Basic mechanisms leading to focal emphysema in coal workers' pneumoconiosis

Journal Article · Mon Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1990 · Environmental Research; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0013-9351(05)80127-6· OSTI ID:6348268

Rom, W N ^[1]

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1. New York Univ. Medical Center, NY (USA)

Coal miners develop focal emphysema characterized by dilatation of second- and third-order respiratory bronchioles with coal mine dust-laden macrophages infiltrating the wall. A reticulin network with small amounts of collagen and atrophy of smooth muscle occurs. To evaluate the mechanisms of lung injury associated with this lesion, 17 long-term non- or ex-smoking West Virginia underground coal miners underwent bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and were compared to healthy nonsmoker and smoker controls. The coal miners had evidence of an alveolar macrophage-neutrophil alveolitis with a significant increase in neutrophils/microliter of epithelial lining fluid and an increased gallium lung scan index (206 +/- 26 units). Alveolar macrophages lavaged from coal miners spontaneously released exaggerated amounts of superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide in vitro compared to nonsmoking controls. Coal workers had significantly elevated levels of neutrophil elastase in BAL fluid complexed with alpha 1-antitrypsin (P less than 0.01) and normal levels of alpha 1-antitrypsin. An accumulation of activated, dust-laden inflammatory cells with increased release of oxidants and elastase may contribute to the development of focal emphysema identified at postmortem in miners with coal workers' pneumoconiosis.

• OSTI ID: 6348268
• Journal Information: Environmental Research; (USA), Journal Name: Environmental Research; (USA) Vol. 53:1; ISSN ENVRA; ISSN 0013-9351
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
016000* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Health & Safety
AEROSOLS
ANIMAL CELLS
ANIMAL TISSUES
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BLOOD
BLOOD CELLS
BODY
BODY FLUIDS
COAL MINERS
COAL MINING
COLLOIDS
CONNECTIVE TISSUE CELLS
DISEASES
DISPERSIONS
EMPHYSEMA
ENZYMES
EPITHELIUM
HYDROLASES
LAVAGE
LEUKOCYTES
LUNGS
MACROPHAGES
MATERIALS
MINERS
MINING
NEUTROPHILS
ORGANS
PATHOGENESIS
PEPTIDE HYDROLASES
PERSONNEL
PHAGOCYTES
PNEUMOCONIOSES
RESIDUES
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM DISEASES
SERINE PROTEINASES
SMOKES
SOLS
SOMATIC CELLS
TISSUES
TOBACCO SMOKES