Clinical efficacy of tetrandrine combined with acetylcysteine effervescent tablets in treatment of silicosis / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the clinical efficacy of tetrandrine combined with acetylcysteine effervescent tablets in the treatment of silicosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 96 patients with silicosis were randomly divided into treatment group (49 cases) and control group (47 cases). Both groups were given routine therapy including anti-inflammatory, antitussive, and antiasthmatic drugs, and the patients in treatment group were given tetrandrine combined with acetylcysteine effervescent tablets at the same time. Tetrandrine (100 mg) was orally administrated twice a day, and there was a one-day interval between every 6 days' continuous administration; totally, there were four courses of treatment, with 3 months for each course, and there was a one-month break between each course. Acetylcysteine effervescent tablets (600 mg) were taken twice a day; each course of treatment was 12 days, and there were four courses; for the first two months, there was one course per month, and then one course every other two months for the rest of time. Clinical symptoms, pulmonary ventilation function, serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) and changes in X-ray findings were observed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After treatment, the treatment group had significantly increased rates of improvements in cough, expectoration, chest congestion and pain, and dyspnea compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group (serum SOD level: 70.466±20.261 U/ml) and the treatment group before therapy (serum SOD level: 68.182±21.414 U/ml), the treatment group after therapy had significantly increased serum SOD level (77.389±21.315 U/ml?, forced vital capacity, and forced expiratory volume in one second (P < 0.05). Eight patients in treatment group showed improvement in the chest X-ray findings of silicosis.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The combination of tetrandrine and acetylcysteine effervescent tablets show some effect in the treatment of silicosis. It can be an effective option for treating silicosis as there are no other specific remedies.</p>

Changes in activities of SOD and GSH-Px in induced sputum and their significance among silicosis patients / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the changes in activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxide (GSH-Px) in the induced sputum of silicosis patients, and to investigate the roles of SOD and GSH-Px in the development and progression of silicosis and the significance of measuring activities of SOD and GSH-Px in induced sputum among silicosis patients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Fifty hotel attendants were chosen as control group, 50 workers with more than one year of silica dust exposure as dust exposure group, 32 silica dust-exposed workers as observation subject group, and 52 silicosis patients as silicosis group. The activities of SOD and GSH-Px in their induced sputum were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the control group, the observation subject group and silicosis group had significantly decreased SOD activity (68.16 ± 30.17 and 66.38 ± 47.32 U/ml vs 75.81 ± 11.92 U/ml, P < 0.05); compared with the dust exposure group, the silicosis group had significantly decreased SOD activity (66.38 ± 47.32 U/ml vs 70.12 ± 14.31 U/ml, P < 0.05). Compared with the control group and dust exposure group, the observation subject group and silicosis group had significantly increased GSH-Px activity (268.21 ± 15.45 and 279.34 ± 29.26 U/ml vs 224.22 ± 12.64 and 236.41 ± 14.54 U/ml, P < 0.05 or P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The SOD activity in dust exposure group and silicosis group decreased, but there were no significant differences between patients with different stages of silicosis. The GSH-Px activity in dust exposure group and silicosis group was significantly higher than that in control group, and there were significant differences between patients with different stages of silicosis. These suggest that the imbalance of oxidative/antioxidant systems is associated with the development and progression of silicosis.</p>

Determination of 2, 4-toluenediamine in urine by gas chromatography / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To establish a method for determining the content of 2,4-toluenediamine, a urinary metabolite of toluene diisocyanate, by gas chromatography.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Urine samples were collected, and acidification, extraction, derivatization, separation with a capillary column, and detection with an electron capture detector were performed. The target compound was qualified by retention time and quantified by peak area.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The concentration of 2, 4-toluenediamine showed a linear relationship with peak area within 0.0∼40 ng/ml, with a correlation coefficient 0.9995; the limit of detection was 0.44 ng/ml, the lower limit of quantification was 1.47 ng/ml, the relative standard deviation was 1.85%∼4.05%; the recovery rate was 97.98%∼99.28%.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The method has the advantages of high sensitivity and high accuracy and can be used for determination of 2, 4-toluenediamine in urine.</p>

Therapeutic efficacy of tetrandrine tablets combined with matrine injection in treatment of silicosis / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the therapeutic efficacy of tetrandrine tablets combined with matrine injection in the treatment of silicosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty-three patients with silicosis were randomly divided into treatment group (n = 33) and control group (n = 30). Both groups received anti-inflammatory, cough-relieving, and anti-asthmatic treatment. Meanwhile, the treatment group was given tetrandrine tablets (100 mg bid) and matrine injection (150 mg qd). There were 4 courses of tetrandrine treatment (each course = 3 months), with one-month intervals among them. Matrine injection was used for 15 consecutive days in each month. There were 2 courses of matrine treatment (each course = 3 months), with a one-month interval in between. The clinical symptoms, pulmonary function, serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and chest X-ray images were observed before and after treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After treatment, chest distress, chest pain, shortness of breath, and other respiratory symptoms were relieved significantly (P < 0.05). The treatment group showed significantly higher SOD activity than before treatment and the control group (P < 0.05) and significantly higher forced vital capacity and forced expiratory volume in one second than before treatment and the control group (P < 0.05). After treatment, 5 patients (4 stage II cases and 1 stage III case, all in rapidly progressive forms) in the treatment group showed smaller, lighter, and clearer shadows with decreased overall intensity on chest X-ray; 12 patients showed significantly fewer and clearer lung markings on chest X-ray.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Tetrandrine tablets combined with matrine injection have some therapeutic effect on silicosis.</p>

