Clinical significance of potential drug-drug interactions in older adults with psychiatric disorders: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Polypharmacy increases the risk of potential drug-drug interactions (pDDIs). This retrospective analysis was conducted to detect pDDIs and adverse drug reactions (ADRs) among older adults with psychiatric disorder, and identify pDDIs with clinical significance. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was carried out based on the medical records of older adults with psychiatric disorders. Data on demographic characteristics, substance abuse, medical history, and medications were extracted. The Lexi-Interact online database was used to detect pDDIs. The minimal clinically important difference (MCID) was set as the change in the Treatment Emergent Symptom Scale (TESS) score between admission and discharge. The median and interquartile ranges were used for continuous variables, and frequencies were calculated for dichotomous variables. Poisson regression was implemented to determine the factors influencing the number of ADR types. The influencing factors of each ADR and the clinical significance of the severity of the ADR were analysed using binary logistic regression. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: A total of 308 older adults were enrolled, 171 (55.52%) of whom had at least 1 pDDI. Thirty-six types of pDDIs that should be avoided were found, and the most frequent pDDI was the coadministration of lorazepam and olanzapine (55.5%). A total of 26 ADRs induced by pDDIs were identified, and the most common ADR was constipation (26.05%). There was a 9.4 and 10.3% increase in the number of ADR types for each extra medical diagnosis and for each extra drug, respectively. There was a 120% increase in the number of ADR types for older adults hospitalized for 18-28 days compared with those hospitalized for 3-17 days. There was an 11.1% decrease in the number of ADR types for each extra readmission. The length of hospitalization was a risk factor for abnormal liver function (P < 0.05). The use of a large number of drugs was a risk factor for gastric distress (P < 0.05) and dizziness and fainting (P < 0.05). None of the four pDDIs, including coadministrations of olanzapine and lorazepam, quetiapine and potassium chloride, quetiapine and escitalopram, and olanzapine and clonazepam, showed clinical significance of ADR severity (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: pDDIs are prevalent in older adults, and the rate is increasing. However, many pDDIs may have no clinical significance in terms of ADR severity. Further research on assessing pDDIs, and possible measures to prevent serious ADRs induced by DDIs is needed to reduce the clinical significance of pDDIs.

PTX3 alleviates hard metal-induced acute lung injury through potentiating efferocytosis.

Prolonged exposure to hard metal dust results in hard metal lung disease (HMLD) characterized by respiratory symptoms. Understanding the pathogenesis and pathological process of HMLD would be helpful for its early diagnosis and treatment. In this study, we established a mouse model of hard metal-induced acute lung injury through one-time intratracheal instillation of WC-Co dust suspension. We found that WC-Co treatment damaged the lungs of mice, leading to increased production of IL-1ß, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-18, inflammatory cells infiltration and apoptosis. In vitro, WC-Co induced cytotoxicity, inflammatory response and apoptosis in macrophages (PMA-treated THP-1) and epithelial cells (A549) in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, RNA-sequence and validation experiments verified that Pentraxin 3 (PTX3), an important mediator in the regulation of inflammation, was elevated both in vivo and in vitro induced by WC-Co. Functional experiments confirmed the PTX3, which was located on the membrane of apoptotic cells, promoted macrophage efferocytosis efficiently. This progress could help block the lung inflammation and contribute to the rapid recovery of WC-Co-induced acute lung injury. These observations provide a further understanding of the molecular mechanism of WC-Co-induced pulmonary injury and disclose PTX3 as a new potential therapeutic approach to relieve WC-Co-induced acute lung injury via efferocytosis.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in particulate matter and serum club cell secretory protein change among schoolchildren: A molecular epidemiology study.

