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

Previous studies on symptomatic coal miners have shown that alveolar macrophages, recovered by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), release excessive amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inflammatory cytokines. It has been proposed that these secretions may mediate cell injury and initiate the disease process. We hypothesized that acellular bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) indices in coal miners chronically exposed to coal dust may reflect the status of important homeostatic modulations in the lung that lead to the development of coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP). To test this hypothesis, we measured inflammatory status, oxidant burden, antioxidant defenses, cytokines, growth factors, fibronectin, and alpha(1)-antitrypsin (alpha(1)-AT) in the BALF of healthy never-smoker control subjects, never-smoker underground coal miners with negative radiographs (ILO 0/0-1/0), and two miners with moderate changes in the chest radiographs (ILO 2/2). Interestingly, indices of injury and inflammation increased with the progression of disease in coal miners. Antioxidant enzymes, such as catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase, showed a 19-fold, 22-fold, and 6-fold increase above control, respectively, in coal miners with category 2/2 CWP. Significant increases in the secretion of IL-1, IL-6, TNF-alpha, TGF-beta, fibronectin, and alpha(1)-AT also were evident in coal miners with disease. This up-regulation of antioxidant defenses and cytokines was not evident in coal miners in the absence of clinically evident radiographic disease. In addition, the concentration of lipid peroxidation by products in the BALF of coal miners without evidence of radiographic disease showed a moderate 3-fold increase, whereas, in coal miners with category 2/2 CWP it showed a 59-fold increase compared to control subjects. These results are in good agreement with our hypothesis that development of CWP and its progression may be correlated with an oxidative stress and up-regulation of cytokines and mediators of growth.
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PMID:Changes in bronchoalveolar lavage indices associated with radiographic classification in coal miners. 1098 13

Coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) is an occupational pulmonary disease that occurs by chronic inhalation of coal dust. CWP is divided into two stages depending on the extent of the disease, as simple pneumoconiosis (SP) and progressive massive fibrosis (PMF). In the present study, serum and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cytokine (interleukin-1beta [IL-1beta], IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-alpha], transforming growth factor-beta [TGF-beta]) and antioxidant enzymes levels, their relation with the disease severity, and whether they can be considered as biological markers were investigated. Serum and BAL levels of IL-1beta, IL-6, and TNF-alpha were higher in SP and PMF patient groups compared with that in active and retired miner groups. Serum and BAL IL-1beta, IL-6, and TNF-alpha levels were also found to be higher in patients with PMF compared with the SP group. BAL superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase, and catalase levels and serum SOD level were increased in both patient groups compared with the control group. In addition, mean serum and BAL TGF-beta levels were found to be increased in patients with SP compared with PMF group. Based on these results, BAL and serum cytokine and antioxidant enzymes levels were evaluated and discussed as potential biomarkers for different stages of CWP.
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PMID:Serum and BAL cytokine and antioxidant enzyme levels at different stages of pneumoconiosis in coal workers. 1927 41