Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0037116 (silicosis)
 1,822 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

For many years tuberculosis has been known to occur with greater frequency among persons with disorders that impair host defenses. In most instances these processes interfere with the immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis, whereas, in a few, such as silicosis, the probable abnormality is a nonimmune defect in macrophage function. Infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) causes progressive and ultimately profound depression of both humoral and cell-mediated immunity and, thus, is an extremely potent risk-factor for tuberculosis. Presumably the major effect of HIV infection that predisposes persons to developing tuberculosis is the reduction in circulating T-helper (CD4+) lymphocytes which causes a reduction in cytokine production and a consequent decrease in the functional capabilities of macrophages. However, a number of questions concerning pathogenesis of tuberculosis related to HIV remain. Available data suggest that the magnitude of the risk for developing tuberculosis among persons infected with both HIV and M. tuberculosis is very high, 8% in one prospective study. Because of the epidemic of HIV infection, the progressive downward trend in the incidence of tuberculosis in the United States has reversed and in 1989 there was a 5% increase in the number of cases. Preliminary data for 1990 suggest that there will be an 8 to 10% increase over 1989. Also in the United States approximately 3% of tuberculosis patients have been found to be HIV seropositive. The clinical features of tuberculosis in patients with HIV infection vary depending on the degree of immunosuppression. With mild immunosuppression early in the course of HIV infection tuberculosis presents in a "typical" way with positive tuberculin skin tests, upper lobe cavitary infiltrates on chest film and positive sputum smears and cultures. As the HIV infection progresses, the mode of presentation of tuberculosis becomes more "atypical" with negative skin tests, multiple sites of involvement, chest films showing diffuse noncavitary infiltrates often accompanied by intrathoracic lymphadenopathy. The key to diagnosis is maintaining a high index of suspicion for tuberculosis, especially in patients with advanced HIV disease and including appropriate laboratory examinations in the evaluations of such persons. Regardless of the stage of HIV infection the response to treatment for tuberculosis is generally favorable if it is begun promptly. Standard therapy utilizing isoniazid, rifampin, and pyrazinamide with or without ethambutol have been associated with high rates of cure. Relapse has been uncommon. There has been, however, at least one outbreak of tuberculosis caused by isoniazid and rifampin resistant organisms in which the response to therapy was very poor.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
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PMID:Clinical features, diagnoses, and management of tuberculosis in immunocompromised hosts. 194 27

The effects of tetrandrine, a benzylisoquinoline alkaloid useful in the treatment of silicosis, on a broad range of human neutrophil activities was examined in vitro. Random movement, chemotaxis and phagocytosis were significantly suppressed. There was minimal but significant inhibition of lysosomal enzyme secretion from specific (secondary) but not azurophil (primary) granules. The same concentration of tetrandrine (10 micrograms/ml) caused marked depression of hexose-monophosphate shunt activity and hydrogen peroxide production, but inhibition of superoxide anion generation was observed even at a concentration of 0.1 microgram/ml. This discrepancy was attributed to the capacity of tetrandrine to scavenge oxygen radicals, as shown by experiments using hypoxanthine-xanthine oxidase to generate superoxide. These potent antiphagocytic and antioxidant properties of tetrandrine may account for some of its remarkable anti-inflammatory effects.
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PMID:Antiphagocytic and antioxidant properties of plant alkaloid tetrandrine. 335 73

This essay focuses on the early history of industry and professional relationships around silicosis, the debilitating occupational lung disease, through a study of the role of the Industrial Health Foundation, an industry-sponsored group which has played a critical role in shaping the nation's agenda regarding industrial disease. From its start during the Depression, it has portrayed itself as an industry-sponsored agency that depended upon detached, disinterested professionals and experts to develop effective programs to address occupational disease. As an organization that brought together professional industrial hygienists, business groups, government officials, academics and researchers it serves as a means for understanding the intertwining of industrial and academic agendas. We explore some of the issues that arose regarding public policy and scientific investigations, asking: Under what conditions is it appropriate for professionals and scientists to work together with industrially sponsored organizations? What are the pressures that shape research questions, the range of possible solutions, and the control of scientific data? How can technically trained individuals avoid real or perceived conflicts of interest? At what point does the ostensibly disinterested goals of professionalism conflict with the self-interest of the sponsoring organizations?
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PMID:Workers, industry, and the control of information: silicosis and the Industrial Hygiene Foundation. 773 58

The paper presents some possibilities of estimating the immunologic aggression in silicosis in a group of 68 patients divided into three subgroups according to the evolutive stage of disease. The results were compared with the data obtained in a control group of 35 clinically healthy subjects not subjected to respiratory noxae. Parameters such as the immunogram (IgG, IgA IgM, IgD), the C3 complement, the circulating immune complexes (CIC) and the C reactive protein (CRP) were investigated using classical immunochemical methods. It was observed that the immunoglobulin titer presented a polyclonal increase. The mean values of C3 complement decreased in stages I and II of disease. The CIC level presented high mean values unrelated to the stage of the disease. The incidence of CRP was found high in stage III. It was demonstrated that there is no significant correlation between the humoral immunologic abnormalities and the radiologic changes or the depression of the pulmonary functional test. These changes suggest that the humoral immunologic abnormalities are not directly responsible for the lung changes in silicosis and cannot be used as a predictive indicator of the severity of the disease or of its progress. The data obtained showed a hyperreactivity of the humoral mediated immunity over the whole course of the disease thus supporting the assumption of an immunopathogenic mechanism in this disease.
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PMID:The role of certain immunologic parameters in silicosis. 853 54

1. We examined 156 patients 33 years after CO poisoning occurred at the Miike Mikawa Mine, Fukuoka, Japan. The subjects were classified according to age as follows: between 55 and 59 years (n = 14), 60 and 69 years (n = 62), 70 and 79 years (n = 60), and 80 and 87 years (n = 18). The mean age was 69.2 years old. Concerning the duration of coma that occurred soon after the accident, 64 remained comatose from 0 to 6 hours, 46 from 6 to 12 hours and 46 from 12 to 48 hours. 2. Subjective symptoms were observed in 96.8% of the patients. Among them, forgetfulness was noted in 89.7%, followed by irritability in 66.7%, headache in 59.6%, insomnia in 55.8%, limb pain in 46.8%, dull head feeling in 42.9% and dizziness in 36.5%. 3. Intellectual disturbances were observed in 68.6% of the patients, including impression disturbance in 58.3%, memory disturbance in 51.9%, calculation disturbance in 63.5%, thinking disturbance in 61.5% and disorientation in 14.1%. 4. Apathy and disorder of volition and interest which were found in 72.4% were included in personality change because all symptoms persisted for many years. Personality change was classified as follows: weakness of emotion and will (hypobulia) in 54.4%, infantilism in 35.2%, hyperactive, talkactive and lack of inhibition in 18.5%, lack of self-possession and unstable temper in 9.6%, depression in 15.3%, neurosis in 7.6% and schizophrenic state in 2.5%. Among these symptoms of personality change, weakness of emotion and will and infantilism were conspicuous among the patients who remained in a coma for more than 6 hours soon after the accident but showed no relationship with age. 5. Neurological symptoms that were found in 48.7% of the patients were classified as sensory disturbance in 25.6%, peripheral nerve symptoms in 16.0%, pyramidal symptoms in 14.1%, ataxia and cranial nerve symptoms in 7.1%, paroxysmal symptoms in 6.4% and focal symptoms in 4.5%, extrapyramidal symptoms in 21.8% (Parkinsonism in 4.5%, tremor in 10.9% and muscle rigidity in 16.0%) and vegetative symptoms in 37.2%. 6. At the time of investigation, 5 CO poisoning patients were classified as serious cases (3.2%), 20 as comparatively serious (12.8%) medium-degree cases, 28 as comparatively mild (17.9%) medium-degree cases, 37 as comparatively serious (23.7%) mild cases, 42 as comparatively mild (26.9%) mild cases, 24 (15.4%) as having symptoms which were not problematic, and 24 (15.4%) as having symptoms that markedly worsened due to complication. 7. A total of 138 (88.4%) cases had complications were classified as follows: 78 cases (50.0%) of hypertension, 62 cases (39.7%) of cerebral infarction, 24 cases (15.4%) of cardiac disturbance, 21 cases (13.5%) of diabetes mellitus, 14 cases (9.0%) of hepatic disturbance and six cases of silicosis (3.8%). 8. Cranial MRI was carried out for 129 cases (82.7%). Of the abnormal findings identified, cerebral atrophy accounted for 72.0% (93 cases), including moderate and severe cases in 47.2% (61 cases), pallidum lesion for 37.9% (49 cases), lacunar infarction (including cerebral infarction) for 52.7% (68 cases), and hippocampal atrophy for 18.6% (24 cases). Many cases of cerebral atrophy and hippocampal atrophy were observed in patients who remained in the initial coma for more than 12 hours and were 80 years of age or old. The cases of pallidum lesion were observed in patients who remained in the initial coma for more than 6 hours, and no relationship with age was found. The other findings, cerebral atrophy and lacunar infarction showed a slight relationship with age. 9. Among the moderate and serious cases of intellectual disturbance, cerebral atrophy constituted to 62.5%, lacunar infarction 68.7% and pallidum lesion 50.0%. Among the moderate and serious cases of personality change, cerebral atrophy constituted 78.5%, lacunar infarction 35.0% and pallidum lesion 50.0%. Moreover, among extrapyramidal symptoms, pallidum lesion constituted 58.6%, cerebral atrophy 55.1% and lacun
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PMID:[Long-term follow-up study on sequelae of carbon monoxide poisoning; serial investigation 33 years after poisoning]. 1050 96

