Pressed for understanding: Interstitial lung disease in dry-cleaning workers.
Publication/Presentation Date
1-1-2025
Abstract
Interstitial lung disease (ILD) represents a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by inflammation and fibrosis of the pulmonary interstitium. Risk factors for ILD include various environmental exposures and identifying specific exposures offers a point of intervention for preventing disease. Here, we present several cases of patients who worked in the dry-cleaning business and have ILD or abnormalities consistent with early ILD on chest CT imaging. While this report does not attempt to establish causality, we hypothesize that exposure to the industrial solvent tetrachloroethylene may serve as a contributing factor given its links to epithelial injury, inflammation, redox imbalance and apoptosis. We hope that this report serves to not only inform readers of this possible connection between dry cleaning and ILD but also lay the foundation for additional studies examining the effects of tetrachloroethylene on the lung.
Volume
369
Issue
1
First Page
122
Last Page
125
ISSN
1538-2990
Published In/Presented At
Summer, R., & Chun, P. (2025). Pressed for understanding: Interstitial lung disease in dry-cleaning workers. The American journal of the medical sciences, 369(1), 122–125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjms.2024.08.026
Disciplines
Business Administration, Management, and Operations | Health and Medical Administration | Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods
PubMedID
39237034
Department(s)
Administration and Leadership
Document Type
Article