[Relationship between dust exposure and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases and heat shock protein 72 and 73 in lymphocytes among coal miners].
OBJECTIVE
To assess the expression of Hsp72 and Hsp73 in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and to evaluate their roles in damage from coal dust exposure.


METHODS
A case control study of 50 coal miners suffering from COPD and 50 healthy coal miners were selected from one coal mine. The levels of Hsp72 and Hsp73 in peripheral blood lymphocytes were determined by flow cytometry for all subjects.


RESULTS
(1) The expression of basic Hsp72 of peripheral blood lymphocytes for patients and controls was not different from that inducible expressed Hsp72 by 42 degrees C heat stress or by BPDE exposure. (2) The expression of Hsp72 in COPD patients (17.7 +/- 4.9) was significantly lower than that in healthy coal miners (22.6 +/- 10.0) (P < 0.01). On the other hand, the expression of Hsp73 in COPD patients (33.5 +/- 11.7) was higher than that in healthy coal miners (19.6 +/- 5.9) (P < 0.01). (3) A-positive relationship between the expression of Hsp72 and cumulative inhaling coal dust exposure was observed. No relationship was found between Hsp73 and cumulative inhaling coal dust exposure.


CONCLUSIONS
The decreased expressions of Hsp72 in peripheral blood lymphocytes of COPD coal miners.
Xing
Jing-cai
JC
MOE Key Lab of Environmental and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan 430030, China.
Chen
Wei-hong
WH
Wang
Feng
F
Han
Wei-hui
WH
Ren
Hou-mao
HM
Wu
Tang-chun
TC
D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003032:Coal Mining; D004391:Dust; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D050883:HSC70 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D050884:HSP72 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000378:metabolism*
D004391:Dust; D050883:HSC70 Heat-Shock Proteins; D050884:HSP72 Heat-Shock Proteins; C494371:HSPA8 protein, human