ArticleRespirology (Carlton, Vic.)2022
Excess iron promotes emergence of foamy macrophages that overexpress ferritin in the lungs of silicosis patients.
Article in Respirology (Carlton, Vic.), 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed.
- Macrophage-Derived Ferritin Exacerbates Silica-Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis via PIK3R2-Mediated Fibroblast Differentiation.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2026Article
- Lipid droplet-mitochondria contact sites as druggable spatial-pharmacology targets in respiratory disease: cross-cell-type mechanisms and translational strategies.Frontiers in cell and developmental biology · 2026Review
- Insights into the molecular mechanism of neurological diseases and their pathophysiological responses.Archives of toxicology · 2025Review
- Exploring Iron Deposition Patterns Using Light and Electron Microscopy in the Mouse Brain Across Aging and Alzheimer's Disease Pathology Conditions.Journal of neurochemistry · 2025Article
- Silicosis: from pathogenesis to therapeutics.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2025Review
- Serum concentrations of Krebs von den Lungen-6 as prognostic biomarker in patients with silicosis.Frontiers in medicine · 2025Article
- Occupational epidemiological characteristics of noise-induced hearing loss and the impact of combined exposure to noise and dust on workers' hearing-a retrospective study.Frontiers in public health · 2024Article
- scRNA-Seq and Bulk-Seq Analysis Identifies S100A9 Plasma Cells as a Potentially Effective Immunotherapeutic Agent for Multiple Myeloma.Journal of inflammation research · 2024Article
- Iron Chelation as a Potential Therapeutic Approach in Acute Lung Injury.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Review
- Excess iron promotes emergence of foamy macrophages that overexpress ferritin in the lungs of silicosis patients.Respirology (Carlton, Vic.) · 2022Article
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12 authors.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND AND
objectiveInhalation of high concentrations of respirable crystalline silica (RCS) can lead to silicosis. RCS contains varying levels of iron, which can cause oxidative stress and stimulate ferritin production. This study evaluated iron-related and inflammatory markers in control and silicosis patients.
methodsA cohort of stone benchtop industry workers (n = 18) were radiologically classified by disease severity into simple or complicated silicosis. Peripheral blood and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) were collected to measure iron, ferritin, C-reactive protein, serum amyloid A and serum silicon levels. Ferritin subunit expression in BAL and transbronchial biopsies was analysed by reverse transcription quantitative PCR. Lipid accumulation in BAL macrophages was assessed by Oil Red O staining.
resultsSerum iron levels were significantly elevated in patients with silicosis, with a strong positive association with serum ferritin levels. In contrast, markers of systemic inflammation were not increased in silicosis patients. Serum silicon levels were significantly elevated in complicated disease. BAL macrophages from silicosis patients were morphologically consistent with lipid-laden foamy macrophages. Ferritin light chain (FTL) mRNA expression in BAL macrophages was also significantly elevated in simple silicosis patients and correlated with systemic ferritin.
conclusionOur findings suggest that elevated iron levels during the early phases of silicosis increase FTL expression in BAL macrophages, which drives elevated BAL and serum ferritin levels. Excess iron and ferritin were also associated with the emergence of a foamy BAL macrophage phenotype. Ferritin may represent an early disease marker for silicosis, where increased levels are independent of inflammation and may contribute to fibrotic lung remodelling.
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