title: Changes of tumor necrosis factor, surfactant protein A, and phospholipids in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in the development and progression of coal workers' pneumoconiosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the alterations of biomarkers in the development and progression of coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP).
  
  
  METHODS
  The type and number of cells, and the levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), pulmonary surfactant protein, phospholipids and fibronectin in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were assayed in 14 health active coal miners, 21 coal miners without CWP and 13 miners with CWP of 0/1 to 1/1.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to active coal miners without CWP (8.23 microg/mL), TNF-alpha concentration was gradually decreased when dust exposure was stopped (5.90 microg/mL). Elevated surfactant protein A (SP-A) level and phosphatidylglycerol (PG) to phosphatidylinositol (PI) ratio were found in miners actively exposed to coal dust (6528 ng/mL for SP-A and 10. for PG/PI), and both parameters decreased when CWP progressed from CWP (0/1) (3419 microg/mL for SP-A and 5.9 for PG/PI) to CWP (1/1) (1654 microg/mL for SP-A and 5.5 for PG/PI).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Biomarkers in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid can be used to screen coal miners at high risk of developing coal workers' pneumoconiosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational & Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Jing-Cai
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Xing
authors.forename: Wei-Hong
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Wen-Hui
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Mei-Feng
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Steffeni
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rehn
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bruch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000737:chemistry*; D003032:Coal Mining; D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans; D007739:L Cells; D051379:Mice; D008875:Middle Aged; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000378:metabolism*; D011009:Pneumoconiosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D037662:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein A / Q000378:metabolism*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D010743:Phospholipids; D037662:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein A; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha