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Objective@#To investigate the changes in the levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and let-7e in rats induced by coal mine dust, so as to provide the basis for the mechanism of coal worker's pneumoconiosis (CWP).@*Methods@#Sixty-four clean and healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into the control group, coal dust group, mixed dust group (mixed coal and silica dust) and quartz group. The rats in the control group were exposed to 1 mL physiological saline by non-exposure tracheal perfusion, and the rats in the dust-exposed groups were exposed to 1 mL dust suspension. Rats were sacrificed by anesthesia after 1 month and 6 months, lung tissue was observed using hematoxylin-eosin staining, the pathological change in the lungs was scored using the Szapiel scoring system, the levels of IL-6 in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the expression of let-7e was determined by quantitative real-time PCR.@*Results@#A month after exposure, a small amount of coal spots and inflammatory exudation were observed in the lung tissue of the coal dust group and the mixed dust group. The quartz group showed tissue structure destruction and mild fibrosis and thickening of alveolar septum. Six months after exposure, there were more coal spots and slightly thickened alveolar septum in the coal dust group, and hyperplasia of pulmonary interstitial fibers, destruction of alveolar structure and silica nodules were observed in the mixed dust group. In the quartz group, the alveolar structure was obviously destroyed, the interstitial fiber proliferation was significant and silica nodules were seen. Two-factor analysis of variance showed that the interaction between duration of exposure and dust type significantly influenced the pathological score of lung tissue, IL-6 levels, and let-7e expression levels (P<0.05). Under the same dust type, the pathological score of lung tissue and IL-6 levels were higher at 6 months after exposure than at 1 month, while the relative expression of let-7e was lower at 6 months after exposure than at 1 month (all P<0.05). Under the same duration of exposure, the pathological score of lung tissue and IL-6 levels were higher in the dust-exposed groups than in the control group, while the relative expression of let-7e was lower in the dust-exposed groups than in the control group (all P<0.05).@*Conclusions@#Coal dust can cause an increase in levels of IL-6 and a decrease in let-7e expression in rats. The type of dust and duration of exposure can interactively affect IL-6 and let-7e.
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Objective@#To explore the changes in ribosomal DNA copy number in peripheral blood among patients with pneumoconiosis and its influencing factors, so as to provide insights into prevention and treatment of pneumoconiosis.@*Methods@#Eighty-eight patients with pneumoconiosis who visited a designated hospital and 71 community residents with no history of pneumoconiosis or dust exposure were selected as the pneumoconiosis group and control group, and age, smoking history, drinking history and cumulative years of exposure to dust were collected through questionnaire surveys. The copy number of 45S rDNA and 5S rDNA was detected using real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR, and the differences between the two groups were compared. Factors affecting the copy number of 45S rDNA and 5S rDNA were identified by a multiple linear regression model.@*Results@#The pneumoconiosis group had a median age of 56.00 (interquartile range, 15.25) and a mean cumulative dust exposure duration of (12.40±8.08) years, with 56.82% smoking and 62.50% drinking. The control group had a median age of 64.00 (interquartile range, 37.00) years, with 32.39% smoking and 26.76% drinking. The median copy number of 45S rDNA in the pneumoconiosis group was 1.29 (interquartile range, 0.59), which was lower than 2.10 (interquartile range, 1.88) in the control group; the median copy number of 5S rDNA in the pneumoconiosis group was 5.33 (interquartile range, 0.85), which was higher than 4.66 (1.34) in the control group (both P<0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis identified age (β=-0.034) and pneumoconiosis (β=-1.595) as factors affecting 45S rDNA copy number, age (β=-0.013) as a factor affecting 5S rDNA copy number, and age (β=0.018) as a factor affecting 5S rDNA copy number in the pneumoconiosis group (all P<0.05).@*Conclusions@#Compared with community residents with no history of pneumoconiosis or dust exposure, the copy number of 45S rDNA in peripheral blood among patients with pneumoconiosis is reduced and the copy number of 5S rDNA is increased.
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ObjectiveTo investigate the correlation of polymorphism and loci interaction of nucleic acid binding oligomeric domain-like receptor heat protein domain associated protein 3 (NLRP3) gene and susceptibility to coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) in Xinjiang Region. Methods A total of 109 CWP were selected as the case group, and 69 coal miners with similar age, years of dust exposure and work types were selected as the control group by convenient sampling method. Blood samples of individuals in workers in these two groups were collected, and the genotypes of single nucleotide polymorphism loci, rs1539019, rs4612666, rs4925650 and rs7525979, in the NLRP3 gene were detected using an improved multiplex ligation detection reaction. The optimal genetic model was selected based on the Akaike information criterion. Results The results of unconditional logistic regression analysis showed that individuals with the C allele of rs1539019 or rs4612666 had a higher risk of CWP than those with the A or T allele (all P<0.05), and individuals with the AA genotype of rs1539019 or the TT genotype of rs4612666 had a lower risk of CWP than those with the CC genotype (all P<0.05), after adjusting for age, years of work, alcohol, and smoking. The optimal genetic models for rs1539019 and rs4612666 were the recessive model and the additive model, respectively, and these differences were associated with the susceptibility to CWP at the Bonferroni-corrected level (all P<0.05). No correlation was found between rs4925650 and rs7525979 and the susceptibility to CWP (all P>0.05). In the smoking population, the rs1539019 co-dominant model, recessive model, and additive model were associated with a decreased risk of CWP (all P<0.05). The rs4612666 co-dominant model, dominant model and additive model were associated with an increased risk of CWP (all P<0.05), with the optimal genetic models being the recessive model and the additive model among smokers. The rs1539019 and rs4612666 were not found to be associated with the increased risk of CWP in non-smokers (all P>0.05). The rs4612666 dominant model and additive model were associated with an increased risk of CWP (all P<0.05), and the rs4925650 recessive model and over-dominant model were associated with a decreased and increased risk of developing CWP (all P<0.05), with the optimal genetic models being the dominant model and the over-dominant model in drinkers. The rs1539019 co-dominant model, dominant model, recessive model, and additive model were associated with a decreased risk of developing CWP (all P<0.05), and the rs4612666 co-dominant model, recessive model, and additive model were associated with an increased risk of developing CWP (all P<0.05), with the optimal genetic models being the additive model and the recessive model in non-drinkers. The result of haplotype analysis showed that the ACAC and ACGC haplotypes were associated with a reduced risk of CWP (all P<0.05). Conclusion The rs1539019 and rs4612666 loci of the NLRP3 gene are associated with susceptibility to CWP. This study provides clues for further research on the risk of CWP in coal workers.
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Occupational pneumoconiosis (referred to as “pneumoconiosis”) caused by exposure to occupational dust is the most serious occupational disease in China. Biological monitoring on occupational populations exposed to dust is important for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of pneumoconiosis. Biological monitoring is a systematic engineering process that includes a series of processes such as biological samples selection, selection of biological monitoring indicators, and selection of detection methods. The biological samples for biological monitoring mainly include urine, blood, exhaled breath gas, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, saliva, sputum, and more. The indicators of biological monitoring involve multiple pathways such as oxidative stress, inflammatory response, collagen synthesis/degradation, phagocytic cell apoptosis, and pathways related to the formation of pneumoconiosis. Suitable detection methods need to be determined upon different biological monitoring indicators, including enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, high-performance liquid chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, etc. Currently, there is a lack of true clinically valuable biological monitoring indicators that can indicate the correlation between dust exposure and the hazards of occupational populations, and there are no systematic and complete biological monitoring methods reported. It is necessary to further standardize the biological monitoring process and search for specific biological monitoring indicators.
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ObjectiveTo conduct a bibliometric analysis on the research status of occupational pneumoconiosis (hereinafter referred to as "pneumoconiosis") severity assessment indicators. Methods The domestic and foreign articles on the research of pneumoconiosis severity assessment indicators were accessed from China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Data, VIP Database, China Biomedical Literature Service System, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science. The methodological quality evaluation and analysis of severity assessment indicators were performed with the relevant articles. Results A total of 88 relevant articles on pneumoconiosis severity assessment indicators were included. The overall evaluation of the literature with good-, moderate-, and poor-quality articles accounted for 18.18%, 69.32%, and 12.50%, respectively. The median sample size reported in each article was 86 cases. The articles reporting the stage of pneumoconiosis accounted for 81.82%, and 80.68% reported the types of pneumoconiosis which was mainly simple silicosis and coal worker's pneumoconiosis. Only 12 articles reported two or more types of pneumoconiosis. A total of 122 severity assessment indicators in four categories were reported in 88 articles, including 99 physiological and biochemical indicators, 10 imaging indicators, six symptoms and signs indicators, and seven other indicators. The articles used a single severity assessment indicator to assess the severity of pneumoconiosis accounted for 76.14%, while 23.86% of the articles used multiple severity assessment indicators, and only 5.68% of the articles selected specific severity assessment indicators for pneumoconiosis patients in different stages. Conclusion The quality of research on pneumoconiosis severity assessment is relatively low. The applicability of the combined use of severity assessment indicators is poor and confused.
