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  • Title: Silica and silicates in femoral lymph nodes of barefooted people in Ethiopia with special reference to elephantiasis of the lower legs.
    Author: Price EW, Henderson WJ.
    Journal: Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg; 1979; 73(6):640-7. PubMed ID: 231857.
    Abstract:
    Electron microscopy of femoral lymph nodes of barefooted Ethiopians show the presence of numerous particles of colloid-size and electron-density in the lysosomes of the macrophages in the gland. On diffraction analysis, the particles are found to be amorphous. Elemental microanalysis of the X-ray spectrum indicate the predominance of Si, Al and Fe. In elephantiasics some particles contain silicon alone, presumably silica. The distribution of the Al/Si ratios of the particles in subjects with elephantiasis of the lower legs show a difference from that of non-elephantiasics which is statistically "highly significant" at p less than 0.001. The importance of this as a possible aetiological factor in the disease is discussed. The hypothesis that the disease is discussed. The hypothesis that the disease is a silicosis of the peripheral lymphatics of the lower limbs is supported by the present study.
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