Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0032273 (pneumoconiosis)
 1,578 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Broncho-alveolar lavage (LBA) was performed in 17 pneumoconiotics. The liquid obtained was analysed after gentle centrifugation to remove the cellular element, so that biochemical factors might be sought contribution to the evolution and progressive transformation to fibrosis. The percentage of liquid gathered was generally greater. Among the glycosidases found in all the 17 LBA analysed, the beta-D-glucuronidase, which was not detected in the LBA control subjects, was also found during the course of other pulmonary disorders. The elastolytic activity was characterized in 12 out of 17 LBA. In part it could originate from alveolar macrophages. An elevated number of macrophages (greater than 20 X 10(6) for the whole lavage) allied to the presence of elastolytic activity was found in 7 of 8 patients presenting with a pneumoconiosis and signs of progressive pulmonary disease. The collagenase and cathepsin B were present in the LBA of certain pneumoconiotics, but the significance of their presence is still unknown. The three major antiproteases of the serum exist in the LBA of pneumoconiosis. The quantity of alpha 1-antiprotease has identified a group of 6 patients whose LBA showed raised alpha 1-antiprotease, an elastolytic activity and for 5 of them progressive outcome.
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PMID:[Bronchoalveolar lavage in pneumoconiosis of coal miners. Biochemical aspects]. 630 31

The Erasmus syndrome describes the association of generalised progressive scleroderma following exposure to silica with or without silicosis. This is a case report on four patients presenting with the Erasmus syndrome who were admitted to hospital. The analysis of the four cases enables an assessment of the cause of the dyspnoea during the course of the Erasmus syndrome. The dyspnoea presents more as scleroderma (pulmonary fibrosis in two cases, pulmonary artery hypertension in one case and localised thoracic skin disease in one case) than of pneumoconiosis. Pulmonary fibrosis should be considered where there is an association of progressive effort dyspnoea, fine crackles on auscultation and a radiological appearance either of honeycombing and/or a ground glass appearance predominantly in the posterior regions which does not exist in isolated cases of silicosis. The functional repercussion of the fibrosis is evident by a restrictive ventilatory defect which is not specific but more severe than in a case of silicosis alone. Bronchoalveolar lavage showed, in two cases of pulmonary fibrosis, an unusual polymorphonuclear neutrophilia during the course of the silicosis. The presence of ausculatory anomalies, the atypical aspects of pneumoconiosis on computed tomography and an unusual form of LBA should suggest the existence of pulmonary fibrosis associated with pneumoconiosis.
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PMID:[Erasmus syndrome: clinical, tomographic, respiratory function and bronchoalveolar lavage characteristics]. 908 2