Chapters authored
Immunological Risks Caused by Fibrous and Particulate Substances
The immunological risks caused by fibrous and particulate substances, especially the effects caused by asbestos fibers and silica particles, are discussed in this chapter. Patients with silicosis often suffer from autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic sclerosis, and antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody–related vasculitis. Silica particles, SiO2, may influence directly various immune cells resulting in the production of many autoantibodies and imbalance between responder and regulatory T cells. The core chemical content of asbestos fibers is Si and O, although the physical feature is different. Considering the complications in asbestos-exposed patients, malignant tumors, such as lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma, are the most important. To think about these situations, asbestos fibers may cause the reduction of antitumor immunity. The experimental findings and measurements of various immunological parameters in silicosis patients, as well as asbestos-exposed population, such as patients with pleural plaque and mesothelioma, are demonstrated and discussed in this chapter.
Part of the book: Environmental Health Risk