Blood Levels of IL-Iβ, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, and MCP-1 in Pneumoconiosis Patients Exposed to Inorganic Dusts

Inhaled inorganic dusts such as coal can cause inflammation and fibrosis in the lung called pneumoconiosis. Chronic inflammatory process in the lung is associated with various cytokines and reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation. Expression of some cytokines mediates inflammation and leads to tissue damage or fibrosis. The aim of the present study was to compare the levels of blood cytokines interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 among 124 subjects (control 38 and pneumoconiosis patient 86) with category of chest x-ray according to International Labor Organization (ILO) classification. The levels of serum IL-8 (p = 0.003), TNF-α (p = 0.026), and MCP-1 (p = 0.010) of pneumoconiosis patients were higher than those of subjects with the control. The level of serum IL-8 in the severe group with the small opacity (ILO category II or III) was higher than that of the control (p = 0.035). There was significant correlation between the profusion of radiological findings with small opacity and serum levels of IL-1β (rho = 0.218, p < 0.05), IL-8 (rho = 0.224, p < 0.05), TNF-α (rho = 0.306, p < 0.01), and MCP-1 (rho = 0.213, p < 0.01). The serum levels of IL-6 and IL-8, however, did not show significant difference between pneumoconiosis patients and the control. There was no significant correlation between serum levels of measured cytokines and other associated variables such as lung function, age, BMI, and exposure period of dusts. Future studies will be required to investigate the cytokine profile that is present in pneumoconiosis patient using lung specific specimens such as bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), exhaled breath condensate, and lung tissue.