Experimental silicosis and silicotuberculosis induced by intravenous injection of silicon dioxide particles are characterized by extensive degenerative and necrotic processes in the liver parenchyma. After 6 months, fibrosis of portal tracts in silicotuberculosis and silicosis was 2.8- and 1.4-fold more pronounced that in BCG granulomatosis and silicosis, respectively. Depression of cellular and intracellular regeneration processes in the liver parenchyma was also observed.
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PMID:Evaluation of destructive and reparative processes in the liver in experimental chronic granulomatosis of mixed (silicotic and tuberculous) etiology. 2116 18

The aim of this study was to estimate the quality of life, depression and anxiety in patients with silicosis due to denim sandblasting. This study was conducted on 50 young male patients with silicosis and 30 controls. A socio-demographic data form, Short Form-36 (SF-36), the Beck depression inventory (BDI) and the Beck anxiety inventory (BAI) were used to determine quality of life, depression and anxiety. The mean scores of SF-36, BDI and BAI were higher in the patients than in the controls. Correlation analysis revealed a strong negative correlation between all scales of SF-36 and BDI scores. Additionally, there was strong negative correlation between five scales of SF-36 and BAI scores. We suggest that silicosis might be detrimental to the quality of life and increase depression and anxiety in patients with silicosis due to denim sandblasting.
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PMID:Quality of life, depression and anxiety in young male patients with silicosis due to denim sandblasting. 2174 Mar 85

The association between health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and ameliorable health impairment was examined in 208 Chinese in-patients with silicosis, in April 2010. Median St George's Respiratory Questionnaire scores for symptom and activity impairment, social support rating scale and geriatric depression scale scores for patients were 57.24, 59.45, 35 and 5, respectively. Median 36-item short-form health survey physical component (PCS) and mental component (MCS) scores were 47.17 and 51.05, respectively. Lower than median PCS scores (< 47) were significantly associated with high levels of symptom and activity impairment. Lower than median MCS scores (< 51) were significantly associated with high levels of depression and activity impairment. Encouraging patients to participate in daily activities may alleviate activity impairment. Reasonable financial compensation may help to maintain and improve social support levels.
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PMID:Determination of ameliorable health impairment influencing health-related quality of life among patients with silicosis in China: a cross-sectional study. 2198 47

The improvement of social support promotes the mental health and improves the health status. The study aimed to examine the influence of the social support on symptoms of anxiety and depression among patients with silicosis and provide the scientific basis to further alleviate anxiety and depression and to monitor their whole quality of life. We investigated 324 inpatients with silicosis between April 2011 and September 2011. The HADS (the Hospital Anxiety-Depression Scale) was the major methodology used to evaluate anxiety and depression, and the MSPSS (the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support) to evaluate the social support level. Among patients with silicosis, 99.1% had anxiety symptoms, and 86.1% had depression symptoms. Meanwhile, the social support significantly influenced symptoms of anxiety and depression. The study suggested that patients with silicosis presented more anxiety and depression symptoms, while the social support levels of the patients were relatively low. The influence of social support on symptoms of anxiety and depression among patients with silicosis implied that improving the level of social support and the effective symptomatic treatment might alleviate anxiety and depression symptoms and improve physical and mental status.
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PMID:The influence of the social support on symptoms of anxiety and depression among patients with silicosis. 2489 79

Occupational pneumoconiosis refers to a group of occupational pulmonary diseases,which is mainly characterized by diffuse fibrosis of lung tissue caused by inhalation of different pathogenic productive dust and retention in the lungs during occupational activities for a long period of time. According to the classification and catalogue of occupational diseases in China,it is mainly classified into 12 categories,such as silicosis,coal worker's pneumoconiosis,asbestos lung. At present,it is the most serious and most common occupational disease in China. The pathogenesis of pneumoconiosis is not clear,and there is still no effective therapy. In the past three years,it is found that traditional Chinese medicine is effective in the treatment of pneumoconiosis. Through collection of medical records,the regularity of the prescriptions used in the treatment of pneumoconiosis were analyzed and summarized. According to the traditional Chinese medicine theory,the clinical characteristics of recurrent cough,phlegm and asthma in patients with pneumoconiosis could be included in the categories of cough,wheezing,lung distension. Professor Ma Guiqin believes that the basic pathogenesis of pneumoconiosis is depression of the atmosphere,deficiency of the kidney,internal obstruction of phlegm,and adverse cardinality. According to its pathogenesis,the commonly used prescriptions,namely Shengxian Decoction,Jinshui Liujun Jian,Xiaochaihu Decoction,Sini Powder,Guomin Jian and syndrome differentiation-based modified medicines were expounded. In addition, " throat is the gateway to the lung and stomach",Professor Ma also believes that the prevention of pneumoconiosis should start with the throat,so as to curb the exacerbation or recurrence of the disease. Through clinical observation,if traditional Chinese medicine is properly used,and pathogenesis and syndrome differentiation-based treatment is provided,traditional Chinese medicine can relieve the clinical symptoms,and improve the exercise tolerance and the quality of life of patients with pneumoconiosis.
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PMID:[Introduction to Professor Ma Guiqin's experience in treatment of occupational pneumoconiosis]. 3135 3


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