TY - JOUR
T1 - Selenium and exposure to fibrogenic mineral dust
T2 - A mini-review
AU - Muzembo, Basilua Andre
AU - Deguchi, Yoji
AU - Ngatu, Nlandu Roger
AU - Eitoku, Masamitsu
AU - Hirota, Ryoji
AU - Suganuma, Narufumi
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors thank the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) for providing financial support during the preparation of this article. The authors also thank Mr Peter Duveen, Mr Danien Ribble, Mr Mugo Andrew and Mrs Mansongi Biyela Carine for helpful suggestions on the draft of this manuscript.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 Elsevier Ltd.
PY - 2015/4/1
Y1 - 2015/4/1
N2 - Individuals exposed to fibrogenic mineral dust may exhibit an impaired antioxidant system and produce high levels of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species through immune cells, contributing to the perturbation of immune cell function, inflammation, fibrosis and lung cancer. The lung diseases which are caused by inhalation of fibrogenic mineral dust, known as pneumoconioses, develop progressively and irreversibly over decades. At the moment there is no known cure. The trace element selenium has potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties mediated mainly through selenoproteins. Research has demonstrated that selenium has the ability to protect against cardiovascular diseases; to kill cancer cells in vitro and reduce cancer incidence; and to immunomodulate various cellular signaling pathways. For these reasons, selenium has been proposed as a promising therapeutic agent in oxidative stress associated pathology that in theory would be beneficial for the prevention or treatment of pneumoconioses such as silicosis, asbestosis, and coal worker's pneumoconiosis. However, studies regarding selenium and occupational lung diseases are rare. The purpose of this study is to conduct a mini-review regarding the relationship between selenium and exposure to fibrogenic mineral dust with emphasis on epidemiological studies. We carried out a systematic literature search of English published studies on selenium and exposure to fibrogenic mineral dust. We found four epidemiological studies. Reviewed studies show that selenium is lower in individuals exposed to fibrogenic mineral dust. However, three out of the four reviewed studies could not confirm cause-and-effect relationships between low selenium status and exposure to fibrogenic mineral dust. This mini-review underscores the need for large follow-up and mechanistic studies for selenium to further elucidate its therapeutic effects.
AB - Individuals exposed to fibrogenic mineral dust may exhibit an impaired antioxidant system and produce high levels of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species through immune cells, contributing to the perturbation of immune cell function, inflammation, fibrosis and lung cancer. The lung diseases which are caused by inhalation of fibrogenic mineral dust, known as pneumoconioses, develop progressively and irreversibly over decades. At the moment there is no known cure. The trace element selenium has potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties mediated mainly through selenoproteins. Research has demonstrated that selenium has the ability to protect against cardiovascular diseases; to kill cancer cells in vitro and reduce cancer incidence; and to immunomodulate various cellular signaling pathways. For these reasons, selenium has been proposed as a promising therapeutic agent in oxidative stress associated pathology that in theory would be beneficial for the prevention or treatment of pneumoconioses such as silicosis, asbestosis, and coal worker's pneumoconiosis. However, studies regarding selenium and occupational lung diseases are rare. The purpose of this study is to conduct a mini-review regarding the relationship between selenium and exposure to fibrogenic mineral dust with emphasis on epidemiological studies. We carried out a systematic literature search of English published studies on selenium and exposure to fibrogenic mineral dust. We found four epidemiological studies. Reviewed studies show that selenium is lower in individuals exposed to fibrogenic mineral dust. However, three out of the four reviewed studies could not confirm cause-and-effect relationships between low selenium status and exposure to fibrogenic mineral dust. This mini-review underscores the need for large follow-up and mechanistic studies for selenium to further elucidate its therapeutic effects.
KW - Asbestosis
KW - Coal miner's pneumoconiosis
KW - Pneumoconiosis
KW - Selenium
KW - Selenoproteins
KW - Silicosis
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U2 - 10.1016/j.envint.2015.01.002
DO - 10.1016/j.envint.2015.01.002
M3 - Review article
C2 - 25615721
AN - SCOPUS:84921532595
VL - 77
SP - 16
EP - 24
JO - Environmental International
JF - Environmental International
SN - 0160-4120
ER -