Airborne particulate matter (PM) is a complex mixture containing various kinds of harmful components. Exposure to air PM is associated with childhood respiratory disease, but epidemiological data are limited concerning the circulating respiratory injury protein on the etiology of childhood respiratory disease. Specifically, the role of PM toxic components or its biological effective dose (adduct) in respiratory injury remains unclear. To demonstrate the dose-response relationship and the main mechanism on circulating club cell secretory protein (CC16) from PM compositions among children, we enrolled 273 boarding schoolchildren in China, including 110 and 163 children of whom were in the low- and high-PM exposed areas, respectively. In this study, we measured the internal exposure levels, including serum polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) adduct, urinary metals, and AhR expression, and detected the serum CC16 level as a lung injury marker. Environmental tobacco exposure in children was assessed by urinary cotinine. We found that significantly higher levels of serum CC16, benzo[a]pyridin-7,8-dihydroglycol-9,10-epoxide (BPDE)-albumin adduct, urinary molybdenum, selenium, arsenic, cadmium and barium, and lower level of AhR expression in high-PM exposed group. There was a good association between serum BPDE-albumin adduct and CC16 (ß = 0.222, P = 0.006). There was no association on urinary metals and serum CC16. BPDE-albumin adduct was directly associated with serum CC16 alternation [direct effect = 0.2044, 95% confidence interval (CI) = (0.0426, 0.36)]. PM could cause serum CC16 increased in children. PAH and its adduct might play a key role in lung injury during PM exposure.

Declining Pulmonary Function in Populations with Long-term Exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons-Enriched PM2.5.

This study assesses the effects of long-term exposure to ambient air pollutants on inflammatory response and lung function. We selected 390 male coke oven workers with exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and 115 control workers. The average duration in the exposed group was 9.10 years. The total amount of PAHs was more enriched in PM2.5 which collected from the coke oven workshops compared with the control areas. Correspondingly, the internal PAHs exposure indicated by urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) in the exposure group increased 25.7-fold compared to that of the control group. Moreover, the increasing level of urinary 1-OHP was associated with the decrease of forced expiratory volume in 1 s to forced vital capacity ratio (FEV1/FVC). In non-current smokers of exposure group, inverse correlation of 1-OHP with FEV1/FVC was also found. Particularly, an exposure duration-dependent decline in FEV1/FVC and mean forced expiratory flow between 25% and 75% of forced vital capacity (FEF25-75%) indicated that small airways were functionally obstructed. Furthermore, the increasing serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) was correlated with the decline in pulmonary function in all subjects. These findings provide a clue that long-term exposure to PAHs-enriched PM2.5 impairs pulmonary function in occupational population.

Prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection among coal workers' pneumoconiosis patients in China: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) among coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) patients. To estimate the prevalence of LTBI and identify its associated risk factors among CWP patients. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the prevalence of LTBI. Participants were screened for active TB or a history of TB by X-ray and those that underwent QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT) test. A standardized questionnaire was completed and risk factors were assessed for acquiring TB. Log-binomial regression was used to estimate the LTBI prevalence ratio (PR) in relation to risk factors. RESULTS: Of 244 individuals with CWP (median age 67 years; all male), 162 (66.4%) were QFT positive. In Multivariate analysis, poor workplace ventilation (adjusted prevalence ratio [APR] = 1.26) and intake of fruits regularly (≥4 days of every week) (APR = 0.81) (all p < 0.05) were associated with a decreased risk of QFT. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed a high prevalence of LTBI among individuals with CWP in China. Poor workplace ventilation may be an important contributing factor for LTBI. Regular monitoring and dust control measures need to be improved in workplaces to ensure the safety of workers. Moreover, intake of fruits regularly may be a protective factor for LTBI. However, the effect of fruits should be further studied.

miR-138-1* regulates aflatoxin B1-induced malignant transformation of BEAS-2B cells by targeting PDK1.

Environmental carcinogens-induced lung cancer and potential mechanisms have attracted widespread attention. Currently, microRNAs (miRNAs) have been recognized as key players in development of cancer, among which guide strand of miRNA has been well documented rather than its passenger strand (miRNA*). Our previous study showed that treatment of 0.1 nM AFB1 for 50 passages could induce malignant transformation of immortalized human bronchial epithelial cells stably expressing CYP2A13 (P50 B-2A13 cells). However, the role of miRNAs in this carcinogenic proceeding is still unclear. In present study, 36 upregulated and 27 downregulated miRNAs in P50 B-2A13 cells were first identified by miRNA microarray, and miR-138-1* was selected as a candidate miRNA by RT-qPCR and pilot experiments. Functional studies revealed that miR-138-1* could inhibit proliferation, colony formation, migration and invasion of P50 B-2A13 cells. Further, target analysis and dual-luciferase reporter gene assay identified that miR-138-1(*) was consequentially paired with 3'-UTR of 3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase-1 (PDK1) and decreased the luciferase activity. miR-138-1* could decrease the expressions of PDK1 and its downstream proteins in PI3K/PDK/Akt pathway but not vice versa, indicating that miR-138-1* might affect AFB1-induced malignant transformation through targeting PDK1. As predicted, interference of PDK1 showed the similar effects to miR-138-1* in the proliferation, colony formation, migration and invasion of P50 B-2A13 cells. Our study demonstrated that miR-138-1* played a critical role in AFB-induced malignant transformation of B-2A13 cells by targeting PDK1. Still, the study provides a novel insight into the roles of miRNA* during carcinogenesis, particularly airborne carcinogens-induced lung cancer.

