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)

Examination of 315 lung cancer patients with silicosis or silicotuberculosis gave grounds for recognition of 3 variants of bronchial stenosis. The efficacy of bronchoscopic techniques was related both to anatomic variant of the tumor and primary tumor position against the involved bronchus lumen. Central peribronchial cancer in silicosis and silicotuberculosis has specific features: combination of true tumor stenosis with false rigidity of the trachea and large bronchi, advanced scar anthracotic deformity of the bronchi and diffuse atrophy of bronchial mucosa, distinctive pattern of metastatic spreading.
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PMID:[Bronchoscopic diagnosis of central peribronchial lung cancer in silicosis and silicotuberculosis]. 865 89

The stringent industrial hygiene regulations that have been introduced in North America, Europe, and Australasia have led to a decline in the incidence and prevalence of silicosis, coal workers' pneumoconiosis, and asbestosis. Although new cases of asbestosis are not occurring, an appreciable number of mesotheliomata are still being diagnosed, and there has yet been little, if any, decline in the latter tumor. These new cases are nearly entirely due to exposure to amphiboles in the 1940s and 1950s. It is expected that by about the year 2000 the incidence of mesothelioma will begin to decrease in the United States and Canada. Meanwhile there is an undue preoccupation with more and more sensitive methods of detecting asbestosis, silicosis, and coal workers' pneumoconiosis, eg, magnetic resonance imaging, bronchoalveolar lavage, and so forth. Much effort is being made in trying to detect disease in groups of workers with extremely low exposures and no symptoms. Smaller and smaller effects are being detected, with the ultimate aim appearing to be detecting nothing at all. Efforts should be made at surveying other populations exposed to agents that have recently been introduced and that could conceivably have long-term effects.
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PMID:The pneumoconioses. 936 26

Uranium miners of the former Wismut company in Germany form the largest cohort of workers exposed to (222)Rn and dust in the world. The German Uranium Miner Study, Research Group Pathology, is evaluating the central pathology archive of the Wismut company. The main tasks of our study are pathological-anatomical and molecular genetic investigations of 28,975 autopsy cases and the evaluation of mining pollutants in the lungs by neutron activation analysis. As part of an observer agreement study, lung tumors are classified according to the WHO/IASLC classification and nontumorigenic lung disorders are registered. Lung tumors were analyzed for the presence of a proposed radon-specific mutation in the TP53 gene (formerly known as p53). Interim results are: (a) In the years 1957 to 1965, a high rate (69%) of small cell carcinomas was found which had declined to 34% by 1990. (b) The percentage of the deceased who suffered from silicosis is not higher in the group of lung tumors than in other tumor groups or the nontumor group. (c) The hypothesis of a radon-characteristic hotspot mutation in the TP53 tumor suppressor gene is not supported by our investigations. (d) Neutron activation analysis demonstrates that uranium, arsenic, chromium, cobalt and antimony can be found in tissue samples from the miners even when they had stopped working more than 20 years before death.
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PMID:German uranium miner study--pathological and molecular genetic findings. German Uranium Miner Study, Research Group Pathology. 1056 37

Tl-201 lung uptake in 74 patients (85 lesions) and pulmonary perfusion in 105 patients were studied to evaluate clinical usefulness of Tl-201 lung uptake and perfusion lung scintigraphy in pulmonary tuberculosis, using a scintillation camera with a mini-computer system. As indices of Tl-201 lung uptake, lung (lesion) to upper mediastinum uptake ratio (L/M) and visual grading were used. L/M in pulmonary tuberculosis was 1.96 +/- 0.66, which was significantly larger than 1.04 +/- 0.24 in healthy controls and lower than that in heart diseases with left heart failure and idiopathic interstitial pneumonia, and showed no significant differences with that in acute pneumonia, pyothorax, primary lung cancer and malignant mediastinal tumor. L/M in pulmonary tuberculosis did not correlate with CRP, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, Gaffky number of sputum and body temperature. It correlated with the type of pulmonary tuberculosis according to the Gakken Classification reflecting the disease activity. It was larger in the exudative type, caseo-infiltrative one, disseminated one, one with cavity in infiltrative lesion than the fibro-caseous one. On perfusion lung scintigram, impairment of pulmonary perfusion larger than area of the entire unilateral lung was observed in 68 cases (64.8%). Area of hypoperfused lung field, which correlated with % vital capacity (r = 0.60, p = 0.0002) and PaO2 (r = 0.39, p = 0.0024), was significantly larger in patients with silicosis and those with bilateral pleural involvements such as pleural callosity than in those with type III according to the Gakkai Classification. Most of the patients showed decreased pulmonary perfusion and Tl-201 accumulation of which grade reflects the disease activity in active tuberculous lesion. Patients with miliary tuberculosis and those with silicotuberculosis showed diffuse Tl-201, accumulation in the both lungs. Tl-201 lung scintigraphy seems to be useful for visualizing active tuberculous lesions, particularly the ones that could not be detected by the chest radiograph in patients with destroyed lung and with pleural callosity. Joint use of Tl-201 and perfusion lung scintigraphies provides useful informations about the pathophysiology and disease process in pulmonary tuberculosis.
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PMID:[Evaluation of Tl-20 lung uptake and impairment of pulmonary perfusion on scintigraphies in pulmonary tuberculosis]. 1072 41

