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Silicosis is an uncurable occupational disease induced by crystalline silica. Increased prevalence of silicosis has resulted in the increased need for development of treatment options. Although macrophages respond first to silica, epithelial cells are also involved in silicosis. However, changes in protein and metabolite levels have not been reported simultaneously. We used mass spectrometry to profile changes in metabolites, proteins, and phosphorylation in silica-exposed BEAS-2B epithelial cells. Silica exposure increased TCA cycle, alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism, and aerobic glycolysis activity. In addition, protein levels in the endoplasmic reticulum were significantly altered, and phosphorylation of MAPK signaling proteins was increased. The results of this study increased understanding the role of epithelial cells in silicosis.

BackgroundIdiopathic membranous nephropathy (IMN) is one of the most common causes of nephrotic syndrome in adults involving multiple targets and factors. The effect of conservative nonimmunosuppressive or immunosuppressive therapies is unsatisfactory and with many side effects. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) can regulate immune function and improve kidney function.PurposeTo evaluate the total effective rate, curative rate, recurrence rate and adverse events of TCM alone or TCM as an adjunctive therapy for IMN.MethodsRandomized controlled trials (RCT) comparing either TCM alone or the combination of TCM to western medicine (WM) therapies for patients with IMN were retrieved by searching English and Chinese database. Risk of bias summary was used to assess the methodological quality of eligible studies. Dichotomous data were presented using odds ratios (OR). The primary outcome measure was the total effective rate. Secondary outcomes included curative rate, recurrence rate and adverse events.Results29 RCTs involving 1883 participants met the inclusion criteria. There was no statistically significant difference between the therapy of TCM alone and WM on the total effective rates (OR: 2.00; 95% CI: 0.80-4.98; P = 0.14) and curative rate (OR: 1.66; 95%CI: 0.66-4.22; p = 0.28). However, compared to basic treatment or immunosuppressive therapies alone, results showed that TCM as an adjunctive therapy had beneficial effects on the total effective rate (OR: 2.59; 95% CI: 1.38-4.86; P = 0.003 and OR: 3.01; 95% CI: 2.25-4.04; P < 0.00001) and curative rate (OR: 3.01; 95%CI: 1.24-7.28; p = 0.01 and OR: 1.73; 95%CI: 1.10-2.71; p = 0.02). In addition, the combination of TCM treatment could reduce the recurrence rate (OR: 0.28; 95% CI: 0.12-0.68; P = 0.004) and adverse reactions (OR: 0.38; 95% CI: 0.27-0.54; p < 0.00001).ConclusionThe results indicate that TCM is well-tolerated for the treatment of IMN. However, there remains a need for large-scale and high-quality trials.