Serum type III procollagen N-terminal peptide in coal miners

Health surveillance of workers exposed to fibrogenic agents ideally should identify individuals at risk or detect pulmonary fibrosis in preclinical stages. We investigated serum procollagen type III N-terminal peptide (PIIIP) in several groups of active miners and in a nondust-exposed control group. The purpose of this study was to determine the applicability of PIIIP as an early noninvasive marker of pulmonary fibrosis in workers exposed to coal mine dust. PIIIP levels were significantly elevated in miners without radiological signs of coal workers pneumoconiosis (CWP) as compared with the nonexposed controls. However, in coal miners with CWP beyond ILO classification 1/0, PIIIP levels were not significantly different from nondust-exposed controls. Trend analysis within the miners group indicated a decrease in PIIIP levels with progression of the fibrosis. Our data suggest that detection of early lung fibrosis by measuring serum PIIIP values may be more sensitive than radiological diagnosis of CWP. However, follow-up of the control miners with respect to serum PIIIP and chest radiography is essential to validate PIIIP as a biological marker for CWP.