This study aimed to assess the association of
Tumor Necrosis Factor (
TNF-alpha) Locus-308 variant,
TNF-alpha and
Interleukin (IL-10)
Cytokine with the risk of
silicosis and its progress in Indonesian cement factory workers, There is an urgent need to explore the determining factors other than exposure since
silicosis is chronic progressive and life threatening but remains found, though much industrial hygiene effort has been made. This study population was 6,069 workers registered during 31 December 1990 to 31 December 2003. First, prospective study with Nested Case Control design was conducted on 336 workers in 2003, ten years later the progression of
silicosis was assessed in 2013. The result showed proportion of the genetic variation on
TNF-alpha on Locus -308 in Indonesia was significantly (p = 0.02) higher on
silicosis (13.45%) than nonsilicosis (5.45%) but lower than
silicosis in Africa and US miners, since susceptibility loci might vary in different ethnic groups. The sign and symptoms remained as simple
silicosis after ten years; The
TNF-alpha:IL-10 ratio > 1 was a risk factor in
silicosis; the ratio of
TNF-alpha:IL-10 > 1 caused a rapid decline of lung function compare to ratio < 1, the decline was chronic progressive during ten years yet not causing significant
dyspnea among the cases. Further studies with enlarged sample size are needed. The study concluded, the genetic variation on
TNF-alpha gene locus -308 was a risk factor of
silicosis in Indonesia cement factory. Its role is indirect, but through mechanism of controlling the blood
Cytokine level ratio of
TNF-alpha toward
IL-10.