Early detection of silicosis and autoimmune diseases should prioritize mitigating the risk of silica exposure, which serves as the initial trigger for the immunological cascade. This cascade first leads to silicosis and subsequently increases the susceptibility to autoimmune diseases

Autoimmune diseases and silicosis share common pathways involving the dysregulation of autophagy, apoptosis, or pyroptosis. Numerous studies have indicated that NLRP3 a cytosolic multiprotein complex plays a central role in the autophagy, apoptosis, or pyroptosis pathways.

In this context, the regulation of NLERP3 is a promising target for the treatment of both silicosis and silica induced autoimmune diseases.