Historical shift in pathological type of progressive massive fibrosis among coal miners in the USA

Details

• Alternative Title:
  Occup Environ Med
• Personal Author:
  Go, Leonard H T ; Rose, Cecile S ; Zell-Baran, Lauren M ; Almberg, Kirsten S ; Iwaniuk, Cayla ; Clingerman, Sidney ; Richardson, Diana L ; Abraham, Jerrold L ; Cool, Carlyne D ; Franko, Angela D ; Green, Francis H Y ; Hubbs, Ann F ; Murray, Jill ; Orandle, Marlene S ; Sanyal, Soma ; Vorajee, Naseema I ; Sarver, Emily A ; Petsonk, Edward L ; Cohen, Robert A
• Description:
  Background
  
  Pneumoconiosis among coal miners in the USA has been resurgent over the past two decades, despite modern dust controls and regulatory standards. Previously published studies have suggested that respirable crystalline silica (RCS) is a contributor to this disease resurgence. However, evidence has been primarily indirect, in the form of radiographic features.
  
  Methods
  
  We obtained lung tissue specimens and data from the National Coal Workers’ Autopsy Study. We evaluated specimens for the presence of progressive massive fibrosis (PMF) and used histopathological classifications to type these specimens into coal-type, mixed-type and silica-type PMF. Rates of each were compared by birth cohort. Logistic regression was used to assess demographic and mining characteristics associated with silica-type PMF.
  
  Results
  
  Of 322 cases found to have PMF, study pathologists characterised 138 (43%) as coal-type, 129 (40%) as mixed-type and 55 (17%) as silica-type PMF. Among earlier birth cohorts, coal-type and mixed-type PMF were more common than silica-type PMF, but their rates declined in later birth cohorts. In contrast, the rate of silica-type PMF did not decline in cases from more recent birth cohorts. More recent year of birth was significantly associated with silica-type PMF.
  
  Conclusions
  
  Our findings demonstrate a shift in PMF types among US coal miners, from a predominance of coal- and mixed-type PMF to a more commonly encountered silica-type PMF. These results are further evidence of the prominent role of RCS in the pathogenesis of pneumoconiosis among contemporary US coal miners.
  
  
• Subjects:
  Adolescent Adult Autism Spectrum Disorder Child Hispanic Or Latino Humans Population Surveillance Prevalence Quality Of Life United States Young Adult

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• Source:
  Occup Environ Med. 80(8):425-430
• Pubmed ID:
  37295943
• Pubmed Central ID:
  PMC10464845
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Funding:
  CC999999/ImCDC/Intramural CDC HHSUnited States/ ; CC/CDC HHSUnited States/
• Volume:
  80
• Issue:
  8
• Collection(s):
  CDC Public Access
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:c6986949feb7e3250f86a0b25fe36e2fa832768b0ea47b1dfd6e3e2fa4cf12007e51a025d36889943e518d29ffe1b28cd88d944400a97eebece66a8a278ea54f
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/132430/cdc_132430_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 917.09 KB ]