title: [Antinuclear antibodies as early diagnostic criteria of developing collagen disease in quartz dust exposure--a case report].
abstract: One and a half years antinuclear autoantibodies (ANA) against Scl-70 and U1-RNP were found in the serum of a quartz dust exposed worker before the clinical manifestation of the progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS). Only a discrete lung fibrosis and an enlargement of the heart was seen at the time of the first autoantibody detection. Because workers with an intensive and long-lasting quartz dust exposition take a high risk to develop PSS a sensitive ANA-screening is indicated at minimum suspicion of chronic collagen disease. The detection of a high ANA-titer in a clinical healthy person may give a hint for the possible future development of such a disease and requires the observation of the clinical course and the paraclinical and immunological parameters. A lung fibrosis and/or an enlargement of the heart in X-ray photographs would indicate visceral early manifestations of the PSS before skin symptoms appear.
authors.affiliation: Arbeitshygienischen Zentrum, Niederdorf.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mehlhorn
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Conrad
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Frank
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ziegler
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Harzbecker
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ullmann
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lüthke
mesh_terms: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000032:analysis*; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology; D004247:DNA / Q000276:immunology; D004264:DNA Topoisomerases, Type I; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004391:Dust / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011791:Quartz / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D001324:Autoantigens; D004391:Dust; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; C048100:Scl 70 antigen, human; D011791:Quartz; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D004247:DNA; D004264:DNA Topoisomerases, Type I
vernacular_title: Antinukleäre Antikörper als frühdiagnostisches Kriterium einer sich entwickelnden Kollagenose bei Quarzstaubexposition--eine Falldemonstration.