Exposure to crystalline silica as a result of the breakdown of quartz (e.g. mining, sandblasting, quarrying, ceramics), or during the fabrication of artificial stone , can lead to silicosis , COPD , lung cancer , and autoimmune diseases including SLE, RA, SSc, and antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-related vasculitis

The cumulative dose and physicochemical properties of silica dust are important in inflammatory and fibrogenic responses .

Inhaled respirable silica particles can be deposited throughout the lung including the distal airways and alveoli leading to direct cytotoxicity (46). Silica particles also interact with endogenous molecules leading to the formation of a surface corona .

Subsequent phagocytosis by AM leads to lysosomal damage resulting in activation of inflammatory and cell death pathways. A significant contributor to these processes is oxidative stress due to ROS originating from both silica particles and lung cells .

The chronic persistence of silica particles in the lung results in fibrosis, silicosis (43, 48), and development of silica-induced autoimmunity.