Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

D E Banks

Publications and source records attributed to D E Banks.

51 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1983

Silicosis in surface coalmine drillers.

Surface coalminers are generally thought to be at minimal risk of developing pneumoconiosis. Biopsy-proved silicoproteinosis was found in a 34-year-old surface coalmine driller, and two of nine other drill crew members who worked for the same company had chest radiographic findings compatible with simple silicosis. Reanalysis of data from a previous United States Public Health Service survey of surface coalminers, after exclusion of those with underground mining experience, showed that 38% of the cases of pneumoconiosis occurred in drill crew members, a group comprising only 11% of the study population. On the basis of these data surface coalmine drillers appear to have an increased risk of developing occupational lung disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Bronchoalveolar lavage cell--lymphocyte interactions in normal nonsmokers and smokers. Analysis with a novel system.

We investigated the ability of smoker and nonsmoker pulmonary alveolar macrophages (AM) to facilitate lymphocyte proliferative responses in a novel system allowing separation of lymphocyte and AM effects. Bronchoalveolar lavage cells (BLC) were obtained from 7 nonsmokers and 5 older smokers and cultured with purified peripheral blood lymphocytes (PL) and the mitogen phytohemagglutinin. Increasing amounts of BLC were added such that BLC/PL ratios were 1:100, 1:10, 1:2, 1:1 of either autologous or homologous PL. Lymphocyte proliferation was dose-related, increasing with 1:100 and 1:10 BLC/PL ratios, and decreasing to or below initial responses with 1:2 or 1:1 ratios. Depletion of T-lymphocytes from BLC demonstrated that these effects were mediated by AM. Phytohemagglutinin (PHA) dose-response curves of nonsmokers obtained using autologous or homologous PL were not different. When BLC from smokers were cultured with autologous PL, lymphocyte proliferative responses were less than those of similar cultures from nonsmokers. However, when similar smoker BLC were cultured with homologous PL from nonsmokers, proliferative responses were not different from those of nonsmokers. Peak proliferative responses of peripheral blood mononuclear cells were not different from maximal proliferative responses of PL-BLC cultures at any PHA dose. These data show that human AM provide dose-related help and suppression of mitogen-induced lymphocyte proliferation similar to that reported with peripheral blood macrophages. Smoker AM facilitated mitogen-driven proliferation of homologous PL in a normal fashion, demonstrating the utility of this culture system in distinguishing lymphocyte effects present in autologous cultures.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Silicosis in the 1980's.

At the request of the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recently investigated the health of workers at two silica flour mills. Both mills have a long history of failure to maintain workplace concentrations of dust containing free silica below the MSHA exposure standard. Thirty-seven percent of sixty-one workers and ex-workers with one or more years of silica dust exposure had chest radiographic evidence of silicosis. Because of the high prevalence of silicosis in workers at these two silica flour producers, MSHA silica dust measurements were reviewed for twenty-five other active U.S. silica flour producers. Eighty-nine percent of the work force in these 27 silica flour producers are employed at workplaces where more than twenty-five percent of the dust samples reviewed were above the exposure standard. Fifty-three percent of all samples were above the MSHA standard. No significant decline in silica dust levels occurred during the period (1974-1979) covered by the data supplied by MSHA. Based on the NIOSH study and MSHA data, it is apparent that the risk of silicosis is very high among workers in this industry. Prevention of this disease will require a concerted effort of government enforcement agencies, workers and management.

Dust↗
PubMed1981

Silicosis in silica flour workers.

In July 1979, the health of 86 current and ex-workers at 2 silica mining and milling operations in southern Illinois was examined using a respiratory questionnaire, spirometry, and chest radiographs. None of 25 current workers with less than 1 yr of exposure to silica dust had radiographic evidence of silicosis. For 61 current workers and ex-workers with 1 or more yr of exposure, chest radiographs showed 16 (26%) with simple silicosis and 7 (11%) with progressive massive fibrosis. Of these 23, 8 with simple silicosis and 3 with progressive massive fibrosis began work after the first Mine Safety and Health Administration inspection in 1973. These data and a review of federal dust inspection results between 1973 and 1979 showed that these cases of silicosis could have been prevented by effecting compliance with the existing dust standard.

Adult↗
PubMed1969

Renal emphysema.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Silicon nephropathy mimicking Fabry's disease.

