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)

Both divinyl benzene copolymer (plastic) beads and schistosome eggs produce inflammatory reactions after intravenous deposition into the lung of a mouse. As reported previously, the schistosome egg granuloma is an immunologic reaction of the delayed hypersensitivity type; this inflammatory process is prevented by immunosuppressive measures, and characteristically demonstrates an anamnestic response. In contradistinction, the plastic bead granuloma appears to be characteristic of a foreign body reaction; it is unaffected by immunosuppressive measures and does not demonstrate an anamnestic response with repeated exposure. The data in this report suggest that the granuloma formation around plastic beads is a nonimmunologic reaction induced by chemical mediators of inflammation. This proposal is supported by the following findings: the plastic beads activate Hageman factor in normal human and mouse plasma; the plastic beads induce vascular permeability-enhancing activity as measured in guinea pig skin and kinin-like activity in normal human and mouse plasma that is dependent on Hageman factor; ellagic acid, an agent that activates Hageman factor in vivo and is reported to diminish kininogen by consumptive depletion, markedly depresses the plastic bead granuloma. These data are consistent with the idea that the plastic bead granuloma and perhaps other foreign body inflammatory reactions are in major part dependent on kinin formation. Ellagic acid also suppressed the schistosome egg granuloma, but not to the same degree as the plastic bead granuloma. The implications of this observation are discussed in the text. Silicosis and "blue velvet disease", pathologic processes associated with the deposition of silica and magnesium trisilicate, respectively, in the lung, and the induction of a foreign body reaction may also be dependent on the activation of chemical mediators of inflammation by the silica and magnesium trisilicate particles with immunologic mechanisms participating in only a minor way, if at all. The marked suppression of experimental silicosis and blue velvet disease in mice by ellagic acid supports this idea.
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PMID:The role of chemical mediators in the inflammatory response induced by foreign bodies: comparison with the schistosome egg granuloma. 540 47

Over the 14 years since economic reform began, and the restructuring of the economy to encourage international trade, a large number of township enterprises have been developed and put into operation in the Peoples Republic of China. From 1978 to 1991, the number of enterprises has increased 11.5 times; the number of employees has increased 2.4 times; the fixed assets have increased 13.7 times; and the value of the total output has increased 22.5 times. In this article, a report is given on a sample survey in 30 counties in 1990, which showed that 82.69% of rural industrial enterprises had at least one type of occupational hazard in their work environments. Workers engaged in at least one type of hazardous working environment accounted for 33.91% of the blue-collar workers. Physical examinations were performed for seven types of occupational diseases: silicosis, coal worker's pneumoconiosis, asbestosis, chronic lead poisoning, benzene analogs poisoning, chronic chromium poisoning, and noise-induced hearing loss. The total detectable rate of the seven types of occupational diseases was 4.4% among those workers. In addition, 11% had illnesses suspected of being (though not proven to be) caused by occupational exposures. Most township enterprises do not provide basic occupational health services. The coverage of five routine occupational health service activities provided for township enterprises were very limited, from 1.4 to 36%.
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PMID:National Occupational Health Service policies and programs for workers in small-scale industries in China. 1119 18

During its long history, the Clinica del Lavoro Luigi Devoto has produced numerous internationally recognized scientific contributions in the specific field of occupational medicine and health, and in other broader areas as, for example, immunology, toxicology, cytogenetics. Pivotal in this activity was the figure of Enrico C. Vigliani, director of the Clinica for over 35 years. We mention here, in particular, the results of the study of "early" markers of lead intoxication; the research on the carcinogenicity of benzene and aromatic amines; the study of the pathogenesis of silicosis and byssinosis; the study of cytogenetic damage after exposure to industrial toxic chemicals; the technical research for dust abatement in mines. Such research also played a major role in the development of pulmonary medicine, toxicology and immunology in Italy, and conferred scientific dignity on the newborn "industrial hygiene" discipline thanks to the work of Nicola Zurlo. Today, the Clinica's research is maintained at international standards especially by the work of thematic Research Centers recently established within the Clinica, covering fields such as occupational and environmental toxicology, occupational oncology, ergonomics, respiratory disease and allergy, psycho-social risk factors. These Centers are also devoted to the development of innovative methods in epidemiology, toxicology, psychology, molecular biology, and ergonomic measurement for the identification and evaluation of health risks at work.
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PMID:[The role of the "Clinica del Lavoro Luigi Devoto" in international research]. 1276 54