Usual Interstitial Pneumonia Associated With Crystalline Silica Exposure in Pneumoconiosis: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Abstract

We aimed to identify a relation between the level of silica exposure and the associated increase in the risk of radiologic usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) pattern. We selected data of 796 individuals with pneumoconiosis who had undergone a chest computed tomography (CT). We estimated the silica exposure by comparing their occupational history with the data silica dust exposure. Individuals employed as stonemasons demonstrated a 2.30-fold increase in the risk of developing UIP than coal mine workers (odds ratio [OR], 2.30; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04 to 5.07). The high silica exposure group was associated with a 2.23-fold increase in the risk of developing UIP than the low silica exposure group (OR, 2.23; 95% CI, 1.07 to 4.69). This study suggests that silica exposure is associated with an increased risk of developing UIP pattern, highlighting a dose-response relationship.