title: Detection of anti-topoisomerase I autoantibody in patients with silicosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to detect anti-topoisomerase I (anti-topo I) autoantibodies, which are known to be limited in systemic sclerosis patients, in silicosis patients with no clinical symptoms of autoimmune disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum anti-topo I autoantibodies were detected using ELISA. Differences in clinical parameters between patients with and without anti-topo I autoantibodies were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seven of 69 patients had anti-topo I autoantibodies. These 7 patients showed elevated PaCO(2) values (P=0.0212), and inverse correlations between serum soluble Fas levels and PaCO(2) values were found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Anti-topo I autoantibodies were detected in 10.1% of silicosis patients without any clinical symptoms of autoimmune disease. The findings here suggest that the genesis of anti-topo I autoantibodies might be related to pulmonary involvement or lung fibrosis associated with progression of silicosis.
authors: Department of Hygiene, Kawasaki Medical School, 577 Matsushima, 701-0192, Kurashiki, Okayama, Japan, tomosuni@med.kawasaki-m.ac.jp.
authors: Akiko
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