Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To explore the value of combined-biomarker detection method in early auxiliary diagnosis of silicosis. METHODS: Sixty-five silicosis male patients were chosen as the patient group,and seventy male workers without SiO2 dust exposure were selected as the control group by purposive method. Peripheral blood was collected from all subjects during the early morning before they had breakfast. Serum was separated from the blood samples. Levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were determined by the colorimetric method,and levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Taking the biomarkers (MDA,IL-6 and TNF-α) with significant changes in the serum of patients with stage I silicosis as the data set,ROC curves were drawn and the logistic regression model was used to evaluate the value of the combined biomarkers for early auxiliary diagnosis of silicosis. RESULTS: Compared with the control group,the SOD contents had no significant changes in the serum of patients with silicosis,while the MDA and IL-6 contents were significantly increased,and the TNF-α contents were significantly increased in the stage I silicosis patients. The results showed that the area under ROC curve was combined application (0.89) > IL-6(0.86) > MDA(0.81) > TNF-α(0.65). CONCLUSION: The combined application of IL-6,TNF-α and MDA improved the sensitivity and specificity of early auxiliary diagnosis of silicosis.

Key words: silicosis, early auxiliary diagnosis, biomarker, ROC curve, Logistic regression