[Participation of gonads in pulmonary silicosis]

A survey is given on the participation of endocrine glands in the pulmonary silicosis. At the same time a new clinical and experimental contribution to the question of the appearance of a hypogonadotropic hypogonadism is given. The frequency of this hypogonadism increases with the severity of the pulmonary silicosis. The immunological opinions as well as the neuroergonal ones concerning the pathogenesis of pulmonary silicosis gave the possibility of a better explanation of the mechanisms, by means of which also other organs may be attacked in pulmonary silicosis. The neuroendocrine system gives a defensive answer to the aggressive silicotic pulmonary process, which in general slowly progresses, but which may also be certain hormones from the group of the glucocorticosteroids in the adrenal cortex. The intervention into the axis hypothalamus-hypophysis-adrenal cortex has been provided in all defence processes of the organism against every aggression. By the functional or organic damage of the neuroendocrine system, by the immediate toxic effect of silicium dioxide or the monosilicium acid as well as by the effect of the secondary hypoxia in pulmonary silicosis an insufficiency in the stimulation and excretion of certain hormones develops. The origin of this insufficiency is found in the hypothalamo-hypophyseal centres, and the effects extend to all endocrine glands which depend on the system hypothalamus-hypophysis. This mechanism is made responsible for the appearance of a hypogonadotropic insufficiency of gonads in the course of a pulmonary silicosis and is proved clinically and experimentally in the cases investigated by the authors