title: Serum Levels of Interleukin-8 and Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha in Coal Workers' Pneumoconiosis: One-year Follow-up Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Various cytokines induced by inhalation of coal dust may mediate inflammation and lead to tissue damage or fibrosis, such as coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP).
  
  
  METHODS
  To investigate the relevance of serum cytokines in CWP, the levels of serum interleukin-8 (IL-8) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) as CWP biomarkers in 110 retired coal miners (22 controls and 88 CWP subjects) were related to cross sectional findings and 1-year progressive changes of the pneumoconiosis. Progressive changes of CWP were evaluated by paired comparison of chest radiographs. Analysis by a receiver operating characteristic curve assessed the biomarker potential of each cytokine.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean serum IL-8 level was significantly higher in CWP compared to controls and IL-8 levels correlated with the degree of CWP. The median serum TNF-α level was significantly higher in subjects with progressive CWP compared to subjects without CWP progression. The area under the ROC curve for IL-8 (0.70) and TNF-α (0.72) for CWP identification and progression, respectively, indicated the biomarker potential of the two cytokines. Serum cutoff values of IL-8 and TNF-α were 11.63 pg/mL (sensitivity, 69%; specificity, 64%) and 4.52 pg/mL (sensitivity, 67%; specificity, 79%), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that high levels of serum IL-8 are associated with the presence of CWP and those of serum TNF-α are associated with the progression of CWP.
authors.affiliation: Occupational Lung Diseases Institute, COMWEL, Ansan, Korea.
authors.forename: Jong Seong
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jae Hoon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Joung Oh
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Kyung Myung
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Ji Hong
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Byung-Soon
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Choi