranium mine workers in Thuringia and Saxony (SDAG Wismut). Next come bronchial carcinomas with silicosis (carcinoma in scar tissue) after exposure to chromium(VI) and arsenic compounds as well as various other chemicals and metals. Dose-activity relationships are significant for all occupational carcinogenic agents, as there are also often syncancerogenic influences (especially smoking). From the data on previous loading, high risk groups, for example, among the insulation workers exposed to asbestos or uranium miners in the so-called "wild years", can be defined. A suitable screening method for the detection of bronchopulmonary tumors in the early stages has not yet been established. Medical checkups for the respective risk groups concentrate on the early X-ray detection of circular foci. As shown by recent studies, cytological sputum diagnosis, (fluorescence) bronchoscopy, and BAL cytology must be employed much more frequently in the high risk groups so that the prognostically more favorable stages of preneoplasm and carcinoma in situ can be detected and possibly treated curatively. These procedures are currently reaching a considerably higher sensitivity with the help of modern molecular biology techniques (e.g. detection of tumor-associated genetic changes and gene products). This contributes to an improvement in surveillance examinations with increasing detection of the curable early forms of tumors. However, only the further development of primary prevention, i.e. the greatest possible minimization or, if possible, total elimination of contact with carcinogenic agents and the consequent control of occupational protection will lead to a drastic reduction in the occupational risk of cancer.
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PMID:[Bronchopulmonary precancerous conditions and tumors--risk groups from the occupational medicine viewpoint]. 784 56