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ObjectiveTo explore the rehabilitation outcome of personalized pulmonary rehabilitation therapy in pneumoconiosis patients in the rehabilitation station. Methods A total of 42 pneumoconiosis patients were selected as the study subjects from seven pneumoconiosis rehabilitation stations in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region using the judgment sampling method. Patients were treated with personalized rehabilitation therapy for three months, and the outcome was analyzed. Results The six-minute walking test distance, maximum inspiratory pressure, maximum expiratory pressure, forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), and FEV1/FVC ratio of the pneumoconiosis patients were higher after rehabilitation therapy than those before therapy (all P<0.05). The score of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Assessment Test of patients after therapy was lower than that in pre-treatment (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in respiratory difficulty, Borg scale, balance ability, depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, nutritional status scores, body mass index, blood oxygen saturation, and heart rate before and after rehabilitation therapy (all P>0.05). Conclusion The individualized pulmonary rehabilitation therapy of pneumoconiosis patients at pneumoconiosis rehabilitation station can improve the respiratory muscle strength and lung function of patients, and improve their quality of life.
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ObjectiveTo analyze the epidemiological characteristics of newly diagnosed occupational welder's pneumoconiosis (OWP) in the shipbuilding industry in Guangzhou City from 2006 to 2022. Methods Data on newly diagnosed OWP cases in the shipbuilding industry in Guangzhou City from 2006 to 2022 was collected and ananlyzed from the Health Hazard Monitoring Information System subsystem of the Chinese Disease Prevention and Control System. ResultA total of 250 cases of new welder's pneumoconiosis were diagnosed in the shipbuilding industry in Guangzhou City from 2006 to 2022. The number of new cases per year showed an initial increase followed by a rapid decline, reaching a peak in 2013 (65 cases). Most of the cases were male, accounted for 99.2%. There were 220 cases reported the OWP stage, with the stage Ⅰ and stage Ⅱ cases accounted for 93.6% and 6.4%, respectively, but no stage Ⅲ cases were reported. The median (M) age and the 25th and 75th percentiles (P25, P75) at diagnosis was 43.0 (39.0, 47.0) years and the dust exposure years M (P25, P75) was 11.2 (8.1, 14.7) years. The M of age at diagnosis of new OWP cases in 2015-2018 and 2019-2022 were higher than those in 2006-2010 and 2011-2014, respectively (all P<0.05). The M of dust exposure duration of new OWP cases from 2006-2010 and 2019-2022 was higher than that in cases from 2015-2018 and 2011-2014, respectively (all P<0.05). Most of the small shadows of the cases were circular small p shadows and distributed in the bilateral middle and lower lung zones, with a density mostly of 1/1, according to the X-ray chest films. Conclusion The hazard of welding fumes in the shipbuilding industry in Guangzhou City has been controlled, but the prevention and control of OWP among welders remains severe.
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Objective To analyze the epidemic characteristics of pneumoconiosis in Jingmen City from 2011 to 2022, and to provide theoretical basis for formulating the occupational disease prevention plan of the “14th Five-Year Plan” in Jingmen City. Methods The data of pneumoconiosis cases in Jingmen City from 2011 to 2022 were collected from the Occupational Disease and Health Hazard Factors Monitoring Information System, and the information of disease classification, enterprise economic type, scale distribution, regional distribution, job distribution, dust exposure years and so on was statistically analyzed. Results A total of 260 cases of pneumoconiosis were reported in Jingmen City from 2011 to 2022, with an average of 13.81 years of exposure to dust, including 164 cases of coal workers' pneumoconiosis, 90 cases of silicosis and 6 cases of other pneumoconiosis. The cases were mainly distributed in Dongbao District with 160 cases (61.54%), Zhongxiang City with 72 cases (27.69%), and Duodao District with 18 cases (6.92%). The difference was statistically significant（χ2=217.846，P2=46.025，P<0.05). Conclusion Coal workers' pneumoconiosis and silicosis are the main types of occupational pneumoconiosis in Jingmen area, which will become the key prevention and control targets in Jingmen City for a long time and should be paid attention to. The cases are mainly concentrated in joint-stock, private economic type enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises, which should be monitored intensively.
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Objective To explore the high-resolution computed tomography(HRCT)imaging findings and prognosis for the welder pneumoconiosis.Methods The HRCT imaging findings and follow-up changes in 11 cases of welder pneumoconiosis diag-nosed by occupational diseases were analyzed retrospectively.Results There were 7 cases(63.7%)showed central lobular nodule shadow,5 cases(45.5%)developed patchy ground glass shadows in the center of the lobule("light ink sign"),5 cases(45.5%)showed branching fine line shadow,2 cases(18.2%)showed interlobular septal thickening,and 3 cases(37.5%)showed better ima-ging performance than before.Conclusion HRCT imaging findings of welder pneumoconiosis mainly include diffuse distribution of nodules in the center of lobules,"light ink sign",and branching fine line shadows in both lungs,with rare hilar and mediastinal lymphadenopathy and calcification.When the image shows nodule shadow or"light ink sign"in the center of the lobule,it is more likely to improve after leaving environment exposure.
