NPNT and silicosis: In recent years, with the continuous deepening of research on silicosis, some valuable silicosis diagnostic biomarkers have been proposed, such as interleukin-6 (IL6), interleukin-8 (IL8), TNF-α, Clara cell secretory protein 16 (CC16), nephronectin (NPNT), and serum HO-1, shedding light on the pathogenesis and progression of silicosis (19, 27, 28).