ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the changes in serum neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and serum ferritin (SF) in patients with pneumoconiosis and their relationship with the onset of pneumoconiosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The serum NSE and SF levels in the peripheral blood of patients with pneumoconiosis were measured by electrochemical fluorescence immunoassay.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The patients with first-stage pneumoconiosis and second-stage pneumoconiosis had significantly higher serum NSE and SF levels than the control group (23.0264±14.0410 and 44.9776±26.5208 ng/ml vs 8.1480±3.7512 ng/ml, P < 0.05; 267.2515±186.5809 and 579.1371±433.9326 ng/ml vs 120.8613±74.2809 ng/ml, P < 0.05), and the patients with second-stage pneumoconiosis had significantly higher serum NSE and SF levels than those with first-stage pneumoconiosis (P < 0.05). After treatment, the serum NSE level decreased significantly in the patients with pneumoconiosis (21.1675±17.5942 ng/ml vs 33.4490±21.6948 ng/ml, P < 0.05), but it was still significantly higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05). The treatment did not produce significant changes in SF level among these patients (P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Patients with pneumoconiosis have elevated serum NSE and SF levels, which may be related to the onset and progression of this disease.</p>