Background: Occupational bronchopulmonary diseases (OBPDs)—including pneumoconiosis, silicosis, and occupational COPD—remain a pressing public health issue, especially in regions with intensive mining, metallurgy, and construction industries. Caused by chronic inhalation of fibrogenic dusts, these conditions are often diagnosed at late stages, resulting in irreversible lung damage and diminished work capacity. Methods: A scoping review was performed using the Arksey and O’Malley framework, with methodological refinements from the Joanna Briggs Institute. Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, we searched PubMed, Scopus, and gray literature for publications from 2014 to 2024. After screening 1761 records and full-text review, nine studies were included in the final synthesis, comprising two systematic reviews, two narrative literature reviews, and five observational studies. Results: Key risk factors identified included prolonged exposure to silica and coal dust, tobacco use, and genetic susceptibility. Diagnostic delays were attributed to the underuse of high-resolution CT and exhaled nitric oxide analysis. Several studies highlighted the diagnostic value of oxidative stress and inflammatory markers (e.g., IL-6, TNF-α). Nutritional rehabilitation and polyphenol-enriched herbal therapies were associated with improved respiratory function and quality of life. However, these strategies remain underutilized, particularly in low-resource settings. Conclusions: A coordinated, biomarker-driven approach integrating early diagnosis, dust exposure control, and tailored rehabilitation is urgently needed. Multidisciplinary models may reduce the clinical and socioeconomic burden of OBPDs.

Background: Interindividual radiosensitivity is largely driven by genetic regulation of DNA damage recognition, repair, and cell-cycle control. TP53 and CDKN1A (p21) are key genomic markers associated with differential responses to ionizing radiation. Methods: This study investigated eight functional SNP markers across several key genes involved in DNA damage responses and cellular stress regulation, including TP53, CDKN1A/p21, APC, VEGF, XPD, and RAD51, in occupational groups exposed to chronic low-dose ionizing radiation at the Stepnogorsk Mining Chemical Combine and the Balkashinskoye uranium deposit. Genotyping was performed using PCR-based assays followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis. Allele and genotype frequencies were compared between radiation-exposed workers and matched controls within Kazakh and Russian ethnic subgroups. Statistical differences were assessed using χ² tests, and associations with radioresistance were interpreted based on established functional characteristics of each polymorphism. Results: Four SNPs showed significant allele and genotype frequency shifts in radiation-exposed populations. The TP53 intron 3 insertion allele, TP53 intron 6 A allele, TP53 Pro72 (C) allele, and p21 codon 31 A allele were consistently enriched among exposed individuals. The strongest deviations were observed in Russian workers from Stepnogorsk (p < 0.01). These alleles are functionally associated with enhanced DNA repair efficiency, modified apoptotic responses, and strengthened cell-cycle checkpoint regulation. Conclusions: Significant enrichment of radioresistance-associated TP53 and CDKN1A (p21) variants was observed in uranium industry workers chronically exposed to low-to-moderate ionizing radiation. The observed patterns support a polygenic model of adaptive responses and emphasize the importance of genetic background in determining individual radiosensitivity under occupational exposure conditions.

Background: Pneumoconiosis remains a major occupational lung disease associated with progressive respiratory impairment, reduced functional capacity, and diminished quality of life. Non-pharmacological rehabilitation has been increasingly proposed as a supportive intervention; however, evidence regarding its effectiveness remains heterogeneous. Objective: This study aimed to systematically review and synthesize the available evidence on the effects of non-pharmacological rehabilitation interventions on functional capacity, quality of life, and psychological outcomes in patients with pneumoconiosis. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted in major electronic databases and grey literature sources in accordance with PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Studies evaluating non-pharmacological rehabilitation interventions in adults with pneumoconiosis were eligible for inclusion. Outcomes of interest included functional capacity, health-related quality of life, and psychological well-being. Due to methodological heterogeneity across studies, a qualitative synthesis was performed. Results: Six studies met the predefined inclusion criteria and were included in the qualitative synthesis. The reviewed evidence suggests that structured rehabilitation interventions were associated with clinically meaningful improvements in functional capacity, particularly in structured rehabilitation programs, most consistently reflected by increases in six-minute walk distance exceeding established minimal clinically important differences in three studies. Improvements in health-related quality of life and selected psychological outcomes were also reported, although outcome measures and intervention protocols varied across studies. Significant improvements in exercise capacity, dyspnea severity, and health-related quality of life were reported. Conclusions: Non-pharmacological rehabilitation may provide clinically meaningful benefits for patients with pneumoconiosis, based on limited and heterogeneous evidence, particularly in terms of functional capacity and quality of life. Nevertheless, the current evidence base is limited by heterogeneity in study design and outcome reporting. Further high-quality, standardized trials are needed to strengthen the evidence and guide the clinical implementation of rehabilitation programs for occupational lung diseases.

