Publications

Dear Editor We undertook an evaluation of former TB patients for pulmonary rehabilitation. Our diagnostic evaluation aimed to implement clinical standards for post-TB lung disease (PTLD) using operational research. 1 Nightingale et al. also issued a clinical statement, addressing diverse post-TB morbidities such as social, economic, neurological, cardiovascular, PTLD and psychiatric impairments. 2 In low-and middle-income African countries (such as Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya), only 4 in 10 clinicians can diagnose PTLD, contributing to an underestimation of its burden.

Silicosis due to artificial stone (AS) has emerged over the last decade as an increasing global issue. We report the first eight UK cases. All were men; median age was 34 years (range 27–56) and median stone dust exposure was 12.5 years (range 4–40) but in 4 cases was 4–8 years. One is deceased; two were referred for lung transplant assessment. All cases were dry cutting and polishing AS worktops with inadequate safety measures. Clinical features of silicosis can closely mimic sarcoidosis.

Rationale

There is an aspiration to retain increasing numbers of older workers in employment, and strategies to achieve this need to make provision for the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases with age. There is a consistent body of cross-sectional evidence that suggests that patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are more likely to have adverse employment outcomes.

Objectives

We report the findings of the first longitudinal study of this issue.

Methods

Studies of the immune response at the site of disease in extra-pulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) disease are scarce. In this study, we compared the cellular profile of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb)-specific T cells in pericardial fluid and peripheral blood in patients with pericardial TB (PCTB). Whole blood and pericardial fluid (PCF) samples were collected at the time of diagnostic sampling, with repeat blood sampling after completion of anti-tubercular treatment (ATT) in 16 PCTB patients, most of them being HIV-1 infected (n=14).

Background

Globally, the number of small-scale miners (SSM) is estimated to be more than 25 million, but it supports the livelihoods of around 100 million individuals. In Tanzania, the number of SSM has increased from an estimated 150,000 in 1987 to ~1.5 million in 2017. The miners are at a high risk of occupational-related health challenges. The study aimed to assess the concentrations of respirable crystalline silica (RCS) and radon among the tanzanite mining communities in Simanjiro District, Tanzania.

An estimated 49·5 million small-scale miners worldwide are exposed to high concentrations of silica during their work. The substantial morbidity and mortality of silicosis and tuberculosis among workers exposed to such intensities have been documented. This Viewpoint raises concern at the failure to respond to a growing epidemic of lung disease (predominantly silicosis and tuberculosis) among small-scale miners.