REVIEW - Mineral dust exposure and systemic diseases

[Guest guest]

J Environ Pathol Toxicol Oncol. 2000;19(1-2):109-27.

Mineral dust exposure and systemic diseases.

Ebihara I, Kawami M.

Institute for Science of Labor, Kawasaki, Japan.

Based on clinical and immunological studies, we have proposed the

hypothesis that occupational dust exposure might cause not only

pneumoconiosis but also autoimmune diseases and malignancies of

various organs such as neoplasms of lymphatic and hematopoietic

tissues and gastric cancer. Evidence from cohort studies of

pneumoconiotic patients in Japan, copper miners, and stone masons

support our hypothesis. The carcinogenicity and cytotoxic effect of

inhaled dust on immune cells are considered to contribute to the

development of these diseases.

PMID: 10905517

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10905517

--

Not an MD