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Updated: Jul 31, 2026

Establishing a Silicosis Rat Model via Exposure of Whole-Body to Respirable Silica
Published on: October 28, 2022
Lung function in silicosis
F J Wiles1, E Baskind, P A Hessel
1Epidemiology Research Unit, Medical Bureau for Occupational Diseases, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Abstract:
In order to assess the effect of silicosis on lung function, 61 gold miners with radiological silicosis were compared with 61 controls. Each pair was matched for age, dust exposure, and smoking habits. A full range of lung function tests was performed, and with two exceptions the results showed no significant differences between the two groups. The exceptions are the slope of the alveolar plateau (phase 3) and the closing volume, for which the silicotic cases had significantly higher values. The reason for the higher readings in the silicotic patients remains unexplained.
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