There is considerable evidence of generalized stimulation of the immune system in pulmonary dust diseases. This stimulation involves both the T- and the B-arms of the immune system. A reasonable explanation of this immune stimulation resides in an effect of the mineral dusts on the macrophages. This effect is likely to be mediated by the production of interleukin-1. Since the same substance also stimulates fibroblasts, a unified view of the pathogenesis of pulmonary dust diseases is now possible.
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Pernis et al. (1982) studied this question.
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