Search

Copyright of Clinica Terapeutica is the property of Societa Editrice Universo s.r.l. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The objective of this study was to assess the exposures to cadmium (Cd) in urban workers and the association between Cd exposure and values of blood counts. Urinary Cd, blood Cd, and blood counts were obtained from 355 outdoor workers; a subgroup of 99 subjects were monitored to evaluate personal exposure to airborne Cd. The mean value of personal exposure to Cd was 1.5 ng/m3for traffic assistants and 1.2 ng/m3for drivers. Urinary and blood Cd were correlated to the airborne Cd (respectivelyr=.3 andr=.4). The multiple linear regression models showed the associations among white blood cell, the percentage of neutrophils (NEU%), the percentage of lymphocytes (LYM%), and the concentrations of blood Cd (respectivelyR2=.27,R2=.37,R2=.581). The subjects with blood Cd values higher than 1.2 μg/L showed an increase of LYM% mean values and a decrease of NEU% mean values with respect to the group with blood Cd values lower than 1.1 μg/L. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Giornale Italiano di Medicina del Lavoro ed Ergonomia is the property of Giornale Italiano di Medicina del Lavoro ed Ergonomia Editorial Board and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The aim of this study is to evaluate whether occupational exposure to urban stressors could cause alterations in the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels in traffic policemen compared to a control group. After excluding the subjects with main confounding factors, traffic policemen and male controls were matched by age, working life, body mass index (BMI), drinking habit, cigarette smoking history, and daily consumption of Italian coffee, 166 traffic policemen and 166 controls were included into the study. FSH levels were significantly higher in traffic policemen compared to male controls (P < 0.05). The distribution of FSH values in traffic policemen and controls was significant (P < 0.05). Our results suggest that occupational exposure to low doses of chemical and psychosocial stressors may alter plasma levels of FSH in traffic policemen more than in the control group. If the results obtained are confirmed by further research, the plasma levels of FSH may be used as early biological markers, valuable for the group, used in occupational set even before the appearance of disorders of male fertility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study is to evaluate if the occupational exposure to urban stressors could cause alterations in 17-β-estradiol (E2) plasma levels and related disorders in male traffic police compared with a control group. Alter excluding from the study, the subjects with the principal confounding factors, traffic police and controls were matched by age, working life, Body Mass Index (BMI), smoking and drinking habit. A total of 171 male traffic police and 171 controls were included in the study. In traffic police, mean E2 values were significantly lower versus controls (P < 0.001 ). The distribution of E2 values in traffic police and controls was significant (P < 0.001). No significant differences were found in percentage of traffic police versus controls concerning the following questionnaire items: fertility and mental health diseases. Our results suggest that the occupational exposure to chemical urban stressor, interacting with and adding to the psychosocial ones. could alter plasma E2 concentrations in male traffic police compared with a control group. According to our previous researches on other neuro-immune-endocrine parameters, E2 could be used as an early biological marker, valuable for the group, to be used in occupational set even before the onset of the pathologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Giornale Italiano di Medicina del Lavoro ed Ergonomia is the property of Giornale Italiano di Medicina del Lavoro ed Ergonomia Editorial Board and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The purpose of this study was to analyse, in healthy volunteers exposed to noise of high intensity, any changes in certain hormonal parameters that might be related to psychological and behavioral effects. The parameters studied were cortisol (CORT), dehydroepiandrosterone-sulphate (DHEA-S), prolactin (PRL), growth hormone (GH), insulin (IRI). Some subjective spontaneously expressed parameters, such as feelingcold, feeling sleepy, being bothered by noise and feeling uneasy, feeling nausea, were also taken into consideration. A significant reduction of cortisol compared to the base values was noted both during exposure to noise and at the end of the stimulus. The DHEA-S values increased compared to the base values during administration of the noiseand after exposure had finished. After the end of the noise stimulus, prolactin showed a reduction compared to pre- and post-exposure values. Compared to the basic values, GH diminished both during and after exposure to noise. Insulinaemia showed a significant increase of the value during exposure to noise, both compared with basal levels andwith the values noted after exposure. The data obtained from the investigation carried out showed an influence on the human organism of acoustic stress that manifests itself through a complex multiendocrineresponse. This suggests that noise affected the endocrine system that might be related to psychological and behavioral effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Many studies have examined the effects of benzene on testosterone. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the possible correlation between the blood levels of benzene and the levels of testosterone., Materials and Methods: The study involved a group of 148 subjects. For every worker have been made out a blood sample for the evaluation of benzene and testosterone levels and an urine analysis for the evaluation of the levels of trans, trans-muconic acid and S-phenylmercapturic acid. We estimated the Pearson correlation coefficient between the variables in the sample and the urinary metabolites, age, length of service, gender, BMI. For the analysis of the major confounding factors it was performed a multiple linear regression., Results: The Pearson correlation coefficiet showed: 1. a significant inverse correlation between the S-phenyl mercapturic acid and free testosterone; 2. a significant direct correlation between trans-trans muconic acid and BMI. After dividing the sample according to the median of blood benzene (161.0 ng / L), Pearson correlation coefficient showed a significant inverse correlation between the S-phenyl mercapturic acid and free testosterone in the group with values below this median., Conclusions: Our results, to be considered preliminary, suggest that occupational exposure to low levels of benzene, present in urban pollution, affect the blood levels of testosterone. These results need to be confirmed in future studies, with the eventual possibility of including more specific fertility tests.

