Demographic characteristics and cytokine release of the coal miners cohort in 1992 (n=133)
| Nonexposed referents | Control miners | Miners with CWP | |
| Subject n | 29 | 76 | 28 |
| Age | 50.3±1.0* | 47.7±0.6 | 49.9±1.1 |
| Smoking pack yrs | 115±20 | 111±12 | 150±24 |
| Cumulative dust g·h·m−3¶ | 91.1±6.4 | 130.9±9.3** | |
| Years underground | 22.2±0.4 | 25.0±0.9** | |
| Years since first exposure | 28.9±0.6 | 30.7±1.0 | |
| Months retired | 46.3±2.1 | 53.9±2.1 | |
| Coal-dust induced cytokine release ng·mL−1 | |||
| TNF‐α | 1.10±0.15 | 1.92±0.16 # | 1.99±0.26# |
| TGF‐β total | 0.32±0.05 | 1.56±0.17 # | 1.32±0.23# |
| TGF‐β active | 0.08±0.01 | 0.12±0.02 | 0.08±0.01 |
Adapted from 25
Values are mean±sem
*: p<0.05
**: p<0.01 from control miners, and #: p<0.05 from nonexposed references(Mann-Whitney U‐test)
¶: Cumulative dust exposure was calculated by summation of products of the yearly mean total dust concentrations for the colliery or job where the miner was appointed
Total dust was converted into respirable dust as described in 36
CWP: coal workers' pneumoconiosis
TNF‐α: tumour necrosis factor‐α
TGF‐β: transforming growth factor‐β