[An analysis of eligibility for occupational health inspection agencies in eight provinces of China].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the eligibility and main problems for occupational health inspection agencies in China, and to provide technical references for improvement of occupational health inspection. METHODS: A survey was performed in occupational health inspection agencies that obtained eligibility before June 2011 in eight provinces: Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Shandong, Hubei, Guangxi, Shanghai, Chongqing, and Shenzhen. The survey used the General Information Questionnaire for Occupational Health Inspection Agency made by the project of Occupational Health Surveillance and Diagnosis and Identification of Occupational Diseases in China and Australia. RESULTS: A total of 650 agencies obtained eligibility for occupational health inspection in the eight provinces. These agencies contained 343 centers of disease control and prevention (CDC) or health and epidemic prevention stations (52.8%), 219 hospitals (33.7%), 25 institutes or centers for occupational disease prevention and control (3.8%), 29 community health service centers (4.5%), and 34 other agencies (5.2%) including departments of preventive and health care and preventive medicine outpatient departments. Four hundred and fifty-three agencies completed the questionnaire survey with a response rate of 69.7%. The main types of eligible agencies were different among various regions. A majority of occupational health inspection agencies were hospitals in Shanghai and Zhejiang (67.1%, 62.3%), departments of preventive and health care in Shenzhen (70.0%), and CDCs in Chongqing, Jiangsu, Hubei, and Guangxi. Each agency obtained 3.5 occupational health inspection eligibilities on average. Most of agencies could perform eligible health inspection for dust, harmful physical factors, or harmful chemical factors (84.8%, 87.9%, 87.2%). Moreover, 72.8% of agencies were eligible for all the three types of inspections. A few agencies were able to perform eligible health inspection for harmful biological factors or radiation work (22.5%, 23.0%). CONCLUSION: An occupational health inspection network has been established in these surveyed regions. CDCs, institutes for occupational disease prevention and control, and hospitals are the main agencies for occupational health inspection. In order to build up a network of occupational disease prevention and control, various agencies should make full use of their own advantages and enhance abilities and technical cooperation.

[A systematic review of digital radiography for the screening and recognition of pneumoconiosis].

OBJECTIVE: To conduct a systematic review of studies reporting the comparison of digital radiography (DR) with conventional film-screen radiograph (FSR) in the screening and recognition of pneumoconiosis worldwide, to evaluate the feasibility of DR in the screening and recognition of pneumoconiosis, to analyze the similarity and difference between DR and FSR, to explore the main challenge to utilize DR in the future. METHODS: The national and international databases were systematically searched for original articles on DR for screening and recognition of pneumoconiosis published from first Jan 1998 to first Nov 2013, making evaluation and selection of them, and qualitative data and quantitative data were extracted independently from the selected articles and systematically reviewed. RESULTS: Five hundred and twenty articles were found and evaluated and nine of them met the inclusion criteria of systematic review. The research time started from 2002 to 2011 whose objects mainly came from pneumoconiosis cases and dust-exposed workers and control population examined with DR and FSR using the high kV radiography from 120 to 130 kV. The chest radiographs were read at blind and random and standard control method. There were only two papers compare the validity of DR and FSR for recognition and classification of pneumoconiosis using gold standards. There were still some diversity of imaging processing and imaging reading without design and assessment using Standards for Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy (STARD) in these researches. The evaluation index of the nine articles include detection rate of small opacities, crude agreement, Kappa value of Kappa Consistency Test, Area Under the Curve of ROC, etc. Seven of the nine selected articles estimated DR has generally produced superior image qualities compared to FSR. Four papers had a conclusion that DR could be equivalent to FSR in identification of shapes and profusion of small opacities and in classification of pneumoconiosis. Five papers considered DR had higher presence of pneumoconiosis comparing with FSR especially in recognition the pneumoconiosis of category 1. The variation between different film formats of DR and FSR were smaller than that within and between readers for classification of pneumoconiosis. CONCLUSION: Although there are still some imperfections in the existent researches to solve, DR can be equivalent to FSR in screening and recognition of pneumoconiosis. It is necessary to develop technical specifications of DR and standard digital chest radiographs for pneumoconiosis including both hard copy and soft copy, and develop an evaluation criterion on chest images of DR.