Aim: The aim of the study is to evaluate work-related subjective stress in a group of workers on a major Italian company in the field of healthcare through the administration of a valid "questionnaire-tool indicator" (HSE Indicator Tool), and to analyze any correlation between stress levels taken from questionnaire scores and blood glucose values., Material and Methods: We studied a final sample consisting of 241 subjects with different tasks. The HSE questionnaire - made up of 35 items (divided into 7 organizational dimensions) with 5 possible answers - has been distributed to all the subjects in occasion of the health surveillance examinations provided by law. The questionnaire was then analyzed using its specific software to process the results related to the 7 dimensions. These results were compared using the Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression with the blood glucose values obtained from each subject., Results: From the analysis of the data the following areas resulted critical, in other words linked to an intermediate (yellow area) or high (red area) condition of stress: sustain from managers, sustain from colleagues, quality of relationships and professional changes. A significant positive correlation (p <0.05) between the mean values of all critical areas and the concentrations of glucose values have been highlighted with the correlation index of Pearson. Multiple linear regression confirmed these findings, showing that the critical dimensions resulting from the questionnaire were the significant variables that can increase the levels of blood glucose., Conclusion: The preliminary results indicate that perceived work stress can be statistically associated with increased levels of blood glucose.

Introduction: The aim of our study is to compare liver damage in "outdoor" environment technicians, a category occupationally exposed, and in "indoor" workers., Materials and Methods: We studied 142 male technicians of the environment exposed to urban pollution and 142 male "indoor" workers not exposed. We compared mean and standard deviation of the following liver parameters: glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT), gamma-glutamyl-traspeptidasi (γGT) and alkaline phosphatase (PHA), total bilirubin (TB) and direct (DB). We made the two groups comparable for age, length of service, BMI, alcohol consumption and smoking habits, and excluded the workers who presented confounding factors., Results: We found statistically significant differences about the levels of γGT, PHA, GPT and albumin between the "outdoor" workers exposed and the "indoor" control group. In the outdoor group we observed statistically significant values, GPT (51.8 ± 30.6 I.U./l vs. 30 ± 22.3 I.U./l; p = 0.000), γ-GT (42.2 ± 29.4 I.U./l vs. 22.4 ± 20.7 I.U./l; p = 0.000) and PHA (75.7 ± 20.6 I.U./l vs. 59.1 ± 19.6 I.U./l; p= 0.000) compared to the unexposed group. No statistically significant difference emerged between the averages for the values of GOT (25.3 ± 20.7 I.U./l vs. 26 ± 17.7 I.U./l; p = 0.736) in two groups., Conclusions: It clearly emerges that the contaminants may alter the values of liver tests after prolonged exposure.

