ABSTRACT
The objective of this study was to investigate the early renal and pulmonary functional changes among workers exposed to silica dust. The study was performed on the following three groups of subjects: Group I consisted of 15 healthy subjects as a control group, group II consisted of 15 workers exposed to silica dust without a manifestation suggestive of silicosis [chronic cough and expectoration, dyspnea, fatigability, normal spirometric data and normal chest radiographic appearance] and group III consisted of 15 workers exposed to silica dust with manifestations suggestive of silicosis, clinical [chronic cough and expectoration, dyspnea and fatigability], physiological [abnormal spirometric data] and chest radiographic appearance. The study concluded that patients suffering from silicosis showed significant changes in the renal functions together with mild combined obstructive and restrictive ventilatory defect compared with the healthy silica exposed workers and the healthy nonexposed ones. It was recommended that kidney function tests should be routinely done, especially those which detect the early dysfunction as B2-microglobulins, even if chest X-ray and simple pulmonary functions were normal