Association between exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and levels of lipid profile based on human studies.

Epidemiological evidence suggests that exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is associated with lipid profile levels, but with inconsistent conclusions from different studies. The aim of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis of the relationship between PFAS exposure and lipid profile levels based on population-based epidemiological studies. Embase, PubMed, Ovid database, The Cochrane Library and Web of Science database were used to search appropriate studies (before September 6, 2022) on the correlation between PFAS exposure and lipid profile levels. ß value, odd ratio (OR) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were extracted from studies. In this study, we found that higher low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels were associated with exposure to perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnDA) (ß value=0.13, 95 % CIs: 0.02, 0.24) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) (ß value=0.13, 95 % CIs: 0.04, 0.21). PFOA, PFOS and PFNA exposure were significantly related to the higher levels of total cholesterol (TC) with the pooled effect estimates of 0.08 (95 % CI: 0.02, 0.14), 0.13 (95 % CI: 0.05, 0.21) and 0.14 (95 % CI: 0.08, 0.20) respectively. In sum, our results identified that PFOA, PFOS, PFNA and PFUnDA were the most important risk factors for abnormal levels of lipid profile, indicating that we should prevent cerebrovascular disease by reducing and controlling PFAS exposure.

[Misdiagnosis of pneumoconiosis or silicotuberculosis in China: a pooled analysis of 1178 cases].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the situation and causes of misdiagnosis of pneumoconiosis or silicotuberculosis in China by pooled analysis, and to provide a reference for the clinical diagnosis of pneumoconiosis in China and reduce the misdiagnosis rate. METHODS: A computer search was performed to collect the studies on the misdiagnosis of pneumoconiosis or silicotuberculosis published in China from 1985 to 2013. The obtained data were subjected to pooled analysis to investigate the causes of misdiagnosis and seek the measures for reducing misdiagnosis. RESULTS: Fifty-nine studies involving 1178 cases of misdiagnosed pneumoconiosis or silicotuberculosis were collected. There were 13 causes of misdiagnosis, and the most common one was the poor ability of identification due to inadequate experience in reading chest X-ray films (45.93%), followed by neglect of patient's occupational history (44.99%). Other causes of misdiagnosis included complex X-ray findings that are difficult to judge (29.03%), poor quality of chest radiographs (23.09%), and lack of regular health supervision (19.95%). CONCLUSION: Inadequate experience of physicians is the main cause of misdiagnosis of pneumoconiosis or silicotuberculosis. To reduce misdiagnosis of the disease, measures should be taken to enhance the training and evaluation of knowledge and skills of diagnosis and differential diagnosis of pneumoconiosis among physicians.

[A comparative study of the occupational disease list between Taiwan region and the mainland].

OBJECTIVE: To provide technical reference for the revision of the list of occupational diseases of China, the list of occupational diseases between the Taiwan district and the Mainland China have been analyzed and compared. METHODS: Focus on the system of occupational diseases list between the Taiwan district and the Mainland China, the literature analysis and comparative methods were commonly used, and to explore the similarities and differences of the list of occupational diseases between the mainland and Taiwan. RESULTS: The list of occupational diseases between the mainland and Taiwan shows uniformity in the legislative process, the status and role, classification, but exists difference in the enumeration mode, the legal basis of the development, the institutions to develop the list, classification and coverage et al. CONCLUSION: To revise the National List of Occupational Diseases, the socio-economic development requirements should be based on, combined with social security capacity, gradually expand the coverage of occupational diseases, to adapt to the needs of the occupational disease prevention.