The genotoxic effect of crystalline silica (Qt) in the lung was studied to clarify that silicosis conferred a significant increase in risk subsequent lung cancer. C57BL/6N mice received a single tracheal injection of Qt at dose of 2 mg/mouse. Lung p53mRNA was suppressed significantly, but no change of p21mRNA 15 months after treatment. Mutation of p53 gene was not identified at 15 months in the Qt group. Silicotic lesions were observed in the lungs of Qt group, but silicosis with pulmonary neoplasia was no detected. These results indicated that genetic changes in the silicotic lung might lead to facilitation of carcinogenesis.
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PMID:Expression and mutation of p53 gene in the lung of mice intratracheal injected with crystalline silica. 1182 59

Effects of poly-2-vinylpyridine-N-oxide (PVNO) were investigated in numerous in vivo and in vitro studies published in the nineteen sixties and seventies. These studies showed that PVNO inhibited development of fibrosis from quartz dust and improved lung clearance of quartz after inhalation exposure. Ameliorating effects of PVNO were observed also for pulmonary damage from colloidal SiO2 and organic substances, and the fibrogenic inflammation caused by carrageenan. Although it is not proven that silicosis is a precondition for quartz-induced lung tumours, we investigated the hypothesis that PVNO could reduce the lung tumour risk from quartz in rats. A carcinogenicity study was therefore started in rats with the main focus on the quantitative relationships among pulmonary inflammation, fibrosis and neoplasia caused by intratracheal instillation of 3 mg quartz DQ 12 with or without additional subcutaneous PVNO treatment. Other study groups were treated with multiple dust instillations, i.e. 30 instillations of 0.5 mg amorphous SiO2 at intervals of 2 weeks, 10 instillations of 0.5 mg of ultrafine carbon black or 1 mg coal at weekly intervals. The analyses of the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) 9 months after start of the life-time study showed that the aim of producing similar levels of increased enzyme concentrations in the four groups treated with quartz/PVNO, amorphous SiO2, carbon black and coal was achieved. A 2.5- to 7.7-fold increase for lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), total protein, alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyl transferase (gamma-GT) was found in these groups as compared to the control. In contrast, quartz treatment without PVNO increased the LDH level up to 24-fold and of total protein to 13-fold. However, the cell counts in the BALF were not so much different in all five groups, i.e. quartz without PVNO (leukocytes: 480.000, PMN: 190.000), quartz with PVNO (leukocytes: 300.000, PMN: 100.000), amorphous SiO2 (leukocytes: 570.000, PMN: 315.000), carbon black (leukocytes: 390.000, PMN: 150.000) and coal (leukocytes: 200.000, PMN: 65.000). Histopathological investigations after four weeks and three months revealed that the used PVNO sample was active in the quartz and amorphous SiO2 groups and markedly reduced the incidences or severity of several pulmonary changes such as macrophage accumulation, inflammatory cell infiltration, interstitial fibrosis, bronchiolo-alveolar hyperplasia, alveolar lipoproteinosis and amorphous SiO2 -induced granulomatous alveolitis/interstitial fibrotic granulomas. Also in the lung-associated lymph nodes (LALN), PVNO treatment significantly reduced the incidence and severity of inflammation in both quartz and amorphous SiO2 groups as evidenced by the presence of well-circumscribed aggregates of intact particle-laden macrophages without signs of degeneration and accompanying granulocytic infiltration and fibrosis. Immunological investigations at the 9 months timepoint on the in vitro production of reactive nitrogen (RNI) or oxygen (ROI) intermediates and tumour necrosis factor (TNF-alpha) from BALF-derived cells indicated a diminished responsiveness to LPS in all particle treatment groups. A diminished production of ROI was also found in the quartz, carbon black, and coal dust groups, respectively, as compared to the values seen in the quartz/PVNO- and amorphous SiO2 treated groups. Treatment with quartz plus PVNO restored the capability of the cells to respond to LPS as compared to the treatment with quartz alone. TNF-alpha production was diminished in the groups treated with quartz, carbon black, and coal dust alone whereas in the quartz/PVNO- and amorphous SiO2-treated groups an elevated TNF-alpha production was seen. These results led to the conclusion that only amorphous SiO2 did not affect the "normal" ability of the cells to respond to LPS and that PVNO protected the cells from a toxic effect of the quartz particles.
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PMID:Pulmonary inflammation in rats after intratracheal instillation of quartz, amorphous SiO2, carbon black, and coal dust and the influence of poly-2-vinylpyridine-N-oxide (PVNO). 1221 32

