Airway responsiveness in workers processing polyester resins.

In 22 employees of a button-manufacturing plant, exposure to polyester resins over an eight-hour work shift resulted in an acute reduction of flow rates on maximum expiratory flow volume (MEFV) curves at MEF50% and MEF25%. In the workers studied, preshift administration of 80 mg of propranolol potentiated, while 1 mg of subcutaneously injected atropine significantly inhibited, the bronchoconstricting effect of the resins, indicating that the autonomic nervous system plays an important role in determining airway smooth muscle response to polyester resins. Although a high prevalence of acute symptoms (cough, shortness of breath, throat and eye irritation) over the work shift was recorded in exposed workers, no high prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms was found. No definite evidence of chronic airway obstruction was recorded in exposed workers.