Computed tomography-based imaging biomarker identifies coal workers' pneumoconiosis

Jaehun Pyo; Ngan-Khanh Chau; Eun-Kee Park; Sanghun Choi

doi:10.3389/fphys.2023.1288246

Computed tomography-based imaging biomarker identifies coal workers' pneumoconiosis

Front Physiol. 2023 Nov 22:14:1288246. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1288246. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Jaehun Pyo¹, Ngan-Khanh Chau^{2

3}, Eun-Kee Park⁴, Sanghun Choi²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Bio-Industrial Machinery Engineering, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea.
² School of Mechanical Engineering, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea.
³ An Giang University, Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
⁴ Department of Medical Humanities and Social Medicine, College of Medicine, Kosin University, Busan, Republic of Korea.

Abstract

Rationale: The increase in the incidence and the diagnostic limitations of pneumoconiosis have emerged as a public health concern. This study aimed to conduct a computed tomography (CT)- based quantitative analysis to understand differences in imaging results of pneumoconiosis according to disease severity. Methods: According to the International Labor Organization (ILO) guidelines, coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) are classified into five categories. CT images were obtained only at full inspiration and were quantitatively evaluated for airway structural variables such as bifurcation angle (θ), hydraulic diameter (D_h), wall thickness (WT), and circularity (Cr). Parenchymal functional variables include abnormal regions (emphysema, ground-glass opacities, consolidation, semi consolidation, and fibrosis) and blood vessel volume. Through the propensity score matching method, the confounding effects were decreased. Results: Category 4 demonstrated a reduced θ in TriLUL, a thicker airway wall in both the Trachea and Bronint compared to Category 0, and a decreased Cr in Bronint. Category 4 presented with higher abnormal regions except for ground-glass opacity and a narrower pulmonary blood vessel volume. A negative correlation was found between abnormal areas with lower Hounsfield units (HU) than the normal lung and the ratio of forced expiratory volume in 1 s/forced vital capacity, with narrowed pulmonary blood vessel volume which is positively correlated with abnormal areas with upper HU than the normal lung. Conclusion: This study provided valuable insight into pneumoconiosis progression through a comparison of quantitative CT images based on severity. Furthermore, as there has been paucity of studies on the pulmonary blood vessel volume of the CWP, in this study, a correlation between reduced pulmonary blood vessel volume and regions with low HU values holds significant importance.

Keywords: ILO classification; increased abnormal regions; reduced blood vessel volume; severity of pneumoconiosis; wall thickening.

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (MSIT) (NRF-2021R1F1A1060436, NRF-2023R1A2C2003781).