[Diagnostic criteria and medical examination in occupational bronchitis].

The article deals with materials comprehensively tackling a problem of occupational bronchitis--independent nosologic entity in occupational respiratory pathology.

[Preliminary and periodic medical examinations of asbestos production workers].

The article covers general principles of health care for workers in various industries associated with contact to dust containing asbestos. The authors present main requirements of legal papers basing concepts that determine role of employers, trade unions, workers and medical officers in creation and maintenance of safe work conditions, in establishment of prophylactic, therapeutic and rehabilitation measures.

[Features of respiratory diseases in ecologically unfavorable region].

Examination of 400 workers in Bratsk aluminium plant proved respiratory diseases formation to be influenced by both occupational factors and various toxic chemicals that are released into atmosphere by other industrial polluters. Structure of respiratory diseases is represented mainly by diffuse pneumoconiosis caused by toxic and dust factors. Prophylaxis of those diseases should be aimed not only to better work conditions, but also to specify measures improving regional ecologic situation.

[Immunological aspects of modern forms of pneumoconioses].

The authors determined pneumoconiosis as a chronic diffuse or diffuse and granulomatous pneumonitis with pulmonary fibrosis. The article deals with identification of lymphocytes subpopulations through monoclonal antibodies, details peculiarities of cellular immunity in pneumoconiosis patients, contains new data on LgE-dependent inflammatory mechanisms including specific response to industrial dust allergens. Discussion covers ways of immune correction therapy and immune prophylactics in accordance with phases of body response to homotoxins produced due to exogenous dust load.

[Chrysotile asbestos in Russia: certain results and promising research directions].

The article summarizes studies carried in RAMSc Research Institute for Occupational Medicine on chrysotile asbestos. Not denying potential carcinogenicity characteristic for all kinds of asbestos, those studies stress low biologic aggression of chrysotile asbestos during occupational exposure, even if the excessive MAC is demonstrated formerly in asbestos industry enterprises. Work with chrysotile asbestos, as every one in mining industry, requires not ban, but accomplishment of proper measures aimed to prevent pneumoconiosis and dust bronchitis.

[Occupational pathology: present and future].

Formed 75 years ago, occupational pathology has defined structure of occupational morbidity, determined principles of occupational diseases' pathogenesis and pathomorphosis, demonstrated dependence of occupational entities on acting occupational hazards, described clinical manifestations of occupational diseases, emphasized informative diagnostic complexes. Diagnosis in occupational pathology now is established on basis of etiology. Manifold activities helped to form a system preventing health disorders caused by occupational hazards.

[Genetic aspects of silicosis: polymorphic gene distribution frequency].

Electrophoresis and isoelectrofocusing were used to study polymorphism by 7 genetic loci: haptoglobin (Hp), proteinase inhibitor (PI), transferrin (TF), Vitamin D-transporting protein (GC), complement 3 (C3), phosphoglucomutase 1 (PGM1) and glyoxalase (GLO1) in 60 patients with silicosis and in 70 apparently healthy workers of the Dynamo plant. Comparison of the study groups by significant differences in the summary of the genetic information obtained suggests that 5 (Hp, C3, TF, PI, PGM1) of the 7 studied systems showed the hereditary features of silicosis. The gene carriers Hp*2, C3*F, PGM1*2-, PI*M1, TF*C1, TF*C16 TF*D, GC*R due to peculiar biochemical processes appear to have less adaptive potentialities and a greater likelihood of the disease on exposure to industrial factors.

[Characteristics of respiratory and cardiovascular systems of workers with extended length of service at asbestos plants].

Examination of 72 individuals (including 62 workers of asbestos production and 10 silicosis patients) revealed that asbestos dust primarily causes hypoxemia followed by pulmonary ventilation disorders and characteristic X-ray signs of asbestosis. Hypoxemia is associated by reliable changes in functioning of left ventricle and central hemodynamics. Degree of hypoxemia appeared to correlate with echocardiographic signs of malfunction of left ventricle and chronic heart failure.

[Role of characteristics of the bronchopulmonary structure in the etiology of occupational diseases of the respiratory organs].

The article analyzes the role of bronchial and pulmonary anatomy in formation if occupational diseases--chronic bronchitis and pneumoconiosis. Those diseases in over 78% of the examinees appear on the background of various anomalies of bronchial and pulmonary structure. In this case congenital anomalies commonly coincide with abnormal segmentary division of bronchi and extend down to the terminal parts of airways.

[The classification of pneumoconioses].

The article deals with analysis of scientific data concerning etiology, pathogenesis, clinical and roentgenologic manifestations, morphologic appearances and other aspects to precise and refine the former idea of pneumoconioses. The authors present the main principles for improved classification of pneumoconioses.

[Tattooing of the bronchial mucosa in patients with pneumoconiosis and dust bronchitis].

Medical examinations were performed of 138 pneumoconiosis (PC), 123 dust bronchitis (DB) cases and 28 pulmonary cases of non-occupational etiology. Fiber bronchoscopy with biopsy of bronchial mucosal tissue and, if necessary, transbronchial biopsy were performed in all the cases. Bronchial mucosa tattooing in persons exposed to different industrial aerosols did not depend on the forms of PC, DB and the diseases' stages.

[Basic achievements in the diagnosis and in the problems of the pathogenesis and clinical picture of respiratory organ diseases of dust etiology].

The article contains new data concerned with the respiratory pathologic processes caused by industrial aerosols of different compositions, as well as the mechanisms of their functioning and development. Current problems of occupational lung diseases' treatment are considered in this connection.

[Occupational pathology of the respiratory organs in miners of highly mechanized ore mines using diesel vehicles].

A medical survey of 2000 miners was performed at industrial sites using high-mechanized self-propelled diesel vehicles in the Far North, South and East regions of the country. All the miners were exhibited to quartz containing polymetal ore dusts and diesel exhausts. 128 miners were medically examined to specify the morphological changes in the bronchi and respiratory sections in case of occupational pathology, as well as to establish specific clinical manifestations.

[Endoscopic and morphological characteristics of the bronchi and lungs in asbestosis and dust-induced bronchitis in asbestos-textile industry workers].

A bronchofibroscopy study of cases with histologic investigation of the bronchi and pulmonary mucous biopsy of 29 asbestos-textile workers, revealed diffuse bilateral endo-bronchitis (DBE) with concomitant tracheitis at different stages. No correlation was found between the endoscopy pictures and the clinical manifestations of asbestosis and dust bronchitis. The asbestosis diseased patients displayed pulmonary fibrosis++ without granulomatous inflammation in the asbestos dusts zone.

[Current diagnostic problems of occupational diseases of the respiratory organs from exposure to industrial aerosols].

Occupational respiratory diseases due to industrial aerosols pertain to one of the most prevalent forms of occupational pathology. The experience of many years gained by the clinic of our Institute enables one to define the significance of some forms of the given pathology and characteristic features of their diagnosis. The broad-scale introduction into the clinical practice of intravital biopsy of the lungs requires the solution of the problem as to whether the given method equally to the x-ray technique regarded as the basic one is of informative value for the diagnosis of pneumoconiosis.