Contribution of polymorphic variants of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine genes to the development of occupational lung dust pathology in miners
Authors: Kazitskaya Anastasiya S. , Zhukova Anna G. , Yadykina Tatyana K. , Gulyaeva Olga N. , Panev Nikolaу I. 
Published: September 2023

Introduction. The formation and progression of occupational pathology of the bronchopulmonary system during prolonged contact with fibrogenic dust are closely related to changes in the concentration of certain pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in the bloodstream. The change in cytokine expression is due to the presence of polymorphism of certain genes, which results in quantitative or structural changes in proteins that can affect the course and outcome of dust lung diseases.
The study aims to determine the associations of single-nucleotide polymorphisms of cytokine genes with the formation of occupational dust pathology of the lungs.
Materials and methods. Scientists examined 140 coal mine workers who had been exposed to high concentrations of coal and stone dust for a long time. We divided the study participants into 2 groups. The main group included 75 miners with a previously established diagnosis of "dust pathology of the lungs", the comparison group consisted of 65 men working in the same sanitary and hygienic conditions, but without an established occupational disease of the bronchopulmonary system. The research groups are comparable by gender, age and ethnicity. The scientists carried out genotyping by allele-specific polymerase chain reaction in real time.
Results. Experts have identified a number of gene polymorphisms associated with the risk of developing occupational pathology of the bronchopulmonary system as a result of exposure to fibrogenic dust in Kuzbass miners. They also found that the following markers predispose to the formation of occupational lung pathology in miners: allele C and heterozygous genotype C/T of the polymorphic locus rs1800896 of the IL-10 gene, allele C of the polymorphism rs1800795 of the IL-6 gene, homozygous genotype T/T of the IL-4 gene (rs2243250). In turn, the T allele and the homozygous T/T genotype of the rs1800896 polymorphism of the IL-10 gene, as well as the G allele of the rs1800795 polymorphic locus of the IL-6 gene have a protective effect on the development of occupational lung dust pathology.
Limitations. The conducted study has limitations in the form of a relatively small sample size and the lack of quantitative determination of the concentration of cytokines in the blood.
Conclusion. The results of the conducted studies indicate the contribution of polymorphic variants of the genes of the studied pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines to the formation of genetic predisposition and resistance to the development of dust pathology of the lungs of professional genesis. With the help of the obtained informative markers, it is possible to assess the risk of developing dust lung diseases in miners working in contact with high concentrations of coal-rock dust.
Ethics. The Bioethical Committee of the Research Institute of Complex Problems of Hygiene and Occupational Diseases has approved the study. The examination of patients was carried out on the basis of ethical standards developed in accordance with the Helsinki Declaration of the World Medical Association "Ethical principles of conducting Scientific medical research with human participation" as amended in 2013 and "Rules of Clinical Practice in the Russian Federation" approved by Order of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation No. 266 dated 06/19/2003. The study was conducted with the written consent of the subjects.