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Objective To understand the epidemiological characteristics of new occupational pneumoconiosis in Zigong City from 2018 to 2022, and to provide the basis for further prevention and treatment of local pneumoconiosis. Methods The information of newly diagnosed and reported cases of pneumoconiosis in Zigong City from 2018 to 2022 was collected through the occupational disease and occupational health information monitoring system, and the characteristics of the distribution of pneumoconiosis in three regions, the composition of diseases and the length of service of exposure to dust were analyzed. Results From 2018 to 2022, the top 3 newly diagnosed pneumoconiosis diseases in Zigong City were silicosis, coal workers' pneumoconiosis and asbestosis. Silicosis cases were mainly distributed in small and medium-sized employers, accounting for 81.41%. Coal workers' pneumoconiosis was mainly distributed in large and medium-sized employers, accounting for 97.24%. Asbestosis mainly distributed in large scale employers, accounting for 96.36%. There was significant difference in dust handling age of different scale employers (H=11.453, P<0.05). The median ages of silicosis, coal workers' pneumoconiosis and other pneumoconiosis were 47.0 years, 52.0 years and 48.2 years, respectively. The median age of dust handling was 3.3 years, 22.0 years and 23.2 years, respectively. The age of onset of coal workers' pneumoconiosis was higher than that of silicosis and other pneumoconiosis (H=72.547, P<0.05), and the age of dust exposure of silicosis was shorter than that of coal workers' pneumoconiosis and other pneumoconiosis (H=10.453, P<0.05). Conclusion The current situation of pneumoconiosis in Zigong City is still severe, with obvious clustering in disease types and industries. Prevention and treatment of pneumoconiosis in key industries should be further strengthened to protect the health rights and interests of workers.
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@#Pneumoconiosis is the most serious occupational disease in China, and the prevention and treatment of pneumoconiosis attracts extensive social concerns. As a pulmonary interstitial fibrotic disease, pneumoconiosis is featured by disrupted lung tissue structure and impaired lung function. With available evidence on tetrandrine and nintedanib demonstrably retarding the progression of pneumoconiosis fibrosis, antifibrotic treatment of pneumoconiosis, especially rapidly progressive silicosis, should be emphasized. Pneumoconiosis patients could maintain an average level of quality of life and capabilities in social activities through comprehensive health management, early initiation of antifibrotic treatment, active prevention and treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis and other complications and comorbidities, as well as regular rehabilitation treatment and training.
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The most important revision of the Consensus of Chinese experts on pneumoconiosis treatment (2024) is to attach importance to antifibrotic treatment, and recommend tetrandrine and nintedanib for the treatment of silicosis and coal worker's pneumoconiosis, especially in patients with rapidly progressing silicosis. The second most important revision is a positive attitude towards lung transplantation which is recommended for patients with end-stage pneumoconiosis who do not respond to medically optimized conservative treatment as early as possible. In addition, new updates also include the addition of the application of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) in pneumoconiosis with pulmonary infection, the diagnosis and treatment of pneumoconiosis with nontuberculous mycobacteriosis (NTM), and high-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy (HFNC) in pneumoconiosis with respiratory failure therapies. The evidence and recommendations of the current version are assessed by the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system.
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Background At present, the practice of pulmonary rehabilitation for pneumoconiosis in China is in a primary stage. The basis for formulating an individualized comprehensive pulmonary rehabilitation plan is still insufficient, which is one of the factors limiting the development of community-level rehabilitation work. Objective To formulate an exercise prescription based on maximum heart rate measured by cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET), conduct an individualized comprehensive pulmonary rehabilitation program with the exercise prescription for patients with stable pneumoconiosis, and evaluate its role in improving exercise endurance and quality of life, thus provide a basis for the application and promotion of pulmonary rehabilitation. Methods A total of 68 patients were recruited from the Occupational Disease Prevention Hospital of Jinneng Holding Coal Industry Group Co., Ltd. from April to August 2022 , and were divided into an intervention group and a control group by random number table method, with 34 cases in each group. All the pneumoconiosis patients participated in a baseline test. The control group was given routine drug treatment, while the intervention group received multidisciplinary comprehensive pulmonary rehabilitation treatment on the basis of routine drug treatment, including health education, breathing training, exercise training, nutrition guidance, psychological intervention, and sleep management, whose exercise intensity was determined according to the maximum heart rate provided by CPET. The rehabilitation training lasted for 24 weeks. Patients were evaluated at registration and the end of study respectively. CPET was used to measure peak oxygen uptake per kilogram (pVO2/kg), anaerobic threshold (AT), carbon dioxide equivalent of ventilation (EqCO2), maximum metabolic equivalent (METs), and maximum work (Wmax). The modified British Medical Research Council Dyspnea