Potential biomarker of coal workers' pneumoconiosis

It is well known that various cytokines and growth factors secreted from ma crophages/monocytes play the key role in the pathogenesis of pneumoconiosis . These can act as biosensors for the prediction of pneumoconiosis. To eval uate which cytokines can be used as sensitive biomarkers in pneumoconiosis, we measured tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-8 (IL-8) and platelet-derived growth factor-AA (PDGF-AA) in supernatant of monocytes with or without coal dust (5 mg/ml) and serum in 42 coal miners with pneum oconiosis and ten healthy control. The coal-stimulated release of TNF-alpha and IL-8 from blood monocytes was significant increased in pneumoconiosis patients compared with controls, The level of TNF-alpha and IL-8 in blood s erum was higher in subjects with pneumoconiosis than in controls. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.