Open AccessBiomarkers: A potential prognostic tool for silicosis
Author(s) -
Jai Krishna Pandey,
Deepa Agarwal
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
the indian journal of occupational and environmental medicine/the indian journal of occupational and environmental medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.375
H-Index - 26
eISSN - 1998-3670
pISSN - 0973-2284
DOI - 10.4103/0019-5278.111746
Subject(s) - silicosis , pneumoconiosis , medicine , disease , lung fibrosis , lung function , intensive care medicine , occupational lung disease , lung , pathology , pulmonary fibrosis
Long-term exposure to respirable dust containing silica leads to pneumoconiosis/silicosis. The disease is irreversible and incurable, and only preventive steps such as job rotation, use of personal protective equipment, etc., remain solutions to the problem. Under such a situation, early diagnosis or prediction may become very useful to control the disease. Biomarkers are biological parameters in blood serum that change their values with deposition of dust in the lung and onset of lung fibrosis. Since these biomarkers can help us to diagnose and in the prognosis of the disease before it is actually diagnosed by the conventional X-ray technique and lung function test used for diagnosis of silicosis. The present paper describes the various types of available biomarkers, their application and usefulness. The paper also suggests that further study of the behavior/level of these biomarkers on a specific subject with time may provide more useful information of a confirmatory nature for prevention of dust-linked diseases.