Questionnaire (mMRC), Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Assessment Test (CAT), and Short Form of Health Survey (SF-36) were used to evaluate the potential effect of the comprehensive pulmonary rehabilitation program. Results Among the included 68 patients, 63 patients were having complete data, then 31 cases were assigned in the control group and 32 cases in the interventional group. Before the intervention, there was no significant difference in pVO2/kg, AT, EqCO2, METs, or Wmax between the two groups (P>0.05). At the end of the trail, the indicators like pVO2/kg [(19.81±2.38) mL·(min·kg)−1], AT [(14.48±2.33) mL·(min·kg)−1], METs (5.64±0.69), and Wmax [(85.25±14) W] of patients in the intervention group were all higher than those [(13.90±2.37) mL·(min·kg)−1, (11.70±1.94) mL·(min kg)−1, (3.97±0.70), and (61.77±14.72) W, respectively] in the control group (P<0.001); there was no significant difference in EqCO2 between the two groups (P=0.083). Before the trial, there was no significant difference in mMRC, SAS, SDS, PSQI, or CAT scores between the two groups (P>0.05). At the end of the trail, the mMRC score (1.16±0.57), SAS score (27.93±2.12), SDS score (26.48±1.44), PSQI score (1.08±0.88), and CAT score (4.34±3.28) of patients in the intervention group were lower than those [(2.03±0.83), (35.87±6.91), (34.23±6.65), (5.37±3.03), and (13.87±7.53), respectively] in the control group (P<0.001). The SF-36 scores of bodily pain (94.13±10.72), general health (87.50±5.68), vitality (95.31±5.53), mental health (99.88±0.71), and health changes (74.22±4.42) in the intervention group were higher than those [(71.87±32.72), (65.81±15.55), (74.52±16.45), (86.97±16.56), and (29.84±13.50), respectively] in the control group (P<0.001), and no significant difference was found in social functioning and role emotional scores (P>0.05). Conclusion Comprehensive pulmonary rehabilitation can increase the oxygen intake and exercise endurance of pneumoconiosis patients, ameliorate dyspnea symptoms, elevate psychological state and sleep quality, and improve the quality of life.
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Background Tuberculosis is the most common complication of pneumoconiosis, which accelerates the progression of pneumoconiosis. Pneumoconiosis combined with tuberculosis is a major health risk. Objective To understand the outpatient health service utilization for patients of pneumoconiosis combined with tuberculosis and its main influencing factors. Methods A stratified random sampling combined with non-random sampling was used to select 11181 pneumoconiosis patients in 27 provincial administrative regions (excluding Shanghai, Tianjin, Hainan, Tibet Autonomous Region, Taiwan, Hongkong and Macao Special Administrative Regions) from December 2017 to June 2021. A self-constructed questionnaire, i.e. Health Seeking Behaviors of Pneumoconiosis Patients and Their Influencing Factors, was used, which included basic information, outpatient and inpatient service utilization, and influencing factors of medical treatment behaviors of pneumoconiosis patients. The effective recovery rate of the questionnaire was 90.7%. All patients of pneumoconiosis combined with tuberculosis (n=762) were included as the study subjects. The difference of outpatient utilization in the past two weeks, choosing medical institutions, and the reasons of not seeking medical treatment between urban and rural areas, and the influencing factors of outpatient service utilization were analyzed. Results The study subjects were mainly silicosis combined with tuberculosis (502 cases, 65.9%) and coal workers' pneumoconiosis combined with tuberculosis (232 cases, 30.5%), aged (58.6±12.5) years old. The main region was Western China (45.1%), followed by Eastern China (22.1%), Centeral China (20.2%), and Northeastern China (12.6%). The outpatient utilization rate in the past two weeks was 38.5% (293/762), and the main medical institutions consulted were municipal or provincial hospitals (32.0%), district or county hospitals (28.6%), and township hospitals or health service centers (17.5%). Short distance (20.7%), the availability of specialist outpatient services (16.7%), high level of medical care (14.8%), and low medical cost (12.3%) were the main reasons in choosing medical institutions. Higher proportion of patients seeking medical services due to acute exacerbation in rural areas was reported than in urban areas in the past two weeks (P<0.01). In addition to being hospitalized (113 cases, 41.4%) and self-purchasing medicine (46 cases, 16.8%), the reasons for not seeking medical treatment were self-perceived mild symptoms (15.0%) and high medical cost without reimbursement (9.5%). The multiple regression results showed that outpatient rate for patients of pneumoconiosis combined with tuberculosis in the western region was higher than that in the eastern region (OR=1.66, 95%CI: 1.03, 2.68); patients with an annual personal income of 10000-35500 yuan had a higher outpatient rate than the > 35500 yuan income group (OR=2.54, 95%CI: 1.49, 4.36); the outpatient rate of silicosis patients was higher than that of coal workers' pneumoconiosis (OR=1.83, 95%CI: 1.23, 2.72); the outpatient rate of patients with clinically diagnosed cases (no classified stage of pneumoconiosis) was higher than that of patients with stage I pneumoconiosis (OR=2.32, 95%CI: 1.24, 4.31). Exacerbation of pneumoconiosis-related symptoms in past two weeks (OR=4.26, 95%CI: 2.89, 6.28), occupational injury insurance (OR=0.49, 95%CI: 0.30, 0.80), and hospitalization in past one year (OR=2.37, 95%CI: 1.41, 3.97) were the main factors influencing the outpatient health service utilization among patients of pneumoconiosis combined with tuberculosis. Conclusion The outpatient rate of patients of pneumoconiosis combined with tuberculosis is higher than that of patients of pneumoconiosis without tuberculosis. The utilization of outpatient services is related with disease factors and socio-economic security factors.