[Analysis of qualifications of medical and health institutions and certified doctors for providing occupational disease diagnosis in China].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the qualifications and current situations of the medical and health institutions and certified doctors for providing occupational disease diagnosis in China and to provide a reference for developing relevant policies. METHODS: Work reports and questionnaires survey were used to investigate the qualifications of all medical and health institutions and certified doctors for providing occupational disease diagnosis in China and their acceptance and diagnosis of occupational disease cases from 2006 to 2010. The rate for the work reports was 100%, and the response rate for the questionnaires was 71.0%. RESULTS: By the end of 2010, in the 31 provincial-level regions (excluding Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan) in China, there had been 503 medical and health institutions which were qualified for providing occupational disease diagnosis, including 207 centers for disease control and prevention, accounting for 41.2%, 145 general hospitals, accounting for 28.8%, 69 enterprise-owned hospitals, accounting for 13.7%, and 64 institutes or centers for occupational disease prevention and control, accounting for 12.7%; 4986 certified doctors got the qualification for providing occupational disease diagnosis, with 9.4 certified doctors on average in each institution, and there was 0.65 certified doctor per 100 000 employees. In addition, 16.5% of the institutions got all the qualifications for diagnosing 9 occupational diseases, and 17.1% of the institutions got the qualification for diagnosing one occupational disease. Each certified doctor accepted diagnosis of 16.8 cases of occupational diseases on average every year. CONCLUSION: A national occupational disease diagnosis network has been established in China, but the imbalance in regional distribution and specialty programs still exists among the qualified medical and health institutions and certified doctors. It is essential to further strengthen the development of regional qualified medical and health institutions and training of qualified doctors.

Prevalence and Types of Comorbidities in Pneumoconiosis - China, 2018-2021.

What is already known about this topic?: Pneumoconiosis, recognized as one of the most detrimental occupational diseases in China, exhibits a multimorbidity profile due to a plethora of comorbidities and complications. These factors significantly influence the treatment outcomes, progression, prognosis, and overall quality of life of the afflicted patients. What is added by this report?: The present study examined the prevalence and types of comorbidities, encompassing 13 common diseases or conditions, within cases of pneumoconiosis across 27 provincial-level administrative divisions (PLADs) in China. Distinctions in multimorbidity distribution by gender, urban vs. rural areas, stages of pneumoconiosis, and the smoking index were considered. Furthermore, the study investigated the patterns of multimorbidity. What are the implications for public health practice?: This study serves as a reference point for the formulation of treatment strategies and health policy development concerning pneumoconiosis in China.

Impact of Whole Lung Lavage on Pneumoconiosis Patients - China, 2018-2022.

What is already known about this topic?: The application of whole lung lavage (WLL) for the clinical treatment of pneumoconiosis is prevalent in China. Several scholars have reported success in the treatment of early-stage pneumoconiosis. Nonetheless, the overall efficacy of WLL in the management of pneumoconiosis remains ambiguous. What is added by this report?: The preliminary evaluation of the effects of WLL on pneumoconiosis patients was conducted using follow-up data from 2020 to 2022, after controlling for confounding factors via propensity score matching. While the study found that WLL may improve some pneumoconiosis symptoms, no significant enhancements were observed in overall health status or quality of life. What are the implications for public health practice?: The findings of this research indicate limited efficacy of WLL in treating patients with pneumoconiosis, thereby suggesting that it should not be utilized as a standard treatment procedure for this condition.

An Analysis of Targeted Serum Lipidomics in Patients with Pneumoconiosis - China, 2022.

