Indium lung--case reports and epidemiology.
OBJECTIVE
The present review is aimed to introduce an new occupational lung disease, Indium Lung.


METHODS
We searched case reports and epidemiological studies concerning indium-related lung diseases and reviewed.


RESULTS
Up to March, 2010, 7 cases of interstitial pneumonia in Japanese indium-exposed workers, two cases of pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) in US indium-exposed workers, one case of PAP in a Chinese indium-exposed worker, and 4 cross-sectional surveys in Japan had been published. All cases and epidemiological studies in Japan indicate that exposure to hardly soluble indium compounds causes interstitial as well as emphysematous lung damages, which we call "Indium Lung". Based on the epidemiological studies, the Japan Society for Occupational Health proposed 3 μg/l of indium in serum as an occupational exposure limit based on biological monitoring to prevent significant increase of KL-6.


CONCLUSIONS
Long-term follow-up of currently and formerly indium-exposed workers is essential not only to clarify the natural history of indium lung but also to trace the incidence of lung cancer. It is also necessary to elucidate the mechanism of indium lung and difference in clinical manifestations between Japanese and US cases.
Omae
Kazuyuki
K
Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, School of Medicine, Keio University, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan. omae@sc.itc.keio.ac.jp
Nakano
Makiko
M
Tanaka
Akiyo
A
Hirata
Miyuki
M
Hamaguchi
Tsutahiro
T
Chonan
Tatsuya
T
D000328:Adult; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000633:toxicity*; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007204:Indium / Q000633:toxicity*; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D017563:Lung Diseases, Interstitial / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018396:Mucin-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011649:Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism; D011650:Pulmonary Alveoli / Q000187:drug effects; D037663:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein D / Q000378:metabolism; D020711:Threshold Limit Values; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; C060192:MUC1 protein, human; D018396:Mucin-1; D037663:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein D; D007204:Indium