Stella E Hines1,2, Elizabeth A Barker3, Maura Robinson3, Vijaya Knight4, Joanna Gaitens1, Michael Sills4, Kirby Duvall5, Cecile S Rose3,5,6. 1. Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Medicine, The University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. 2. Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Department of Medicine, The University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. 3. National Jewish Health, Division of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, Department of Medicine, Denver, Colorado, USA. 4. National Jewish Health, Division of Pathology, Department of Medicine, Denver, Colorado, USA. 5. Department of Environmental & Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, Denver, Colorado, USA. 6. Division of Pulmonary Sciences & Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, The University of Colorado-Denver, Denver, Colorado, USA.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: An epoxy resin worker developed hypersensitivity pneumonitis requiring lung transplantation and had an abnormal blood lymphocyte proliferation test (LPT) to an epoxy hardener. We assessed the prevalence of symptoms, abnormal spirometry, and abnormal epoxy resin LPT results in epoxy resin workers compared to unexposed workers. METHODS: Participants completed questionnaires and underwent spirometry. We collected blood for epoxy resin LPT and calculated stimulation indices for five epoxy resin products. RESULTS: We compared 38 exposed to 32 unexposed workers. Higher exposed workers were more likely to report cough (OR 10.86, [1.23-infinity], p = 0.030) or wheeze (OR 4.44, [1.00-22.25], p = 0.049) than unexposed workers, even controlling for smoking. Higher exposed workers were more likely to have abnormal FEV1 than unexposed workers (OR 10.51, [0.86-589.9], p = 0.071), although not statistically significant when adjusted for smoking. There were no differences in proportion of abnormal epoxy resin system LPTs between exposed and unexposed workers. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, workers exposed to epoxy resin system chemicals were more likely to report respiratory symptoms and have abnormal FEV1 than unexposed workers. Use of epoxy resin LPT was not helpful as a biomarker of exposure and sensitization.
OBJECTIVES: An epoxy resin worker developed hypersensitivitypneumonitis requiring lung transplantation and had an abnormal blood lymphocyte proliferation test (LPT) to an epoxy hardener. We assessed the prevalence of symptoms, abnormal spirometry, and abnormal epoxy resin LPT results in epoxy resin workers compared to unexposed workers. METHODS:Participants completed questionnaires and underwent spirometry. We collected blood for epoxy resin LPT and calculated stimulation indices for five epoxy resin products. RESULTS: We compared 38 exposed to 32 unexposed workers. Higher exposed workers were more likely to report cough (OR 10.86, [1.23-infinity], p = 0.030) or wheeze (OR 4.44, [1.00-22.25], p = 0.049) than unexposed workers, even controlling for smoking. Higher exposed workers were more likely to have abnormal FEV1 than unexposed workers (OR 10.51, [0.86-589.9], p = 0.071), although not statistically significant when adjusted for smoking. There were no differences in proportion of abnormal epoxy resin system LPTs between exposed and unexposed workers. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, workers exposed to epoxy resin system chemicals were more likely to report respiratory symptoms and have abnormal FEV1 than unexposed workers. Use of epoxy resin LPT was not helpful as a biomarker of exposure and sensitization.
Authors: Timo Hannu; Heikki Frilander; Paula Kauppi; Outi Kuuliala; Kristiina Alanko Journal: Int Arch Allergy Immunol Date: 2008-08-21 Impact factor: 2.749