Using the large scale sequencing, a novel human cDNA of 1,645 bp was screened from the cDNA library of human fetal brain. The cDNA contains an ORF encoding a 296-aa protein with a calculated molecular weight of 34.0 KD. Compared with that of current sequence databases, the putative protein was found to have 36% homology with protein-disulfide isomerase (PDI). So this cDNA was named PDI like (PDI-L) gene. Multiple tissue Northern blot analysis shows that PDI-L cDNA is expressed in heart, brain, liver, kidneys and so on. The ORF fragment of PDI-L cDNA was inserted into reconstructed pBV220 expression vehicle and its predicted expressive protein was obtained.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Base Sequence ; Cloning, Molecular ; DNA, Complementary ; genetics ; Gene Library ; Humans ; Protein Disulfide-Isomerases ; biosynthesis ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo investigate the possible effects of long-term exposure to dust containing thorium and thoron progeny on dust-exposed miners.

METHODSA negative, high voltage, exhaled thoron progeny measurement system was used to estimate the miners' thorium lung burden.

RESULTSThe highest thorium lung burden of 638 miners was 11.11 Bq. The incidence of stage 0(+) pneumoconiosis was higher among dust-exposed miners. Lung cancer mortality of the dust-exposed miners was significantly higher than that of controls (P < 0.005).

CONCLUSIONThere is a difference in cancer rates between those who have long-term exposure to dust containing thorium (in which carcinogenic ThO(2) and SiO(2) exist) and thoron progeny and those who have not.

Air Pollutants, Radioactive ; adverse effects ; Body Burden ; China ; epidemiology ; Dust ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; epidemiology ; Mining ; Occupational Diseases ; epidemiology ; Occupational Exposure ; adverse effects ; Thorium ; adverse effects