title: [The study of autophagy in alveolar macrophages of patients with coal workers' pneumoconiosis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the differences in the autophagy activity of alveolar macrophages between patients with different stages of coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 116 coal workers were investigated in the field. Their lung lavage fluid was collected and purified to obtain alveolar macrophages. The morphological characteristics of autophagy were observed by transmission electron microscopy. The expression of autophagy marker (LC3) and autophagy regulators (Beclin1, mTOR, and p-mTOR) was measured by Western blot. The autophagy activity of alveolar macrophages was compared between dust-exposed subjects and patients with stage I, II, and III CWP.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The autophagy activity of alveolar macrophages differed between patients with different stages of CWP, according to transmission electron microscopy. Patients with stage II CWP had significantly higher protein expression of LC3 II/I and Beclin1 in pulmonary macrophages than those with stage ICWP (P < 0.05); patients with stage III CWP had significantly lower protein expression of LC3 II/I and Beclin1 in pulmonary macrophages than those with stage II CWP (P < 0.05), but had significantly higher protein expression of LC3 II/I and Beclin1 than those with stage I CWP (P < 0.05); patients with stage II CWP had a significantly higher protein expression of Beclin1 than the dust-exposed subjects (P < 0.05). Patients with stage II CWP had significantly lower expression of mTOR and p-mTOR in pulmonary macrophages than the dust-exposed subjects and those with stage I CWP (P < 0.05), while patients with stage III CWP had significantly higher expression of mTOR and p-mTOR than those with stage II CWP (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The autophagy activity of alveolar macrophages varies between patients with different stages of CWP.
authors: Hebei united university, Tangshan 063000, China.
authors: Milin
authors: M
authors: Wang
authors: Yulan
authors: Y
authors: Jin
authors: Shi
authors: S
authors: Chen
authors: Sanqiao
authors: S
authors: Yao
authors: Li
authors: L
authors: Zhu
authors: Jianyong
authors: J
authors: Duan
authors: E-mail: yuanjx@heuu.edu.cn.
authors: Juxiang
authors: J
authors: Yuan
mesh_terms: D055008:Anthracosis / Q000473:pathology*; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D001343:Autophagy; D000071186:Beclin-1; D015415:Biomarkers; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid; D003031:Coal; D003032:Coal Mining; D004391:Dust; D006801:Humans; D016676:Macrophages, Alveolar / Q000473:pathology*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D011009:Pneumoconiosis / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; C491997:BECN1 protein, human; D000071186:Beclin-1; D015415:Biomarkers; D003031:Coal; D004391:Dust; C477012:MAP1LC3A protein, human; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins