Renal and pulmonary functional changes in patients with silicosis

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

Disturbance in serum silicon level in hemodialysis patients in Ramadi

This study was performed during the first quarter of 1998 on 15 hemodialysis patients at the Dialysis Unit in Saddam General Hospital in Ramadi. Serum Silicon as well as other elements were determined by the inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy [ICP]. High levels of silicon and aluminum, associated with low levels of calcium were observed in three patients. No other variations were noticed in other elements. To avoid additional burdens on the health of dialysis patients, the causes of trace element disturbances associated with this technique are discussed, and few recommendations are offered