[Value of computerized tomography in the diagnosis of complicated pneumoconiosis in coal miners]. / Valor de la tomografía computarizada en el diagnóstico de neumoconiosis complicada de mineros del carbón.

To assess the value of computed tomography (CT) scanning for the diagnosis of complicated pneumoconiosis, or progressive massive fibrosis (PMF), we conducted a prospective study of 127 subjects who had worked in coal mines for at least 15 years. Sixty-two suffered simple pneumoconiosis (nodular profusion > or = 1/1 under the ILO-80 international classification system) visible on simple chest films. None were diagnosed of PMF on the basis of X-ray evidence. CT led to a diagnosis of PMF in 8 cases (6.3%; CI 95%, 2.68-11.82). PMF was category A in all 8; all of them had had chest film evidence of simple pneumoconiosis. Six (75% of these patients had q and/or r nodulation; in 5 (62.5%) the nodules tended to confluence. These figures were significantly higher (p < 0.05, Fisher's test) than in the group of patients with no PMF, among whom 54 (45.3%) had SP, 2 (1.68%) had q and or r nodulation and 3 (2.52%) tended to confluence. We observed no differences in FVC, FEV1, the FEV1/FVC ratio or DLCO between the PMF and non PMF groups. Our results suggest that CT scans can be useful for diagnosing PMF in some cases in which it is suspected bases on chest X-ray findings (simple pneumoconiosis, q and/or r nodulation, tendency to confluence).

Presence of acute phase response in coal workers' pneumoconiosis.

To evaluate the role of personal factors in pneumoconiosis, several acute phase proteins were studied in 62 coal miners without acute illnesses and classified as having no pneumoconiosis (n = 19), simple pneumoconiosis (n = 23), or complicated pneumoconiosis with progressive massive fibrosis (n = 20). Groups were similar for age, years of work at high risk jobs, chronic bronchitis, and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1). C-reactive protein concentration was significantly higher in the simple and complicated pneumoconiosis groups in comparison with the no pneumoconiosis group. The C-reactive protein concentration was above the upper normal value in 12 (27.9%) out of 43 cases with simple and complicated pneumoconiosis. On the other hand only one case of no pneumoconiosis was above the upper normal range (5.3%), a significant difference taking into account a stratified analysis for chronic bronchitis. Fibrinogen concentration was significantly increased in the simple pneumoconiosis group compared with the no pneumoconiosis group. The value of fibrinogen was above the upper normal limit in 17 out of the 43 cases with pneumoconiosis (39.5%) by contrast with two cases in the no pneumoconiosis group (10.5%). No significant differences in alpha 1-antitrypsin and ceruloplasmin concentrations were found between groups. In conclusion, an alteration in some acute phase proteins related to pneumoconiosis was found in miners. This could be used as a marker of disease activity and personal response against the pathogenic agent.