Silicosis and other occupational diseases are still important even in the most developed countries. In fact, at present, exposure to silica dust may be a risk factor for human health not only for a few workers but also for several other industries. The risk is acknowledged in surface and underground mining, tunnelling and quarrying but, although substantial, it is often unrecognised in the construction industry and other manufacturing sectors. Furthermore, this exposure can be associated with many other different disorders besides pulmonary silicosis, such as progressive systemic sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, dermatomyositis, glomerulonephritis and vasculitis. Methods: A literature search was performed with Pubmed, Websciences, Webspirs and Medline using the keywords nephropathology, nephritis, nephrotoxic effects, silica dust, silicate dust. The relationships between these silica dust-related diseases need to be clarified, but pathogenic responses to silica dust are likely to be mediated by interaction of silica particles with the immune system, mainly by activation of macrophages. As regards renal pathology, there is no single specific clinical or laboratory finding of silica-induced nephropathy: renal involvement may occur as a toxic effect or in a context of autoimmune disease, and silica damage may act as an additive factor on an existing, well-established renal disease. An occupational history must be obtained for all renal patients, checking particularly for exposure to silica, silica dust and silicate dust and their compounds.