Background/Objectives: Occupational exposure to coal mine dust is a major risk factor for respiratory impairment; however, the genetic determinants of individual variation in lung function remain poorly understood, particularly in occupational cohorts that have been largely absent from genome-wide association studies. This study aimed to identify genetic variants associated with quantitative lung function traits in underground coal miners from Kazakhstan. Methods: A total of 186 underground coal miners from the Karaganda coal basin were genotyped using the Illumina Global Screening Array. Genome-wide association analyses were performed for six spirometric parameters (FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC, MEF25, MEF50, and MEF75), adjusting for age, mining exposure, body mass index, smoking status, and population structure. Genotype imputation was performed to increase genomic coverage and evaluate the consistency of association signals. Results: No variants reached the conventional genome-wide significance threshold. However, recurrent suggestive associations identified PRKCB, FANCE, and UBTD1 as the principal candidate loci across correlated spirometric parameters, with independent support from genotype imputation. Conclusions: Recurrent associations across complementary spirometric parameters identified biologically plausible candidate loci involved in inflammatory signalling, DNA repair, and epithelial homeostasis. These findings provide one of the first genomic insights into lung function in underground coal miners and provide a foundation for future validation and functional studies.

The aim of this study was to summarize current evidence on dust-related diseases of the bronchopulmonary system, medicinal plants, herbal formulations, and their underlying mechanisms of action. A literature review was conducted based on publications indexed in ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, SciFinder, Scopus, and Medline (PubMed), focusing on the mechanisms underlying dust-related diseases of the bronchopulmonary system, pneumoconiosis, and the potential of phytotherapeutic approaches to modulate these processes. The following keywords were used: bronchopulmonary system, pneumoconiosis, dust-related lung diseases, medicinal plants, herbal preparations, pulmonary rehabilitation, and lymphatic sanitation. The pathogenesis of pneumoconiosis involves the deposition of inhaled dust particles in the lung tissue, followed by chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, and progressive fibrosis. In experimental models, flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, glycosides, tannins, and other phytochemical groups have demonstrated therapeutic potential in bronchopulmonary diseases. Among the compounds investigated, emodin, celastrol, kaempferol, sodium tanshinone IIA sulfonate, astragaloside IV, and dioscin have shown promising effects by modulating key signaling pathways and reducing inflammatory responses. Experimental evidence indicates that these phytochemicals can target major pathways involved in inflammation and fibrogenesis, thereby exerting antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antifibrotic effects. The lymphatic system also contributes to the pathogenesis of pneumoconiosis by transporting inhaled dust particles to regional lymph nodes, where their accumulation may promote lymph node sclerosis. Therefore, lymphatic sanitation may represent an important therapeutic mechanism of action of herbal formulations in pneumoconiosis. Our proposed lymphotropic herbal formulation enhances physiological lymphatic drainage and may positively influence the motility and functional activity of the tracheobronchial lymph nodes. The therapeutic potential of medicinal plants and herbal formulations in pneumoconiosis is supported by experimental findings for Tripterygium wilfordii (celastrol, through suppression of the EDNRB/Kng1–(endothelin receptor type B/kininogen1), Delphinium, Camellia, and Berberis species (kaempferol, through inhibition of TLR4 (Toll-like receptor 4 signaling), Astragalus membranaceus (astragaloside IV, through antifibrotic activity mediated by inhibition of the TGF-β1 (transforming growth factor beta 1)/Smad3 (SMAD family member 3) pathway), and Reynoutria japonica Houtt., Rheum, and Aloe species (emodin, through inhibition of Smad3 and NF-κB (nuclear factor kappa B) phosphorylation and reduction of TGF-β1, α-SMA (alpha-smooth muscle actin), collagen I, TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor alpha), and IL-1β (interleukin-1 beta) levels in lung tissue). For these and several other medicinal plants and their flavonoids, antifibrotic activity has been demonstrated through inhibition of the Akt/NF-κB (protein kinase B/nuclear factor kappa B) signaling pathway. A promising direction for future research is to evaluate the combined use of herbal formulations with established antifibrotic agents to determine whether synergistic therapeutic effects can be achieved.