Background: In the assessment of work-related stress it is crucial to find the factors that generate and increase it in order to identify categories of individuals at risk, to plan interventions for prevention, elimination or reduction of risk. The aim of the study is to assess the subjective stress in 68 workers of a large Italian company dealing with human health, through the use of a questionnaire-indicating tool, elaborated by the Italian National Institute for insurance against accidents at work (INAIL) and developed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)., Methods: We studied a final sample of 68 individuals (34 drivers/rescuers and 34 video display unit (VDU) operators). The questionnaire consists of 35 items (divided into six areas) with five possible answers each, that cover working conditions considered potential causes of stress., Results: The drivers/rescuers had a better performance than the VDU operators, especially in the areas "demand", "relationships" and "role". We compared men and women in the two groups, finding that, in VDU operators, women had a better performance than men in all areas, except "role" and "changes", in which the overall scores were the same in men and women. In the drivers/rescuers women showed more critical scores in the items "relationships" and "change"., Conclusion: The results show that: the questionnaire-indicating tool is useful, with a demonstrated effectiveness for the occupational physician during the visits and proven validity; additional future efforts should focus on understanding the psycho-social, organizational and individual problems related to stress and the consequent implementation of preventive measures.

Objective: Literary studies underline the effectiveness of distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs), which are not affected by the collaboration of the subject examined, in the early diagnosis of hearing loss. Aim of the study is to compare the objective technique of DPOAEs with respect to the pure-tone audiometry in early diagnosis of hearing loss., Materials and Methods: The clinical research was carried out on 852 workers. All subjects underwent pure-tone audiometry, tympanometry and distortion products., Results: The results show: a) a prevalence of subjects with impaired DPOAEs higher than the prevalence of subjects with impaired audiometries in the studied samples; and, after division by gender: b) a prevalence of subjects with impaired DPOAEs higher than the prevalence of subjects with impaired audiometries only in men; c) a prevalence of impaired DPOAEs and of impaired audiometries in men higher than in women., Conclusions: The results suggest the higher effectiveness of DPOAEs compared to pure-tone audiometry in making an early diagnosis of hearing loss.

Aim: A significant relationship between exposure to cadmium and PAHs from urban air pollution and blood pressure has already been found. The aim of the study is to evaluate if other urban pollutants maintain a similar relationship in outdoor workers., Materials and Methods: 349 subjects of both sexes were enrolled in the study; we evaluated values of environmental and biological monitoring of respirable dust, arsenic, lead, benzene, toluene, xylene and we measured blood pressure (BP) in upright and in supine position; to analyze data we used multiple linear regression. Also we valued our results in the light of those we have obtained in previous research., Results: Multiple linear regression showed no significant results that demonstrate a relationship between BP and these pollutants., Conclusions: The results of our study lead to assume that exposure to urban pollutants studied has not connection with blood pressure, and to retain valid the relationship previously observed for cadmium and PAHs, which seem to be the only pollutants that can affect blood pressure.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate in scientific literature the more frequent work injuries among the occupational categories examined (construction workers, healthcare workers, night workers and shift work, drivers) and to identify occupational stressors that increase the risk of injury., Materials and Methods: The research was conducted through review of the scientific literature between 1990 and 2014. Two hundred articles were found of which 42 selected in the following categories: construction workers, healthcare workers, shift workers, lorry drivers., Results: The movement of machinery and working at height are due to injury for building sector and they were positively correlated with physical (r = 0,206) and mental (r = 0,254) stress. In health workers the injuries are more frequently bruises and sprains (50%). Studies showed a higher rate of injury in a group of shift workers compared to a control group on a rota basis (p <0.0001). Road accidents for drivers represent the most frequent cause of injury of which 13% comes from falling asleep, while 31% from distractions (OR = 3.16; CI = 1:22 to 8:24)., Conclusions: Nurses have frequent injuries due to bruises, lumbago, punctures with needles and surgical wounds. Construction workers often suffer serious injury derived from falls at height, handling machinery. For workers on a rota basis, injuries are often related to lack of sleep. Road accidents in drivers are the most common injuries. A synergistic action finalized to promote health and safety organization, to ensure a work environment more secure, is advisable.

Background: Work-related stress is a complex problem requiring a work environment-based assessment. Artists like dancers represent a category of atypical workers potentially at high risk for work-related stress. Aim of our pilot study is to evaluate organizational stress in a population of professional dancers, using the HSE Indicator Tool for Work Related Stress., Methods: We administered the Italian version of the HSE Indicator Tool to 38 ballet dancers, males and females. The questionnaire evaluates 7 key organizational dimensions: demand, control, managers' support, peer support, relationships, role and change., Results: The standards required-ideal conditions are achieved in none of the above-mentioned dimensions. Change is the only dimension for which results fall between the 20th and the 50th percentile, while for other dimensions results fall below the 20th percentile suggesting the need for immediate corrective action. In male dancers an acceptable situation is highlighted for the dimension "change" compared to female dancers. In both sexes there is a high frequency of subjects complaining of verbal abuse, bullying and harassment., Conclusions: Despite the small sample size, our pilot study highlights the presence of heightened levels of organizational stress. Preventive measures targeted towards improving communication between managers and dancers and aimed at team building should be implemented.

Purpose: The aim of this pilot study is to evaluate whether occupational exposure to low doses of pollutants present in the air of the city selected for the study could cause alterations in the concentration of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) in workers from the Municipal Police with outdoor tasks, compared to those with indoor tasks., Methods: A total of 208 non-smoking male and female subjects were enrolled and divided on the basis of whether their tasks were mainly outdoors or indoors. The dosage of plasma ANP was carried out on all workers included in the study. Differences between means and frequencies were compared using student's t-test for unpaired data and chi-square test with Yates' correction, and they were considered significant when the p value was <0.05., Results: Even after the subdivision of the total sample on the basis of sex, mean plasma levels of ANP were higher but not statistically significant in traffic police compared with controls., Conclusions: The preliminary results suggest that further studies should be conducted before the influence of urban pollution on ANP could be confirmed or rejected.

Background: The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the association between ALS and occupational exposure to physical (ELF-EMF) and chemicals (solvents, heavy metals and pesticides) agents., Methods: We considered articles published from 1980 up to April 2013; in total, 750 publications were evaluated. The studies had to satisfy the following criteria: 1) cohort or case-control studies; 2) the presence of individual exposures; 3) clinical diagnosis of sporadic ALS or sporadic ALS on the death certificate. We followed the evaluation of quality in two steps. The first step classified studies according to a rating system based on a mix of criteria developed by scientific organizations, especially developed for studies of risk factors for ALS. The ratings obtained range from I (highest) to V (lowest). The data on risk factors derived from studies with Armon ratings of I, II, and III can reach levels of evidence A (established risk factor), B (likely risk factor), or C (possible risk factor). The second step evaluated the exposure and a score from 1 to 4 was assigned to each item; an exposure with a score of 3 or 4 was considered sufficient. Different analyses were performed on ALS and exposure to metals, solvents, pesticides and electromagnetic fields. In our study the heterogeneity was assessed both by χ2-based Q-tests and through the index of inconsistency I² while the measure RR/OR and CI of 95% to estimate the relationship between ALS and the various considered risk factors was employed., Results: The association between exposure to pesticides and ALS as a whole is weak and not significant. With regard to the results of individual studies the following critical synthesis can be reported: 1) the selected studies showed a low level of association between ALS and electromagnetic fields; 2) as regards the solvents, the association with ALS in some studies is combined with a slightly increased risk, particularly in women, and in others a slight but significant linear association is observed; 3) for the metals, in some cases there was a stronger association in women than in men; for individual metals, there was an association especially with chromium and lead; 4) lastly, with regard to the products of agricultural pesticides in general, there was an association with ALS in men but not in women, with a dose-response relationship., Conclusions: The lack of statistically significant association between occupational exposure and ALS is mainly due to the methodological diversity of the studies and the lack of prospective studies at the workplace.

Background: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are widely present in the air pollution. The urinary hydroxypyrene (1-HOPu) is considered the main biological biomarker currently available to measure the exposure to PAH. It is supposed responsible of an increase of estradiol levels in males. Aim of this study is to verify whether there is a relation between 1-HOPu and plasmatic estradiol in non-smoker male workers., Methods: The study was conducted on a sample of 122 non-smoker policemen in a large Italian city; we monitored their levels of 1-HOPu and the values of estradiol. The sample was divided into three groups according to the levels of urinary hydroxypyrene. The indices of correlation (r) and multiple linear regression (β), between levels of 1-HOPu and estradiol were calculated. It was also calculated the student's t-test among the groups to check the differences., Results: We found statistically significant correlations and multivariate linear regressions between 1-HOPu and estradiol in the total sample and in group III (levels of 1-HOPu above the 75th percentile). The average levels of estradiol in group III was statistically and significantly higher than in the group I (levels of 1-HOPu below the 25th percentile) and group II (levels 1-HOPu between 25th and the 75th percentile)., Conclusions: 1-HOPu in non-smoker male workers is related with an increase of plasmatic estradiol. We believe that PAHs, of which 1-HOPu is the main biomarker, can interact with the hypothalamic-pituitary axis. The preliminary results suggest that the topic needs further research on male and female as well.

Background: Typesetting industry is still the primary instrument of communication, despite the development of new technological systems. This study focuses on the analysis of the hepatic effects induced by the use of some organic solvents employed in the printing industry., Methods: We studied a group of 194 workers: 93 exposed and 101 not exposed. The level of the exposure to chemical pollutants were assessed through the environmental monitoring of blood concentrations and the analysis of airborne substances. The health survey was performed through the collection of the medical history and the use of hepatic tests, which were evaluated by calculating Mean, Standard Deviation, Student's t-test and X² test with Yates Correction, to investigate statistically significant differences in some hepatic parameters: AST, ALT, ALP, GGT, fractional and total bilirubin. The environmental data sometimes exceeded the TLV-TWA., Results: The clinical evaluation of the hepatic parameters showed statistically significant differences as to the hematic concentrations of AST, ALT, GGT., Conclusions: The results we obtained support the hypothesis of a risk among the printing industrial workers attributable to the hepatotoxic solvents. This risk seems to be related to the use of a mixture of solvents, although at low doses, and the analysis of the results obtained confirms the validity of the investigation for the health screening protocol adopted in order to identify subjects and/or population at risk of hepatotoxicity.

Background: The occupational exposure to urban pollution may induce adverse effects on the human health., Methods: Plasma levels of thyrotropin stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (FT4) and free triiodothyronine (FT3) of 50 outdoor workers and 50 indoor workers were compared., Results: In the outdoor workers the TSH levels were significantly higher than in the control subjects (p =0.02) while the average of FT3 and FT4 values, was not significantly different compared to the controls (p > 0.05)., Conclusions: The differences found for TSH levels between outdoor and indoor workers, though not high, suggest that, due to greater exposure to environmental pollutants, the outdoor workers are more susceptible to the development of function abnormalities of the thyroid gland compared to indoor workers.

Objective: High doses of organic solvents can cause hepatic disease. We investigated whether exposure to low doses of solvents in automotive and industrial workers may lead to changes in liver tests., Methods: We studied the liver parameters (glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (GPT), gamma-glutamyl-traspeptidasi (γ-GT), alkaline phosphatase (PHA), total (TB) and direct bilirubin (DB) of 24 workers exposed to organic solvents and of 30 unexposed controls., Results: A significant increase of GOT, GPT and γ-GT was found in exposed workers compared to unexposed controls workers. The ratio GPT/GOT was significantly higher among the exposed compared to controls., Conclusions: The results confirmed the hypothesis that exposure to low doses of solvents may determine a liver damage.

Objectives: The authors hypothesize cardiovascular effects in paper industry workers exposed to noise., Materials and Methods: The study included 72 paper industry workers exposed to noise and two control groups not exposed to noise. The workers completed a questionnaire and underwent a medical examination, measurement of blood pressure, electrocardiogram, blood tests, audiometry and measurement of noise exposure., Results: The workers exposed to noise, all hearing impaired, were compared with not exposed and showed: significant increase of mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure values (p<0.001), higher frequency of hypertension, systolic and diastolic blood pressure (p<0.01 and p<0.001) and electrocardiografic abnormalities (p<0.05), significant reduction of blood pressure response in orthostatism (p<0.005)., Conclusions: Our results suggest that for the workers of the paper industry the noise is an occupational risk factor for cardiovascular effects.

Objectives: Everyday outdoor workers are exposed to chemicals including the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The aim of the study is to evaluate the relationship between hydroxypyrene and blood pressure in outdoor workers., Materials and Methods: 374 subjects of both sexes entered the study. We evaluated the assay of urinary hydroxypyrene (1-HOP); their blood pressure (BP) was measured in upright position and in the supine position and the correlation between the levels of 1-HOP and BP was assessed using Pearson test and linear multiple regression., Results: The results obtained show that in the total sample the levels of urinary 1-OHP are negatively associated with systolic and diastolic BP in supine position and in upright position. The significance is maintained despite the stratification of the sample according to age; in non-smokers we found a negative relationship between 1-OHP and differential blood pressure, both systolic and diastolic., Conclusions: The results of the study suggest that occupational exposure to PAHs may be able to significantly influence the blood pressure probably acting on the autonomic nervous system.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether urban pollutants can affect plasma levels of antidiuretic hormone (ADH) in outdoor workers., Materials and Methods: We selected 208 subjects, 104 exposed to urban stressors and 104 non exposed to urban stressors. We divided these workers in 3 groups: Group 1 (non-smokers and non-drinkers), Group 2 (smokers and not drinkers) and Group 3 (drinkers and not smokers). The means and standard deviations of ADH were calculated, and a Student's t-test was used to compare means. The data were considered significant at p ≤ 0.05., Results: The outdoor workers in Group 1 had significantly reduced plasma levels of ADH. In contrast, the outdoor workers in Groups 2 and 3 had increased plasma levels of ADH. These results were consistent in both men and women., Conclusions: The results suggest that urban pollutants may influence the secretion of ADH.

Objective: Outdoor workers are daily exposed to urban pollutants. The aim of the study is to evaluate the relationship between the values of environmental monitoring collected by personal dosimetries and changes in blood pressure due to posture in outdoor workers., Materials and Methods: 32 subjects of both sexes were enrolled in the study, we evaluated the values of environmental monitoring of breathable dust, nickel, arsenic, cadmium, lead, benzene, toluene, xylene and 16 PAHs. Blood pressure in supine and standing positions was measured in all subjects., Results: The multiple linear regression analysis showed a significant reduction of orthostatic response of diastolic blood pressure in non-smoking outdoor workers occupationally exposed to cadmium., Conclusions: The results of our study let us to believe that exposure to low doses of urban polluted cadmium may affect the response of diastolic blood pressure to orthostatism, as per a paraphysiological condition of sympathetic down-regulation.

Background: The purpose of this study is to assess whether occupational exposure to substances used in the cosmetic factories may cause effects on the liver and blood counts in exposed workers., Methods: The study included 48 exposed workers and 86 unexposed controls. All workers included in the study underwent blood count, white blood count, total, direct and indirect bilirubin, transaminases, alkaline phosphatase and cholinesterase. The differences between the means and frequencies were compared using the Student's t-test and chi-square test with Yates correction and were considered significant when the p value was <0.05., Results: The analysis of the results shows that 35.4% of workers in the cosmetics industry had liver test values above the range. We noted a statistically significant higher prevalence of GPT (p <0.05) and total bilirubin (p <0.05) in the workers of the cosmetics industry compared with the control group., Conclusions: The results obtained suggest that occupational exposure to low doses of substances used in the cosmetic industry is able to influence some liver parameters in occupationally exposed workers.

Background: The occupational exposure to urban pollution may induce adverse effects on the cardiovascular system., Methods: Basal blood pressure, electrocardiogram (ECG) and the dynamic blood pressure monitoring during the work shift of 16 policemen (outdoors workers) and 16 administrative employees (indoor workers) were compared., Results: The mean value of all the diastolic blood pressure surveys in policemen (84,53 ± 10,78) is significantly higher (p = 0,014) than the mean value of all the diastolic blood pressure surveys in indoor workers (82,74 ± 11.52)., Conclusions: The results of our study suggest that the occupational exposure to urban stressors may induce an increase of the diastolic blood pressure in workers during the working hours.

Background: The exposure to Cd has been linked to many disease and liver is the major target organ of Cd toxicity following acute or chronic exposure.No study has ever evaluated the association between liver function tests and exposure to Cd present in urban air in outdoor workers., Materials and Methods: In order to assess the relationship between the exposure to urban Cd and the associated changes in liver functionality markers, we conducted a study on 110 municipal policemen divided into 2 groups according to their tasks: 60 traffic policemen and 50 drivers, underwent tests for the determination of the urinary values of Cd correlated with the blood levels of transaminases and ?-GT. Moreover we investigated the exposure to Cd in the air through a personal dosimetry on a subgroup of 40 subjects (20 traffic policemen 20 police drivers)., Results: The results showed that the average personal exposure to air Cd was significantly higher in traffic policemen than drivers. Furthermore, in the subset of 40 subjects and in the total sample of 110 subjects, the mean values of urinary Cd were significantly higher in traffic policemen rather than in the police drivers. No significant difference was observed in the mean values of liver functionality in both groups., Conclusions: Due to the few studies on the effects of the exposure to Cd in big cities, the results of the present study offers useful information about occupational exposure to Cd on the road and in the car and the lack of effects on liver function.

Objectives: The use of organic solvents has been linked to pathologies of different apparatuses. The purpose of this study is to analyze the liver damage induced by organic solvents., Materials and Methods: We analyzed 556 workers, 278 exposed to organic solvents (group 1) and 278 not exposed to organic solvents (group 2). The exposed group was further divided into 2 subgroups: group 1A (139 workers exposed to considerable doses) and group 1B (139 workers exposed to negligible doses). Mean and standard deviation of some liver parameters was calculated. Statistically significant differences between the liver parameters in the different groups and subgroups were detected using the t-test. Multiple linear regression models were used to examine the associations between laboratory parameters and the independent variable., Results: The data so far obtained showed the existence of statistically significant differences with regard to the total protein, total bilirubin, transaminase GOT and GPT, Gamma Glutamyl Transferase (gamma-GT)., Conclusions: Our results confirm that exposure to solvents can alter some liver parameters. The blood tests we used can be useful tool for the assessment of the actual occupational hazards and to verify the effectiveness of the measures taken for the prevention and protection.

Objectives: The carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a common working pathology. The CTS diagnosis is not so easy because neurophysiological investigations are necessary. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the working risks and the presence of CTS signs using a focused anamnestic and clinical procedure., Materials and Methods: We evaluated the working risks of CTS in a population of 65 male workers of a steel industry (average age 25.1 and seniority 2.82), performing 5 different tasks. The Borg Scale was used to evaluate the subjective muscle effort. Diurnal paresthesia (V1FG), nocturnal paresthesia (V1FN), hypersensitivity (V1IS), hypostenia (V1IT) were considered., Results: We identified three main working risks repetitiveness of single actions, static and prolonged posture of the truck, muscle effort. 21.5% of the workers showed at least one of the three symptoms;13.8% showed one or more symptoms; the clinical objectivity was observed in 18.5%. A relation between V1FG, V1FN, clinical objective linked to the workers age of the task 1 (p =0.035) is showed., Conclusions: To prevent CTS, the use of the Borg Scale associated with identification of the risks and with the anamenstic-clinical investigation is useful to discriminate people at risk of CTS.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to estimate the exposure to Cd in a group of roadmen compared to a group of drivers by environmental monitoring and biological monitoring of blood and urinary Cd. It aims to evaluate whether exposure to Cd can affect plasma cortisol., Materials and Methods: The initial sample was composed by 130 employees of Municipal Police Force (roadmen and drivers). After administration of a clinical-anamnestic questionnaire were excluded 50 subjects who presented confounding factors and 30 subjects who weren't comparable. On a final sample of 25 drivers and 25 roadmen were conducted environmental monitoring of Cd, biological monitoring of urinary and blood Cd and assessment of cortisol., Results: Personal exposure to Cd in air was significantly higher in roadmen compared to drivers (p = 0.015). Urinary and blood Cd were significantly increased in roadmen compared to drivers (p = 0.18 and p = 0.025). There weren't significant differences in plasma cortisol between drivers and roadmen (p> 0.05). The multiple linear regression analysis shows that urinary and blood Cd are dependent on the environment Cd levels and on the job (driver or roadmen) (p = 0.014 and p = 0.012) and plasma cortisol isn't dependent on blood and urinary Cd., Conclusions: The results show a higher concentration of Cd in roadmen both in air and urine and they don't indicate an influence of exposure to low doses of Cd on plasma cortisol.

Objectives: Otoacoustic emissions are signals that originate from the cochlea, measuring them can be considered an objective method in the assessment of auditory function. In our study we wanted to examine their efficiency among normal audiological exams., Materials and Methods: We examined 14 workers exposed to continuous aircraft noise. They underwent ENT examination, metric eardrum test, hearing test tone audiometry system powered by 1 dB, spontaneous otoacoustic emissions and evoked otoacoustic emissions. For inclusion in the study the patients had to show bilateral normoacusia at the audiometry., Results: The variation of the audiometric tracks was statistically significant (p <0.05) at a frequency of 4 kHz. As to SNR parameter (relationship between sound/noise) we noticed a tendency of the transient-evoked otoacustic emission (TEOAE) to shift their spectral content, in particular a decrease in the high frequency response and on the other hand an increase at low frequencies. A similar trend for shifting in latency of otoacoustic waves emissions after exposure to chronic noise., Conclusions: The measurement of evoked transient otoacoustic emissions is well tolerated by the workers and provides objective results, so it is a more effective and objective method then the tone audiometry.

Urban pollution is a current problem, constituting a serious health risk. Many pollutants are present in the urban atmosphere, they are mainly anthropogenic, resulting from the combustion of coal. Several studies have shown the harmful effects of these pollutants, particularly on the respiratory system. Through a library review, we want to explore the effects on the health of general population and of outdoor workers exposed to the products resulting from the combustion of coal, in order to compare them with the estimated effects of the pollutants from the new generation coal plants, certainly less harmful to the environment. In recent years investments in "clean technologies" have resulted in a rapid and significant reduction of all polluting emissions: sulfur dioxide, dust, oxides of nitrogen, ash and gypsum resulting from the desulfurization process. To conclude in the light of the scientific literature we can say that the activation of coal plants based on technologies for the maximum containment and optimal treatment of the production cycle is essential to defend both the environment and the health of the population. Nevertheless it remains necessary to ensure a systematic monitoring of the environment of sanitation and food processing of the population living in the area, with a long-term follow-up.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to estimate whether the occupational exposure to low dose of anaesthetic gases could cause alterations of haematochemical hepatic and renal parameters in the health workers of a city hospital., Materials and Methods: After excluding the main confounding factors, 154 exposed subjects and 98 not exposed controls were included in the study. The exposed subjects were divided in more exposed (group 1: n.54) and less exposed (group 2: n.100). Each worker included in this study underwent the CBC test (Complete Blood Count test). The differences between means were compared using the Student T test for unpaired data and considered significant when the p value was < 0.05., Results: The mean values of serum albumin, alpha 1, alpha 2, beta and gamma globulins were significantly decreased in health workers of both groups compared to controls. The mean values of serum creatinine and gamma-GT were significantly higher in health workers of group 2 compared to controls., Conclusions: The obtained results suggest that occupational exposure to low dose of anaesthetic gases could influence haematochemical hepatic and renal parameters in exposed health workers.

Objectives: The purpose of the research is to evaluate whether the exposure to antineoplastic drugs of health workers may cause alteration of blood chemistry parameters., Materials and Methods: Research was conducted on 5800 health workers employed in a hospital in a big Italian city. The final sample is composed of 57 people in charge of cytotoxic drugs compared with 57 subjects not exposed; each worker underwent a general clinical examination and determination of the following values: complete blood count (CBC), white blood cell count (WBC), total protein, BUN, total bilirubin, creatinine, GOT, GPT, alkaline phosphatase, gamma GT. Statistical analysis of data was based on calculation of the mean, standard deviation and the distribution into classes according to the nature of each variable. Differences were considered significant when p was <= 0.05., Results: The mean and the distribution of values of total bilirubin were significantly higher in the workers exposed to antineoplastic drugs than in workers non-exposed; the mean and the distribution of values of monocytes were significantly lower in subjects exposed compared to controls., Conclusions: According to the results antiblastic drugs, at the doses used in the departments we studied, can induce an increase in the values of total bilirubin for liver toxicity and a reduction in the monocyte line due to myelosuppression.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to examine if urban pollution can modify indices of genotoxic damage., Methods: Research of articles inherent in the evaluation of these alterations. Differents categories of exposed workers are included in the study (cases, in number of 7287) and compaired with no exposed workers (controls, in number of 8054). To calculate the result of meta-analysis the Effect Size (ES) was used and the confidence interval was calculated., Results: In this category we evaluated 54 studies and we observed significantly differences in the complex., Conclusions: Starting from the individual variables analysis investigated, between exposed and not exposed group, we underline the utility to deepen the studies concerning of these parameters, to appreciate their benefits and to safeguard health of exposed workers.

Introduction: Aim of this study is evaluating alteration of neuro-immune-endocrine parameters in exposed workers and estimating whether urban pollution can modify them., Methods: Literature research. Different categories of exposed workers were included in the study (7287) and compared with controls (8054). To calculate results Effect Size (ES) and confidence interval were used., Results: A correlation between urban pollution exposition and some neurogenic mediators and metabolites alterations was demonstrated; blood values can be alterated by toxicity of benzene and by xenobiotic metabolites' mechanism; follicle stimulating hormone is significantly increased in exposed versus controls., Conclusions: High heterogeneity and literature limitations, together with results of this meta analysis, induce to believe that is necessary to deepen the research about urban pollution effects on these parameters.