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Background The novel coronavirus infection is widespread in the world, resulting in more pneumoconiosis patients complicated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Objective To understand the clinical characteristics and prognosis of hospitalized COVID-19 patients complicated with or without pneumoconiosis. Methods A total of 36 COVID-19 patients admitted to the Shandong Provincial Occupational Disease Hospital from 10 December to 31 December 2022 were selected, including 21 cases in the complication group (pneumoconiosis complicated with COVID-19) and 15 cases in the COVID-19 group without pneumoconiosis. Symptoms, signs, laboratory test results(e.g. routine blood test), imaging findings, treatment plans and prognosis of the two groups were observed and compared. Results Regarding symptoms and signs in the complication group and the COVID-19 group, the proportions of dyspnea (57.14% vs 0.00%), lung wheezing (28.57% vs 0.00%), wet rales (76.19% vs 33.30%), and fever (61.90% vs 93.33%) were significantly different (P<0.05). Compared with the COVID-19 group, the level of D-dimer in the complication group was significantly increased [2.340 (1.0, 6.5) mg·L−1 vs 0.250 (0.2, 0.4) mg·L−1] (P<0.01), the serum sodium level was decreased [(138.10±2.68) mmol·L−1 vs (140.47±2.27) mmol·L−1] (P<0.05). In terms of drug treatment and prognosis, there were statistically significant differences in the proportion of antiviral drugs (19.00% vs 80.00%), glucocorticoids (38.10% vs 80.00%), and anticoagulants (28.60% vs 0.00%) between the complication group and the COVID-19 group (P<0.05). Compared with the COVID-19 group, the cure rate of the complication group (90.50% vs 100.00%) showed no statistical difference. However, there were 2 deaths in the complication group. Conclusion Patients with pneumoconiosis complicated with COVID-19 have less fever and more dyspnea, wheezing, and wet rales. The increase of plasma D-dimer is a potential predictor in patients with pneumoconiosis complicated with COVID-19.
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Background Multi-slice spiral computerized tomography (MSCT) can be used as an auxiliary diagnosis of chest radiography in diagnosis of pneumoconiosis, but there are few studies on the correlations between interstitial images and stage classification of coal workers' pneumoconiosis in the existing literature. Objective To present MSCT imaging manifestations and distribution characteristics of coal workers' pneumoconiosis and complications, evaluate correlations between coal workers' pneumoconiosis stages and pulmonary interstitial lesions, and provide a reliable imaging diagnosis basis for pneumoconiosis interstitial lesions. Methods From June 2022 to June 2023, a total of 1002 patients with coal workers' pneumoconiosis confirmed by the pneumoconiosis diagnostic and identification group in the Department of Occupational Diseases of the Emergency General Hospital were enrolled. MSCT was used to observe the abnormal imaging manifestations of the lungs of coal workers' pneumoconiosis patients and the diseases of pulmonary fibrosis related to their own diseases (thickening of the interlobular septum, bronchial perivascular interstitial mass thickening, parenchymal banding, subpleural line, intralobular interstitial thickening, honeycomb, and subpleural interstitial thickening), the occurrence of coal workers' pneumoconiosis and complications (old tuberculosis, active tuberculosis, pneumonia, atelectasis, lung cancer, bronchiectasis), and the density, size, and location of pneumoconiosis nodules. Imaging data were analyzed and statistically processed. Results All 1002 patients were male, with an average age of (60.71±6.87) years and an average dust exposure time of (23.01±7.80) years. Among them, there were 470 patients with stage I, 422 patients with stage II, and 110 patients with stage III. There were significant differences in the distribution of thickening of the interlobular septum, bronchial perivascular interstitial mass thickening, parenchymal banding, intralobular interstitial thickening, subpleural interstitial thickening, and honeycomb across different stages (P<0.05). Statistically significant differences in p, q, and r subsets of round nodules were found in patients with pneumoconiosis at different stages (P<0.05). Observed nodule types included solid nodules, pure ground-glass shadow nodules, and partial solid nodules. There were statistically significant differences in pulmonary tuberculosis and bronchiectasis among different stages of coal workers' pneumoconiosis (P<0.05). There were statistically significant differences in interstitial shadows and patches combined with interstitial shadows among different stages of pneumoconiosis complicated with pneumonia (P<0.05). Conclusion MSCT provides images of the progression of coal workers' pneumoconiosis and have a certain relationship with the stages of coal workers' pneumoconiosis, which is conducive to the formulation of reasonable treatment plans in the early clinical stage. Therefore, in the diagnosis and treatment of pneumoconiosis, a great attention should be paid to the imaging technology of chest computerized tomography, especially the use of MSCT examination.
