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)

California horses incur a bone fragility syndrome manifested by pathologic fractures. This study investigated gross, radiographic, and histologic features of the disorder as well as relationships with silicosis and levels of heavy metals and trace minerals through a postmortem study of 9 affected and 3 unaffected horses. Bones and soft tissues were evaluated grossly and histologically. Bones, lymph nodes, and lung tissue were evaluated radiographically. Tissues were evaluated for silicon levels, intracytoplasmic crystals, heavy metals, and trace minerals. All 9 affected horses had osteoporosis and clinical or subclinical pulmonary disease due to silicosis (8/9) or pneumoconiosis (1/9). All affected horses had radiographic findings consistent with osteopenia and histologic evidence of osteoporosis characterized by osteopenia, numerous resorption cavities, cement lines, and a mosaic lamellar pattern indicative of multiple remodeling events. Silicosis was characterized by widespread pulmonary granuloma formation with fibrosis; variable tracheobronchiolar and mediastinal granulomatous lymphadenitis; intracellular crystals within lung and lymph node macrophages; and pronounced lymph node fibrosis, focal necrosis, and dystrophic calcification. Crystals in lung (6/9) and lymph node (8/9) tissues were identified as cytotoxic silica dioxide polymorphs. Lung and liver tissue from affected horses had elevated levels of elemental silicon. Osteoporosis was highly correlated (r = 0.8, P < .01) with silicosis. No abnormalities in heavy metal or trace minerals were detected. This evaluation indicated that horses with bone fragility disorder have systemic osteoporosis associated with fibrosing pulmonary silicosis. The etiopathogenesis of the bone fragility syndrome is unknown; however, this study provides circumstantial evidence for a silicate associated osteoporosis.
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PMID:Osteoporosis associated with pulmonary silicosis in an equine bone fragility syndrome. 2109 16

Raccoons (Procyon lotor) are commonly implicated as carriers of many zoonotic pathogens. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to look for Leptospira interrogans and Francisella tularensis in opportunistically sampled, free-ranging raccoons of Larimer Country, Colorado, USA. Sixty-five animals were included in the study and testing consisted of gross post-mortem examination, histopathology, and both immunohistochemistry and PCR for L. interrogans and F. tularensis. No significant gross lesions were identified and the most common histological lesions were lymphoplasmacytic interstitial nephritis and pulmonary silicosis; rare periportal hepatitis, splenic lymphoid hyperplasia and small pulmonary granulomas were also identified. Of 65 animals, 20 (30%) were positive for Leptospira on IHC but only one by PCR. Animals with inflammation in their kidneys were seven times more likely to be positive for Leptospira than animals without inflammation. The severity of inflammation was variable but often mild with minimal associated renal pathology. One animal was positive for Francisella on both IHC and PCR; IHC staining was localized to histiocytic cells within a pulmonary granuloma. In Colorado the significance and epidemiology of Leptospira is poorly understood. The high prevalence of infection in raccoons in this study population suggests that this species may be important in the regional epidemiology or could be used to estimate risk to domestic animals and humans. Identification of a single Francisella positive animal is significant as this is an uncommon disease in terrestrial animals within the state; the apparently higher prevalence in this peridomestic species implies that raccoons may be good indicators of the pathogen in the region. The results of this study suggest that raccoons may serve as effective sentinels for both Leptospira and Francisella in the state of Colorado. Further studies are needed to better characterize the prevalence and epidemiology of both organisms within the region.
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PMID:Leptospirosis and tularaemia in raccoons (Procyon lotor) of Larimer County, [corrected] Colorado. 2182 65

Granuloma formation occurs in the human body if there is a particle which persists in phagocytes and which the immune system cannot eliminate. The immune reaction of granuloma formation evolved in order to combat mycobacteria with the aim of localizing mycobacteria and to avoid spreading of mycobacteria throughout the body. Granulomatous lung diseases are often accompanied by severe, systemic inflammation. However, acute phase proteins may be only slightly elevated. The spectrum of granulomatous lung diseases is broad. Sarcoidosis is the most common granulomatous lung disease. To diagnose sarcoidosis, other infectious granulomatous lung diseases such as tuberculosis, atypical mycobacterial and fungal infection have to be ruled out. Pulmonary granuloma also evolve in the context of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GBA, Wegener's) and eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA, Churg-Strauss syndrome). Furthermore, immunodeficiencies such as common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) and immune reconstitution syndrome in HIV can be associated with systemic granulomatous inflammation. Finally, occupational lung disease, particularly hypersensitivity pneumonitis, silicosis, hard metal lung, and chronic berylliosis are associated with pulmonary granuloma formation.
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PMID:[Granulomatous lung and systemic diseases]. 2346 60