|
Disease Mechanism
Screening and Occupational Health Monitoring
Outcome Measures
Treatment
|
What is the range of exposures during manufacturing of AS slabs and installation of AS countertops? Can effective engineering controls be implemented by small businesses, and if so, how? Which respirators are appropriate for both the complex characteristics of AS emissions and the varied workplace conditions? What are the determinants of an effective respiratory protection program in this industry?
Is AS emissions exposure uniquely toxic compared to RCS exposure from other industries? What is the pathogenic role of non-silica constituents in high and low silica AS?
What are drivers of autoimmune disease among those with AS dust exposure? What are potential therapeutic targets for treatment?
How effective are current screening modalities for silicosis( chest radiograph, CT, Spirometry, diffusion capacity)? What is the prevalence of disease among manufacturing workers? What are the serum biomarkers that can be used for silicosis screening? What is the optimal screening interval for workers? What criteria should guide recommendations for lung cancer screening among workers?
How can we predict the natural history of disease progression in AS silicosis and identify predictors of progression? Is the current method of radiologic disease staging clinically relevant?
What is the role of anti-inflammatory medications in silicosis, and which patients may benefit most? Do antifibrotic medications reduce lung function decline as they do in other progressive fibrotic ILDs? Does whole lung lavage reduce disease progression, and for which patients is it effective?
|
Exposure quantification among installers and manufacturers.
Implementation research of engineering controls.
Laboratory and field-based respirator evaluations.
Program evaluation of respiratory protection programs.
Human and animal studies to evaluate whether AS emissions exposure causes a biologically distinct disease.
Industrial hygiene, animal and human studies linking specific chemical components of exposures to disease.
Translational research to determine the pathobiology and mechanisms of autoimmune disease in this population. Translational research using animal models and omics to identify potential disease targets.
Head-to-head comparisons of screening modalities in workers.
Medical screening of workers in manufacturing facilities
Identification of biomarkers and evaluation of their sensitivity, specificity, and cost-effectiveness relative to chest imaging. Screening studies at varying intervals
Epidemiology studies to quantify lung cancer risk across varying levels of AS exposure and compare risk to thresholds used for lung screening among cigarette smokers.
Prediction modeling of disease progression using longitudinal data.
Correlate radiographic disease progression to patient-reported outcomes, pulmonary function testing, and vital statistics.
Clinical Trials of anti-inflammatory drugs, such as inhaled or systemic corticosteroids, immunosuppressive, or immunomodulatory drugs, at differing stages of disease. Clinical trials of antifibrotics, at differing stages of disease.
Clinical trials of WLL in patients at differing stages of disease
|
Downloaded from academic. oup. com / annalsats / advance-article / doi / 10.1093 / annalsats / aaoag176 / 8719399 by guest on 10 November 2026 |