Comparision of Chest Radiographs and Pulmonary Function in Coal Workers' Pneumoconiosis and Welders' Lung / 결핵

BACKGROUND: Chest X-ray of coal werkers' pneumoconiosis and shipyard welders' lung show similar and regular opacities mostly, it is very difficult that we distinguish the former from the latter by only chest X-ray. so we performed this study to understand the progression of the disease and to provide the disease by considering pulmonary function and other factors in proportion to the porfusion of small regular opacities of chest X-ray in both groups. METHOD: 430 coal workers' pneumoconiosis were compared with 311 shipyard welders' lung by the number, the age, the duration of dust exposure, %vital capacity(%VC), %FEV1.0, the type of ventilatory impairment, the combined pulmonary disease according to the profusion of small regular opacities on the chest radiographs, which were classiffied into category 0/1, category 1, and category 2. RESULT: 1) the percent of category 2 in coal workers' pneumoconiosis was 54.4%. the percent of category 1, and category 2 in welders' lung were 60.0%, 7.4%. the progression to the category 2 was higher in coal workers' pneumoconiosis than in welders' lung 2) The mean age was higher in coal workers' pneumoconiosis than in welders' lung, significantly increased in proportion to the progresion of profusion of small regular opacities in both groups 3) There was no difference in the duration of dust exposure by category 1/0, but the duration of dust exposure by category 1, 2 in coal workers' pneumoconiosis more significantly increased than in welders' lung, the duration in the proportion of category 2 to category 0/1, 1 significantly increased in the proportion to small regular opacities in coal workers' pneumoconiosis, but there was no significant difference in the proportion to small regular opacities in duration of dust exposure in welders' lung. 4) There was no sinificant difference of mean values of %VC(%vital capacity)in both groups except for category 1, the mean values of %VC had no relationship between the progression of small regular opacities in both groups. 5) The mean values of %FEV1.0 decreased more significantly in coal workers' pneumoconiosis than in welders" lung except for category 0/1. and decreased sinificantly in proportion to the profusion of small regular opacities in coal workers' pneumoconiosis, there was significant difference of %FEV1.0 in the proportion of category 2 to category 0/1 in welders' lung. 6) there were no significant difference of %FEV1.0, %VC in smoker and nonsmoker in both groups. 7) With regard to the type of ventilation in both groups in coal workers' pneumoconiosis 21.4 percent of patients belonged to the restrictive type, 11.6 percent to the obstructive type, 5.6 percent to the combined type, but in welders' lung 21.8 percent to the restrictive type, 2.9 percent to the obstructive type, 1.9 percent to the combined type. 8. in the pulmonary disease, the incidence of the pulmonary tuberculosis was the most in both groups, was more in coal workers' pneumoconiosis than welders' lung CONCLUSION: If we compare coal workers' pneumoconiosis with electric arc welders' lung by considering pulmonary function and other factors in proportion to the profusion of chest X-ray, I think that we will have the better result in understanding the progression of the disease and provision of the disease in both groups.

Assessment of renal function in silicosis with urinary N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase activity / 예방의학회지

To provide the basic for assessment of renal dysfunction related to silicosis, urinary N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase(NAG) activity known as a sensitive markers for early renal damage were measured in 58 silicosis patients, and control subjects of 40 pulmonary tuberculosis patients and 51 official workers. The results were summarized as follows. 1. The values of blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine in all subjects were within reference limits. But the mean value of urinary NAG activity(7.25+/-7.31 U/g creatinine) was beyond reference value and more sensitive test than others. 2. The mean value of urinary NAG activity in silicosis group was 11.98+/-9.05 U/g creatinine and significantly higher than in tuberculosis and healthy group(p0.05). 3. The value of NAG activity in tuberculosis had a tendency to be increased according to severity of disease, but that was not significant(p>0.05). The value of NAG activity was increased significantly by use of nephrotoxic antituberculosis drugs(p0.05). 5. After excluding the users of nephrotoxic antituberculosis drugs, the mean values of NAG activity in healthy control and in tuberculosis control were same as 3.63 U/g creatinine and 3.60 U/g creatinine, respectively. But the mean value of NAG activity in silicosis group was remarkably increased as 10.90 U/g creatinine(p<0.01). As above results, even though there are no abnormal findings in screening renal function test, silicosis can be related with renal dysfunction. And it will be very useful to apply urinary NAG activity in health management of workers exposed to dust.