title: Evaluation of cases with silicosis using the parameters related to Fas-mediated apoptosis.
abstract: To establish a new clinical index for immunological abnormalities occurring in silicosis, several clinical parameters related to Fas-mediated apoptosis; i.e., membrane Fas expression on peripheral blood lymphocytes (mFas), serum soluble Fas levels (sFas), serum soluble Fas ligand levels (sFasL), and soluble/membrane Fas mRNA expression ratios (s/mFas ExR) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were investigated. Fifty-eight silicosis patients with no clinical symptoms of autoimmune diseases were the subjects of this study. Factor analysis was performed using 12 clinical parameters including four parameters related to Fas-mediated apoptosis. Two common factors were identified. Factor 1 which consisted of the following parameters; duration of exposure, symptomatic dyspnea, PO2, PCO2, and A-aDO2, should be designated as the respiratory factor for cases with silicosis. The parameters of factor 2 were serum IgG, sFas with high factor loading, titer of ANA, sFasL, and s/mFas ExR. These parameters of factor 2 are indicative of the immunological disorders occurring in silicosis cases. Some cases exhibited abnormalities in parameters of factor 2 but not factor 1. The factor analysis clearly demonstrated that the parameters related to Fas-mediated apoptosis should be the most beneficial for predicting the pre-clinical status of complicated autoimmune diseases in silicosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hygiene, Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki, Okayama 701-0192, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Otsuki
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ichihara
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tomokuni
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sakaguchi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Aikoh
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsuki
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Isozaki
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hyodoh
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kusaka
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kita
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ueki
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000276:immunology*; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D012829:Silicosis / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: C505661:FASLG protein, human; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D019014:fas Receptor