Tetrandrine, isolated from the root of Stephania tetrandra, has been used in Chinese medicine for the treatment of silicosis and arthritis, and it also has anti-tumor/growth activities. However, the signaling pathways of tetrandrine-induced growth arrest and apoptosis in cancer cells remain unclear. We investigated the molecular mechanisms of tetrandrine-induced apoptosis and growth arrest in human lung carcinoma cells. Upon treatment with tetrandrine, a time-dependent inhibition of cell growth was observed and cells developed many of the hallmark features of apoptosis. Flow cytometry analysis confirmed that tetrandrine increased populations of both apoptotic sub-G1 and G1 phase. Tetrandrine-induced growth inhibition was associated with induction of Cdk inhibitor p21, inhibition of cyclin D1 and activation of caspase-3. Tetrandrine also affected the expression patterns of cytoskeletons including distribution of F-actin and expression level of microtubule. These results suggest that tetrandrine merits further investigation as a cell cycle blocker as well as a cancer chemopreventive agent.
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PMID:Tetrandrine-induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in A549 human lung carcinoma cells. 1242 73

The number of metastatic foci in silicotic mice is approximately 1.5-fold that in normal mice and in mice treated with TiO2 as inert particles. Expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) and selectins was investigated in silicotic mice with lung tumor metastasis. Expression of MMP-9 and P-selectin mRNA, but not MMP-2 and E-selectin, increased significantly, showing decreases of the ratio of expression in TIMPs/MMP-9 in tumor-bearing silicotic mice compared with the tumor-bearing normal mice and mice treated with TiO2. Pretreatment with anti-P-selectin antibody inhibited number of metastatic foci significantly in silicotic mice, while pretreatment of animals with anti MMP-9 antibody showed slight decrease of metastatic foci. This evidence indicated that up-regulation of P-selectin expression contributed to enhanced rate of tumor metastasis in lung with silicosis.
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PMID:Expression of matrix metalloproteinase, tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase and adhesion molecules in silicotic mice with lung tumor metastasis. 1276 41

Silicosis patients (SILs) and patients who have been exposed to asbestos develop not only respiratory diseases but also certain immunological disorders. In particular, SIL sometimes complicates autoimmune diseases such as systemic scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis (known as Caplan syndrome), and systemic lupus erythematoses. In addition, malignant complications such as lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma often occur in patients exposed to asbestos, and may be involved in the reduction of tumor immunity. Although silica-induced disorders of autoimmunity have been explained as adjuvant-type effects of silica, more precise analyses are needed and should reflect the recent progress in immunomolecular findings. A brief summary of our investigations related to the immunological effects of silica/asbestos is presented. Recent advances in immunomolecular studies led to detailed analyses of the immunological effects of asbestos and silica. Both affect immuno-competent cells and these effects may be associated with the pathophysiological development of complications in silicosis and asbestos-exposed patients such as the occurrence of autoimmune disorders and malignant tumors, respectively. In addition, immunological analyses may lead to the development of new clinical tools for the modification of the pathophysiological aspects of diseases such as the regulation of autoimmunity or tumor immunity using cell-mediated therapies, various cytokines, and molecule-targeting therapies. In particular, as the incidence of asbestos-related malignancies is increasing and such malignancies have been a medical and social problem since the summer of 2005 in Japan, efforts should be focused on developing a cure for these diseases to eliminate nationwide anxiety.
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PMID:Immunological effects of silica and asbestos. 1776 16

The aim was to assess radiographic features of pulmonary malignancies in silicosis and to reveal confounding factors in their detection. A total of 501 silicosis patients were followed up between 1982 and 2003. Sixty pulmonary malignancies were pathologically confirmed in 54 (10.8%) patients. Two radiologists reviewed serial radiographs of these patients to determine radiographic features of tumor (size, margin, nodule or consolidation, localization, overlying structures) and silicosis (profusion of pneumoconiotic opacities, progressive massive fibrosis (PMF), hilar lymphadenopathy). Eleven tumors were radiographically negative. Forty-nine tumors were retrospectively visible with radiograph. Of these, 15 tumors were clinically detected with radiograph, but 25 were missed. The remaining nine tumors became radiographically positive after positive sputum cytology. There were no differences between missed and detected nodules in terms of radiographic findings. The mean tumor size was 30mm (range: 15-90mm) and was significantly larger in patients with PMF or hilar lymphadenopathy than in those without (35mm vs. 24mm, p=0.006; 33mm vs. 24mm, p=0.038, respectively). This was correlated with background profusion of small pneumoconiotic opacities (r=0.433, p=0.024). Retrospective reading tests by three radiologists showed correct localization of tumor in 75%, however, the correct diagnosis with a high confidence was reached in only 54%. In conclusion, radiographic detection of malignancy in silicosis proved a difficult task and no single radiographic finding was found to be associated with missing the tumor. The presence of PMF, hilar lymphadenopathy and profusion of small pneumoconiotic nodules affected tumor size at detection.
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PMID:Pulmonary malignancy in silicosis: factors associated with radiographic detection. 1792 65


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