Impact of coal mine dust exposure and cigarette smoking on lung disease in Appalachian coalminers

Respiratory Research

Table 3 Pathologic findings of cohort

Variables Mean±SD or %	Non-coal miners		Coal miners		p-value
Lung tissue available^,a,b	Never smokers (n=46)	Ever-smokers (n=148)	Never smokers (n=15)	Ever-smokers (n=66)
Coal-workers’ pneumoconiosis, %	0	0	60.0	27.3	.04
Fibrosis, %	10.9	27.7	46.7	50.0	<.01^c
Usual interstitial pneumonia, %	0	2.0	0	4.5	.37
Organizing pneumonia, %	6.5	7.4	6.7	7.6	.99
Peribronchiolar metaplasia, %	2.2	10.1	6.7	4.5	.23
Respiratory bronchiolitis, %	0	11.5	0	7.6	.05
Desquamative interstitial pneumonia, %	0	5.4	0	7.6	.22
Anthracosis, %	10.9	56.8	80.0	65.2	<.01
Emphysema, %	23.9	71.6	33.3	66.7	<.01^c
Granuloma morphology:
Necrotizing, %	8.7	1.4	0	3.0	.07
Non-necrotizing (sarcoid-like), %	6.5	4.7	6.7	7.6	.86
Calcified, %	0	4.7	0	3.0	.57
Chronic inflammation, %	4.4	1.4	6.7	13.6	<.01^c

^aIndividuals may have more than one pathologic finding
^bCWP morphology patterns reported on pathology included coal macule/nodule (n=18), silicotic nodule (n=6), and PMF (n=8)
^cSignificant p-value with adjusted α=<.016 as per Bonferroni correction

ISSN: 1465-993X