Introduction: Pneumoconiosis emerges as the most critical and prevalent occupational disease in China at present, according to research. Studies indicate that pneumoconiosis may indeed impact the body's phospholipid metabolism. Methods: In this study, serum samples were taken from 46 paired participants, which included patients with pneumoconiosis and dust-exposed workers. We employed ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) technology in targeted lipidomics to investigate serum target phospholipids. Initially, a pilot study was conducted with a selection of 24 pneumoconiosis patients and 24 dust-exposed workers, using both univariate and multivariate statistical analyses to preliminarily identify significant differences in phospholipids. Subsequent to this, the remaining subjects were engaged in a validation study, wherein receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to further substantiate the screening potency of potential lipid biomarkers for pneumoconiosis. Results: The pilot study revealed significantly reduced serum levels of 16∶0 lysophosphatidylcholines (Lyso PC), 18∶0-18∶1 phosphatidylglycerol (PG), 18∶0-18∶1 phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), 18∶0 PE, and 18∶1 lysophosphatidylethanolamine（Lyso PE) in the case group in comparison to the control group. Additionally, 18∶0 PE, 18∶0-18∶1 PE, and 18∶1 Lyso PE emerged as significant phospholipids with superior diagnostic values [area under the curve (AUC)>0.7]. A diagnostic model was established, built on 16∶0 PC and 18∶0 PE (AUC>0.8). In the ROC analyses of validation studies, the 18∶0-18∶1 PE and this diagnostic model demonstrated excellent screening efficiency (AUC>0.7). Discussion: A significant divergence in phospholipid metabolism has been observed between pneumoconiosis patients and dust-exposed workers. The 18∶0-18∶1 PE present in serum could potentially function as a lipid biomarker for pneumoconiosis. Additionally, diagnostic models were developed relying on 16∶0 PC and 18∶0 PE, proving to have superior screening efficiency.

Association between per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and semen quality.

Some studies have suggested that perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) exposure may be associated with semen quality in the general population, but with inconsistent results. To identify a more precise relationship between them, a meta-analysis was performed. We searched Embase, the PubMed, The Cochrane Library, Ovid databases, and Web of Science databases (before March 2022) for appropriate studies on the correlations of PFAS exposure with semen parameters. We extracted ß value and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to conduct meta-analysis. Subgroup analyses was performed by sample size, geographic location, and sample type. A total of seven articles involving 2190 participants were included in this study. The concentrations of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) (ß value = - 1.38; 95% CI: - 2.44, - 0.32) and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) (ß value = - 1.31, 95% CI: - 2.35, - 0.26) were negatively associated with sperm progressive motility. Subgroup analysis revealed that PFNA exposure was related to sperm morphology in studies with the sample size exceeding 200 people (ß value = - 0.14; 95% CI: - 0.26, - 0.01). Our study supports that exposure to some PFASs (e.g., PFNA, PFOA) may be associated with semen quality, such as lower sperm progressive motility. Therefore, it is of great significance for the prevention of male infertility by control the use of PFASs.

Exploration study on serum metabolic profiles of Chinese male patients with artificial stone silicosis, silicosis, and coal worker's pneumoconiosis.

Long-term exposure to inhaled silica dust induces pneumoconiosis, which remains a heavy burden in developing countries. Modern industry provides new resources of occupational SiO2 leading to artificial stone silicosis especially in developed countries. This study aimed to characterize the serum metabolic profile of pneumoconiosis and artificial stone silicosis patients. Our case-control study recruited 46 pairs of pneumoconiosis patients and dust-exposed workers. Nontargeted metabolomics and lipidomics by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry platform were conducted to characterize serum metabolic profile in propensity score-matched (PSM) pilot study. 54 differential metabolites were screened, 24 of which showed good screening efficiency through receiver operating characteristics (ROC) in pilot study and validation study (both AUC > 0.75). 4 of the 24 metabolites can predict pneumoconiosis stages, which are 1,2-dioctanoylthiophosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylcholine(O-18:1/20:1), indole-3-acetamide and l-homoarginine. Kynurenine, N-tetradecanoylsphingosine 1-phosphate, 5-methoxytryptophol and phosphatidylethanolamine(22:6/18:1) displayed the potential as specific biomarkers for artificial stone silicosis. Taken together, our results confirmed that tryptophan metabolism is closely related to pneumoconiosis and may be related to disease progression. Hopefully, our results could supplement the biomarkers of pneumoconiosis and provide evidence for the discovery of artificial stone silicosis-specific biomarkers.

Metal Exposure-Related Welder's Pneumoconiosis and Lung Function: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Container Factory of China.

