The objective of the paper is to review the impact of coal mine dust exposure on airways in coal miners. 2036 former coal miners where examined at the Clinic of Occupational Diseases at Ostrava University Hospital in 2002 and 2003. Their average age was 60 years. They have been out of the dust exposure for nearly 16 years. They were exposed to the respirable coal mine dust on the average of 23.5 years. One half of the cohort includes never smoking miners (N = 1025) and the second half of the cohort includes former or present long-term smoking miners (N = 1011). The significant difference was found between smokers and non-smokers (P < 0.001). No correlation between the number of fumigated cigarettes, the lenght of smoking and the prevalence of airway diseases was found. The significant association between the length of coal mine dust exposure and the prevalence of airway diseases was found (P < 0.001). It was seen mainly in smokers exposed to mine dust more then 28 years. Prevalence of chronic bronchitis in former coal miners (69%) outnumbered significantly incidence of the disease in non-exposed population, but even in workers exposed to another occupational dust. Airways obstruction was recorded in 30.35% miners. Symptoms of airway hyperreactivity (AHR) were recorded in 14.4% smokers and in 13% non-smokers, both groups were exposed to coal mine dust for the same time. The coincidence of the AHR with allergy was present in 22.3% of smokers and in 23.3% of non-smokers. The pneumoconiosis with typical RTG signs according to the ILO was diagnosed in 57.8% miners (N = 1177) and only 18% of the sample suffered from the complicated form of pneumoconiosis. COPD of the 2nd and the 3rd stage was recorded only in 10% of these patients with severe stage of pneumoconiosis (1.7% of the whole sample).

        Key words: chronic bronchitis, COPD and airway hyperreactivity, coal-miners