Therapeutic efficacy of Jinshuibao capsules in treatment of silicosis / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the therapeutic efficacy of Jinshuibao capsules in the treatment of silicosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 270 patients with silicosis were randomly divided into treatment group (n = 141) and control group (n = 129). Both groups received conventional therapy. Additionally, the patients in the treatment group took 3 Jinshuibao capsules three times day for 2-3 courses of treatment (each course = 6 weeks). The therapeutic efficacy and the changes in tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and transforming growth factor-β(1) (TGF-β(1)) levels were observed after treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After treatment, cough, expectoration, chest pain, shortness of breath, and other respiratory symptoms were relieved significantly (P < 0.05). The treatment group showed significantly lower TNF-α and TGF-β(1) levels than before treatment and the control group (P < 0.05) and significantly higher forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in one second, and maximum mid-expiratory flow than before treatment and the control group (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Jinshuibao capsules can decrease inflammatory response, increase vital capacity and maximum voluntary ventilation, reduce airflow limitation, and improve quality of life and thus have good therapeutic efficacy in the treatment of silicosis.</p>

Effects of oxidative stress and NF-kappaB levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells on development of silicosis / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the change of indicators of oxidative stress in serum and NF-kappaB in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with silicosis, and explore the mechanism of the development of silicosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The subjects were divided into (1) 200 workers exposed to SiO2 for at least 1 years in a foundry served as the dust-exposure group; (2) 130 cases with silicosis (I phase silicosis 64 cases, II phase 46 cases III phase 20 cases) served as the silicosis group; (3) 32 cases with 0+ phase silicosis in the foundry served as the observed group,(4)100 subjects from a hotel served as the control group. The serum including superoxide dismutase (SOD), nitric oxide (NO), serum glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), nitric oxide synthase (NOS), lipid malondialdehyde (MDA) and NF-kappaB protein levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells were determined, respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the control group, NO levels in dust-exposed group and silicosis group significantly increased, and SOD decreased significantly (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Compared with the control group and dust-exposed group, T-AOC, NOS, MDA levels in silicosis group significantly increased (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). GSH-Px in dust-exposed group and silicosis group were (231.164 +/- 36.484) and (270.469 +/- 39.228)U/ml, respectively which were significantly than that [(223.360 +/- 46.838) U/ml] in control group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), and there was significant difference of GSHPx between the silicosis group and the dust-exposed group significantly (P < 0.01) . GSH-Px level [(290.750 +/- 39.129) U/ml] in III phase silicosis group were significantly higher than those [(256.906 +/- 21.41) and (259.594 +/- 34.79) U/ml] in observation group and I phase silicosis group (P < 0.05). NF-kappaB levels [(72.06 +/- 9.12) and (85.25 +/- 11.64) ng/L] in dust-exposed group and silicosis group were significantly higher than that [(59.71 +/- 9.27) ng/L] in control group (P < 0.01), and there was significant difference of between the silicosis group and the dust-exposed group (P < 0.01). There was a positive correlation between serum GSH-Px level and the silicosis stages (r = 0.507, P < 0.01). Also there was a positive correlation between NF-kappaB level and silicosis stages, age, GSH-Px or NO levels (r = 0.376, 0.243, 0.233, 0.221, P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The imbalance of oxidative and anti-oxidation system and the activation of NF-kappaB are related with the occurrence and development of silicosis. The monitoring of oxidative stress indicators and NF-kappaB is beneficial to the prediction and prognosis assessment of silicosis.</p>

Change of serum TGF-beta1 and TNF-alpha in silicosis patients / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe serum TGF-beta1 and TNF-alpha in silicosis patients and workers exposed to silica dust to study the role of TGF-beta1 and TNF-alpha in the development of silicosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>One hundred non-exposed workers were selected as control group, 200 workers exposed to silica dust for more than 1 year as exposed group, 32 suspected silicosis patients (originally diagnosed as 0+) as observing group, 130 silicosis patients were as silicosis group. Serum TGF-beta1 and TNF-alpha in each group were determined with ELISA.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Serum TNF-alpha in exposed group [(47.86 +/- 16.52) pg/ml], observing group [(109.11 +/- 31.08) pg/ml], silicosis group [(216.35 +/- 51.03) pg/ml] were significantly higher than that in control group [(6.90 +/- 2.24) pg/ml] (P < 0.01); Silicosis group and observing group were also higher than exposed group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). Compared with control group [(23.28 +/- 12.24) pg/ml] and exposed group [(29.31 +/- 14.52) pg/ml], serum TGF-beta1 in silicosis group was much higher (P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>TGF-beta1, and TNF-alpha were essential in the development of silicosis, so the detection of TGF-beta1 and TNF-alpha in peripheral blood was very useful for occupational health surveillance and early diagnosis of silicosis.</p>