Long-term inhalation of welding fume at high exposure can cause welder's pneumoconiosis, and metals in welding dust are associated with respiratory dysfunction. This cross-sectional study, which contains 384 Chinese male workers who were or had been working in a container factory, aimed to assess the potential risk of haemal and urinary metal content in welder's pneumoconiosis. Further, we investigated their effects on lung function parameters. Metal content and lung function were measured using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and spirometer, respectively. The concentration and metal content of respirable dust as well as total dust were collected at this container factory. Lung function of cases with welder's pneumoconiosis was significantly worse, as indicated by lower values of FVC, FVC% predicted, FEV1, FEV1% predicted, MEF25% predicted, and MMEF% predicted (p < 0.05). Results of logistic regression models showed that haemal Cr and Zn were risk factors of welder's pneumoconiosis (OR = 4.98, 95%CI: 1.73-21.20, p = 0.009 for Cr; OR = 5.23, 95%CI: 1.56-41.08, p = 0.033 for Zn) after adjusted with age, BMI, working years, welding dust exposure years, and smoking status. Multiple linear regression models showed that several metals (haemal Cd and Pb; urinary Cd and Fe) were significantly associated with different lung function indices in the welder's pneumoconiosis group. Compared to non-welders, welders were exposed to considerably higher levels of respirable dust, total dust, and six kinds of metals (p < 0.05). In conclusion, haemal Cr and Zn are positively related to welder's pneumoconiosis. Meanwhile, Cd and Pb might worsen lung function in welder's pneumoconiosis.

Epidemiological characteristics of pulmonary tuberculosis in patients with pneumoconiosis based on its social determinants and risk factors in China: a cross-sectional study from 27 provinces.

BACKGROUND: Patients with pneumoconiosis have an elevated risk of contracting pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) and need particular attention. However, extensive population-based studies on the prevalence of PTB in patients with pneumoconiosis have not been reported in China since 1992. This study aimed to investigate the epidemiological characteristics of PTB in patients with pneumoconiosis based on its social determinants and risk factors in China. METHODS: Based on the Commission on Social Determinants of Health (CSDH) framework, data were obtained from a questionnaire survey of patients with pneumoconiosis from China's 27 provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities) from December 2017 to June 2021. By chi-square and multivariate logistic regression analyses, the epidemiological characteristics of PTB in the patients were identified based on its prevalence and odds ratio (OR) and associated social determinants and risk factors. The population attributable fractions (PAFs) of significant risk factors were also calculated. RESULTS: The prevalence of PTB in patients with pneumoconiosis ( n  = 10,137) was 7.5% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 7.0-8.0%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that risk factors included in-hospital exposure to patients with PTB (OR = 3.30, 95% CI: 2.77-3.93), clinically diagnosed cases (OR = 3.25, 95% CI: 2.42-4.34), and northeastern regions (OR = 2.41, 95% CI: 1.76-3.31). In addition, lack of work-related injury insurance (WRII), being born in a rural area, being unemployed, living in western regions, household exposure to patients with PTB, smoking, being underweight, complications of pulmonary bullae or pneumothorax, hospitalization history, and former drinkers among the rural patients were also statistically significant risk factors. Being born in a rural area, lack of WRII and in-hospital exposure to patients with PTB had higher PAFs, which were 13.2% (95% CI: 7.9-18.5%), 12.5% (95% CI: 8.3-16.7%), and 11.6% (95% CI: 8.8-14.3%), respectively. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of PTB in pneumoconiosis remains high in China; it is basically in line with the CSDH models and has its characteristics.

Serum metabolic profiling of coal worker's pneumoconiosis using untargeted lipidomics.

In this work, untargeted lipidomics was employed to analyze the effects of coal dust exposure on serum metabolite profiles. Furthermore, the potential of differential metabolites as novel biomarkers for diagnosis was investigated by binary logistic classification model. Nineteen differential metabolites were found among the three groups. The compounds were enriched in pathways associated with linoleic acid metabolism and pyrimidine metabolism. Fifty-three differential metabolites were found in coal dust-exposed people and CWP patients, and they were mainly enriched in glycerophospholipid metabolism. Three differential metabolites were correlated with lung function values. The diagnostic model, composed of lysoPI (16:0/0:0), bilirubin, and lysoPC (24:1/0:0), showed strong discrimination ability between dust-exposed people and CWP patients. The sensitivity, specificity, and AUC values of the model were 0.869, 0.600, and 0.750, respectively. The results suggest that coal worker's pneumoconiosis causes abnormal lipid metabolism in the body. A diagnostic model may aid current CWP diagnostic methods, and lysoPI (16:0/0:0), bilirubin, and lysoPC (24:1/0:0) can be used as potential CWP biomarkers. Further study is warranted to validate the findings in larger populations.