The link between occupational exposure to silica and autoimmune disease, specifically rheumatoid arthritis (RA), was made by Caplan and colleagues . Following those initial observations, numerous reports linked silica dust exposure to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), RA, systemic sclerosis (SSc), and antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-related vasculitis.

Evidence of a breakdown in immune tolerance, including autoantibodies, can occur with silica exposure in the absence of silicosis , and exposure intensity rather than cumulative dose may be important in the development of autoimmune diseases.