Anthracosis* ; Coal* ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins

No abstract available.
Anthracosis* ; Mass Screening*

For the evaluation of change of FVC and FEV1 after discontinuance of bronchodilator in the coal workers' pneumoconiosis patients, 17 pairs of patients were selected. They were matched by the age(+/-5 y.o.) and the type of ventilatory impairment. Pulmonary function was measured 2 times bimonthly before and after the drug discontinuance discontinued after measurement of PFT for 2 times. In case group the bronchodilator was discontinued after measurement of PFT for 2 times. In control group there was no interruption of medication. FVC, FEV1 decreased in both group as measurement progress. Simple linear regression coefficients against the month of measurement were calculated in both group and tested for parallelism between two groups. The results of test revealed that both regression coefficients were parallel. So in conclusively, discontinuance of medication of bronchodilator for coal workers pneumoconiosis patients has no effect on the decreasing rate of FVC, FEV1.
Anthracosis ; Coal* ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Pneumoconiosis*

Carbon monoxide diffusing capacity(DLco) was evaluated before and after nifedipine administration in coal workers' pneumoconiosis by the size of radioopacity. Nifedipine was administered to 18 men and 17 men of small round opacity group and large opacity group respectively. Placebo was administered to 19 men and 15 men of small and large opacity group respectively. In large opacity group DLco was increased after nifedipine administration. But, it was not significant statistically(0.05 < p < 0.01). In other groups, there were no significance difference between and after medication.
Anthracosis* ; Carbon Monoxide ; Coal* ; Diffusion* ; Humans ; Male ; Nifedipine* ; Pneumoconiosis

We measured fasting Serum Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (SACE) in 100 healthy controls and 75 coal worker's pneumoconiosis (CWP) patients by a commercial kits (ACEcolor®, Fujirio Inc., Japan) and evaluated this manual method. The linear range extends to an activity of 80U/L. Precision on a commercial control serum (ACE control-N®, Sigma Co.) with a mean value of 9.47U/L yielded a within-run and between-run CVs are 5.6% (N=15) and 6.9% (N=14) respectively. Save in 75 CWP was 20.3±5.7U/L (mean±s.d.); higher than in healthy controls (13.4±3.9U/L, P<0.01). No correlation was found between SACE, sex, and age. The results suggest that the measurement for SACE and follow-up SACE in coal workers may be a useful diagnostic tools for CWP.
Anthracosis* ; Coal* ; Fasting ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Methods

Anthracosis ; prevention & control ; Humans ; Silicosis ; prevention & control ; South Africa

Antinuclear antibody(ANA) and rheumatoid factor(RF) in the sera of 191 coal workers pneumoconiosis(CWP) patients, 65 healthy coal workers, and 52 non-mining controls were examined by the categories of CWP, age, duration of exposure, smoking and drinking habit. Indirect fluorescent antibody technique for ANA and latex agglutination method for RF were applied for detection. ANA was positive in 24.3% of CWP patients, 10.8% of healthy coal workers and 11.5% of non-mining controls. RF was positive in 36.5 % of CWP patients, 13.8 % of healthy coal workers and 9.6 % of non-mining controls.
Agglutination ; Anthracosis* ; Antibodies, Antinuclear* ; Coal* ; Drinking ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect ; Humans ; Latex ; Rheumatoid Factor* ; Smoke ; Smoking

This study was performed to investigate associations between serum alpha(1)-antitrypsin(AAT) concentration and radiological categories of coal workers' pneumoconlosis(CWP), between AAT concentration and pulmonary complications such as tuberculosis and emphysema, and to study associations between AAT concentration and FEV(1.0)% in CWP patients, We classified 254 CWP patients in D Hospital into categories of small opacity profusion. And we selected 86 subjects by with or without emphysematous finding in each categories by proportional stratified sampling method. Semm AAT concentrations were quantkated by single radial immunodiffusion method, and the findings of chest radiographs were evaluated by radilogist. The results were as follows: 1. Serum AAT concentrations were not significantly different among groups of radiological categories of small opacities. 2. Complication of emphysema was associated with smoking habits sigmficantlyl(chi square=12.16, p<0,01). And AAT concentraLion was higher in smokers and ex-smokers than in non-smokers. Serum AAT concentration was significantly higher in the cases with emphysema than in the cdses without emphybema{p<0.01). 3. Serum AAT concentration of the group with active pulmonary tuberculosis was significantly higher than with inactive or without: pulmonary tuberculosis group(p<0.1). 4. Serum AAT concentration of the group with low FEV(1.0)% was significantly higher than with high or normal group(p<0.05).
Anthracosis ; Coal* ; Emphysema ; Humans ; Immunodiffusion ; Pneumoconiosis* ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

BACKGROUND: Coal-worker's pneumoconiosis(CWP) is characterized by a chronic inflammatory lung reaction associated with macrophage accumulation in the alveolar spaces. CWP is usually divided into two stages : simpl e pneumoconiosis(SP) where there are a limited number of fibrotic lesions remain limited, with radiological opacities smaller than 1cm and progressine massive fibrosis(PMF), which is characterized by the development of a perifocal extensive fibrotix response of the lung and severws alterations in pulmonary function. In this study, the lymphocyte compartment and cytokine were evaluated by measuring the serum levels in the control, SP and PMF groups. METHODS: The coal workers selected for this study were employees(patients?) of the Tae-Baek and Dong-Hae hospital. All were men, 45-76 years old and the mean duration of their exposure to coal dust was 23.2 years in the lymphocyte compartment and 24.3 years in the cytokine checked group. According to the X-ray examination results, the patients were classified into either one of the SP, PMF categories. The normal controls examnied were 26-70 years old men. The serum cytokine levels were estimated by using an end point enzyme immunoassay technique. RESULTS: T lymphocyte, helper and suppressor T cells were highly related to pneumoconiosis in this study. A statistically significant decrease in the number of suppressor T lymphocytes was observed in this simple pneumoconiosis patients and at the same time, there was an increase in the lymphocyte index. However, there was no statistically defference in the serum cytokines levels among the SP, PMF and control groups. CONCLUSION: T lymphocyte, helper T, and suppressor T cells may be highly related to the development of CWP compared to the control group particularly in the early stage of pneumoconiosis. The changes obseved in the immunological system in patients with pneumoconiosis may lie at the bottom of the pathogenesis of fibrosis. Further study is needed to evaluated the lymphocyte compartment as a marker of pneumoconiosis developement in the early stage.
Anthracosis* ; Coal* ; Cytokines ; Dust ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Lung ; Lymphocytes* ; Macrophages ; Male ; Pneumoconiosis ; T-Lymphocytes

Occupational lung disease (OLD) is a group of lung diseases caused and/or aggravated by organic and inorganic inhaled dust, fumes, and mist. OLD can develop under various occupational situations. Therefore, occupational history should be considered when evaluating respiratory symptoms. Once OLD is developed, it may not be treated and may even progress after exposure to the causative agents has stopped. The best ways to treat OLD are prevention and early detection by controlling the working environment and conducting regular surveillance of workers. Common OLDs in Korea are coal worker's pneumoconiosis, asbestos-related diseases, and occupational asthma. Recent aspects of these common OLDs in Korea will be described based on recently published studies.
Anthracosis ; Asbestosis ; Asthma ; Asthma, Occupational ; Dust ; Korea ; Lung ; Lung Diseases ; Occupational Diseases ; Pneumoconiosis