Percutaneous renal biopsy was performed in a surface coal miner with radiographic and histopathologic pulmonary changes consistent with acute silicolipoproteinosis who developed proteinuria and hematuria. Electron microscopic evaluation of the renal tissue specimen revealed a diffusely thickened glomerular basement membrane, foot process effacement, and dense lamellar inclusions in swollen glomerular epithelial cells, similar to those seen in Fabry's disease. However, normal levels of plasma alpha-galactosidase A, normal urinary sediment glycosphingolipids and the absence of the clinical characteristics of Fabry's disease excluded this diagnosis. This case illustrates that electron-dense lamellar inclusions, similar to those seen in Fabry's disease, may be seen in other entities such as nephropathy associated with silicosis.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Inhibitory action of tetrandrine on macrophage production of interleukin-1 (IL-1)-like activity and thymocyte proliferation.

Tetrandrine is a bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid which has been shown to exhibit antifibrotic activity against silicosis. Tetrandrine is characterized by its strong binding to alveolar macrophages and inhibition of particle-induced respiratory burst activity in these phagocytes. In contrast, tubocurine and tubocurarine are structurally similar to tetrandrine but exhibit little effect on fibrosis or activation of alveolar macrophages. The objective of the present study was to test the effect of tetrandrine on macrophage production of monokines in response to occupational dusts, and to determine tetrandrine's effect on monokine-medicated cell growth using a mouse thymocyte proliferation assay and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) as a positive control. Stimulation of alveolar macrophages by respirable silica dust resulted in a release of monokines which caused a fourfold increase in thymocyte proliferation. Coal dust, on the other hand, had no effect on macrophage production of this cytokine. Tetrandrine was found to exhibit a dose-dependent inhibition of monokine release from both silica and LPS-stimulated alveolar macrophages. In experiments where thymocytes were directly treated with tetrandrine, a dose-dependent inhibition of thymocyte proliferation was noted with both interleukin-1-(IL-1) specific and nonspecific mitogenic (concanavalin A) actions. In contrast to the inhibitory potency of tetrandrine, tubocurarine was found to have no effect on either the production of monokines by LPS-stimulated alveolar macrophages or IL-1-mediated thymocyte proliferation. These results provide a correlation between the antifibrotic effect of tetrandrine and inhibition of macrophage activation.

Alkaloids↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Occupational asthma: "the big picture".

With more than 200 agents inducing occupational asthma, an organized approach to identify the impact of both low- and high-molecular-weight agents is important. In this report, our goal is to explain the general categories of the sensitizing agents, present guidelines regarding what might be expected when exposures and sensitization occur, and present a number of references that can be explored to find information regarding the outcome of those with these illnesses.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Can We protect workers from developing the adverse respiratory effects of isocyanate exposure?

In this review, the authors have attempted to present the difficulty in defining a permissible exposure limit (PEL) to agents that act as sensitizers and may induce asthma-even at exposure levels less than the PEL. One approach to this relatively unaddressed problem may be to define the separate aspects of exposure to the specific sensitizing agent. The first effect is an accelerated rate of decline in lung function in nonsensitized individuals who are exposed to the agent (in this case the model used is isocyanates). The second effect is sensitization. Rules for developing a PEL might take this sensitizing effect into account, and this group of agents with such dual effects may be defined as "sensitizers." Exposure to agents with this designation would require special educational and surveillance initiatives to facilitate early detection. The elimination of sensitization may be a greater challenge. An important form of prevention is medical screening of exposed workers, yet it is unclear which screening approach best identifies workers with early isocyanate asthma.

Asthma↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Clinical aspects of coal workers' pneumoconiosis and silicosis.

Coal workers' pneumoconiosis and silicosis are two important respiratory disorders that result from the inhalation of respirable particles in mining. This chapter focuses on the clinical aspects of these disorders, including their pathogenesis and pathology, and approaches to their evaluation and management.

Coal Mining↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Strategies for the treatment of pneumoconiosis.

Regulatory control of dust in the workplace has greatly reduced the development of pneumoconiosis, yet the prevention of silicosis and coal workers' pneumoconiosis has not been accomplished. Cases of pneumoconiosis continue to occur, and there is no proven way to affect the natural history of these progressive inflammatory and fibrotic processes. Although pneumoconiosis and silicosis are considered untreatable in Western countries, in China an aggressive search has been underway for therapeutic agents and clinical procedures to treat these diseases. The important aspects are reviewed for the tried therapies, including corticosteroids, aluminum citrate complex, PVNO, tetrandrine, xinin, and whole lung lavage.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