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Background It is a research hotspot to study the changes of metabolites and metabolic pathways in the process of coal worker's pneumoconiosis (CWP) by metabonomics and to explore its pathogenesis. Objective To study the change of metabolites in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of patients with CWP and explore the metabolic regulation mechanism of the disease. Methods Patients with CWP who met the national diagnostic criteria according to Diagnosis of occupational pneumoconiosis (GBZ 70-2015) and underwent massive whole lung lavage were selected as the case group, and patients with tracheostenosis who underwent bronchoscopy were selected as the control group. BALF samples were collected from the cases and the controls. After filtering out large particles and mucus, the supernatant was stored in a −80 ℃ refrigerator. The samples were detected and analyzed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry after adding extraction solution, cold bath ultrasonication, and high-speed centrifugation, and the metabolic profiles and related data of CWP patients were obtained. The differential metabolites related to the occurrence and development of CWP were screened by multiple statistical analysis; furthermore, we searched the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database for potential metabolic pathways involved in the progression. Results There was no significant difference in the general conditions of the subjects, such as weight, height, age, and length of service among the stage I group, the stage II group, the stage III group, and the control group (P˃0.05). When comparing the CWP stage I group with the control group, 48 differential metabolites were screened out, among which 14 were up-regulated and 34 were down-regulated. A total of 66 differential metabolites were screened out between the patients with CWP stage II and the controls, 14 up-regulated and 52 down-regulated differential metabolites. Compared with the control group, 63 differential metabolites were screened out in the patients with CWP stage III, including 11 up-regulated and 52 down-regulated differential metabolites. There were 36 differential metabolites that may be related to the occurrence of CWP, among which 11 differential metabolites were up-regulated, and 25 were down-regulated. Four significant differential metabolic pathways were identified through KEGG database query: linoleic acid metabolic pathway, alanine metabolic pathway, sphingolipid metabolic pathway, and glycerophospholipid metabolic pathway. Conclusion The metabolomic study of BALF show that there are 36 different metabolites in the occurrence and development of CWP, mainly associating with linoleic acid metabolism, alanine metabolism, sphingolipid metabolism, and glycerophospholipid metabolism pathways.
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Background Pneumoconiosis is a widespread occupational disease in China at present. As a type of lung diseases, its pathological damage is mainly irreversible fibrotic changes in the lungs. Several studies have shown that the occurrence and development of lung diseases such as coal workers' pneumoconiosis are closely related to intestinal flora. Objective To observe intestinal flora of coal workers' pneumoconiosis patients based on the results of 16SrDNA high-throughput sequencing and evaluate the changes of intestinal flora after treatment with tetrandrine tablets. Methods A total of 80 patients with coal workers' pneumoconiosis attending the outpatient clinic of the Department of Occupational Diseases of the Emergency General Hospital from April to July 2022 were enrolled. All patients were treated with tetrandrine tablets for 4 weeks, with group A before the treatment of tetrandrine tablets and group B after the treatment. In the same period, 24 healthy controls (group C) were set up. Stool samples were collected before and after the treatment. Using 16SrDNA high-throughput sequencing, gene V3-V4 sequencing technology, and bioinformatic analysis platform, we evaluated the intestinal flora after treatment by groups. Results The dominant flora at the phylum level and genus level were the same across three groups. The relative abundances of phylum Bacteroidetes, Bifidobacterium, Bacteroides, and Facealibacterium in groups B and C were higher than those in group A, and the relative abundances of phy-lum Actinobacteria, genus Blautia, and genus Romboutsia in groups B and C were lower than those in group A (P＜0.05). The relative abundances of genus Clostridium, genus Megamonas, and genus Lactobacillus in group C was lower than that in groups A and B (P＜0.05). The alpha diversity analysis showed that the Chao1 index was higher in group A than in group C (P＜0.01). Compared with group A, the Shannon index was higher in group B, and the increases of Simpson index were all statistically significant in stage I patients (P＜0.05), but the differences in Chao1 index were not statistically significant (P＞0.05). The differences in the values of Chao1 index, Shannon index, and Simpson index in stage Ⅱ and stage III patients were not statistically significant (P＞0.05). The beta diversity analysis showed that the difference in flora structure between group A and group C was statistically significant (P＜0.05); the differences in flora structure before and after treatment in the same stage patients were statistically significant (P＜0.05). The partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) showed that there were significant differences between group A and group C, and between group A and group B. The LEfSe analysis showed that the significant markers contributing to the differences were basically the same in stage I, stage Ⅱ, and stage Ⅲ after treatment, which were mainly phylum Bacteroidetes and its subordinate groups, class Negativicutes, or-der Selenomonas, and genus Facealibacterium. Conclusion There are differences in the distribution of flora between coal workers' pneumoconiosis patients and healthy individuals, and the structure and relative abundance of intestinal flora are changed and the number of beneficial flora is increased after treatment with tetrandrine tablets.
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Background Coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) is a serious occupational lung disease and one of the prescript occupational diseases in China. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is involved in the diffuse fibrosis of lung tissue of pneumoconiosis patients, and its mechanism may be related to the polarization of macrophages regulated by let-7c. Objective To investigate the effect of let-7c on the regulation of macrophage polarization in EMT in rats induced by coal dust exposure with different content of free SiO2. Methods SD rats were randomly divided into a control group, a 5% SiO2 group, a 30% SiO2 group, and a 99.9% SiO2 group, with 16 rats in each group. The rats in each group were tracheally titrated with 100 μL of 20 mg·mL−1 suspension (5% SiO2, 30% SiO2, and 99.9% SiO2) or normal saline, respectively. Alveolar lavage fluid was collected at the ends of the 1st month and the 3rd month. The relative expression levels of M1 or M2 markers, CD86 or CD206, in alveolar macrophages (AMs) were detected by immunofluorescence. The inflammation and fibrosis of lung tissue were observed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and Masson staining. The expression levels of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), E-cadherin, and vimentin were detected by Western blotting. The expression levels of let-7c and c/EBP-δ genes were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. Results The HE and Masson staining results showed that compared with the control group, the degree of pulmonary fibrosis in the 5% SiO2 group, the 30% SiO2 group, and the 99.9% SiO2 group gradually increased with the increase of dust exposure time. Compared with the control group, the expressions of CD86 and CD206 in the 5% SiO2 group, the 30% SiO2 group, and the 99.9% SiO2 group gradually increased at the end of the 1st month (F=330.904, 146.801, P<0.05), and the expression of CD86 in each group decreased gradually at the end of the 3rd month (F=331.781, P<0.05), but the expression of CD206 increased (F=1164.190, P<0.05). At the end of the 1st month, the expressions of TGF-β1 (F=8.847, P<0.05) and vimentin (F=13.275, P<0.05) gradually increased, and the expression of E-cadherin (F=6.253, P<0.05) gradually reduced in the 5% SiO2 group, the 30% SiO2 group, and the 99.9% SiO2 group. At the end of the 3rd month, the expressions of TGF-β1 (F=16.833, P<0.05) and vimentin (F=55.021, P<0.05) increased, and the expression of E-cadherin (F=12.790, P<0.05) gradually decreased in all groups. The PCR results showed that compared with the control group, the expression of let-7c mRNA in the 5% SiO2 group, the 30% SiO2 group, and the 99.9% SiO2 group increased at the ends of the 1st month and the 3rd month (F=11.251, 28.136, P<0.05). The expression of c/EBP-δ mRNA decreased in all groups at the ends of the 1st month and the 3rd month (F=49.204, 177.090, P<0.05). Conclusion In response to dust stimulation, let-7c promotes EMT by modulating macrophage polarization, which is involved in the formation of pulmonary fibrosis and thus influences the progression of CWP .
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Background and objective: Silicosis is one of the oldest occupational lung diseases. However, there are very few studies identifying the anthropometric variables associated with silicosis. The present study aimed at studying the association between body surface area (BSA), pulmonary function indices, and 6-minute walk distance (6MWD) in patients with silicosis. Materials and methods: The study was conducted on 102 male patients of silicosis. Height and weight were measured to calculate BSA. Spirometry and 6 minute-walk tests were performed. Data were analyzed using EPI info V 7 software. Student's t-test of significance (ANOVA) was applied to test the difference between means. Results: There are no significant changes found in the 6-minute walk distance with years of exposure and BSA. Statistically significant lower values of pulmonary function indices were observed in patients with BSA <1.6 sq m. Statistically significant higher values of forced expiratory volume in the first second and forced vital capacity were observed in patients with BSA >1.9 sq m in all categories of exposure. Conclusion: In conclusion, patients of silicosis with >1.9 sq m BSA had higher values of pulmonary function indices. Large body size may be of value in protection from developing occupational lung disease.