Silica-induced scleroderma

In a survey done in East Germany between 1981 and 1988, we found that 93 of 120 male scleroderma patients had long-term exposure to silica dust. We describe our findings in 12 patients with scleroderma and silicosis. The exposure time to silica dust was between 3 and 34 years; the interval between the beginning of exposure and the onset of scleroderma averaged 27.3 years (range 9 to 40 years). Antinuclear antibodies in titers between 80 and 10,240 with nucleolar and/or speckled patterns were found in 10 patients, antibodies against double-stranded DNA in three, Scl-70 (topoisomerase I) in three, and anticentromere antibodies in five. The following markers of collagen metabolism were increased in serum: beta-galactosidase in 12 patients, laminin peptide-P1 in 10 patients, N-terminal procollagen type III peptide in 10, and urinary sialic acid excretion in 7. We propose that crystalline particles of silica less than 5 microns may be phagocytosed by macrophages and release lymphokines and monokines, which activate fibroblasts and enhance their collagen and glycosaminoglycan synthesis. In addition, silica may act as an adjuvant to increase immune reactivity.