QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS BY PARTICLE INDUCED X- RAY EMISSION (PIXE) OF TRACE ELEMENTS IN LUNG TISSUE OF IDIOPATHIC INTERSTITIAL PNEUMONIA PATIENT

It has been previously shown that activated alveolar macrophage in idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (IIP) played an important role in the process of fibrosing, but the initial agent which activates alveolar macrophages has not been proved. The present study was designed to make quantitative analyses of trace elements in the lung tissue speciments of IIP patients and normal controls. Particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE) was used. The IIP group consisted of 11 patients and the Control group, which had no apparent history for dust inhalation and lung diseases, consisted of 9 subjects. More silicon and magnesium were found in the IIP group than in the normal controls. These data suggested that inhalation of silicon and magnesium might be one of the etiologic factors of IIP.