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Background Silicosis develops after inhalation of dust containing respirable crystalline silica (RCS) and is recognized as an occupational disease. Workers also develop accelerated and acute silicosis after shorter exposure to respirable silica dust at high concentrations. Aims The objective of this study is to investigate and identify the occupational groups at the highest risk of silicosis due to short-term RCS exposure. Methods All confirmed cases of silicosis reported to the Central Register of Occupational Diseases in Poland between 2000 and 2019 were included. Data analysis covered: gender, age at the time of occupational disease diagnosis, exposure duration to RCS and sector of the national economy. Results A total of 2066 confirmed cases of silicosis were analysed. Thirty-two cases occurred after RCS exposure shorter than 5 years. Median age was 50. Seventy-five per cent (n  = 24) of these cases were diagnosed in industrial processing workers who were mainly employed in manufacturing of non-metallic mineral products (44%, n  = 14) and metal production (19%, n  = 6). 16% (n  = 5) of cases were associated with employment in mining and quarrying, 6% (n  = 2) in conservation of monuments and 3% (n  = 1) in construction. Conclusions The findings identify occupational groups at risk of silicosis due to short-term silica exposure. Medical professionals should be aware of early silicosis symptoms, and occupational health professionals and employers should improve protective and preventive measures in silica related industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and Objective: Smoking-free policies protect non-smokers from the negative effects of smoking, but many young adults still use products containing nicotine. The aim of this article is to analyze the factors that influence young people's attitudes towards the ban on smoking in public places., Material and Methods: Data were obtained from a representative sample of young adults aged 13-15 from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) conducted in the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. Logistic regression analysis was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs)., Results: At least a quarter of the adolescents were exposed to cigarette smoking, about 40% have parents who smoke and over 50% declared that they have peers who smoke. A higher proportion of adolescents have knowledge about the harmful effects of second-hand smoking (62.6-71.9%), but at least one-fifth of young people are still exposed to the marketing of tobacco products. Compared with current smoking, those with never smoked were significantly associated with positive attitude toward to restricting smoking in all five analyzed countries, with an AOR= 4.74 (95% CI: 3.61-6.23), AOR=4.33 (95% CI: 2.32-8.07), AOR=2.85 (95% CI: 2.19-3.70) and AOR=2.45 (95% CI: 1.65-3.64), respectively. Gender, age, smoking, exposure to second-hand smoke, knowledge about the harmful effects of smoking, anti-smoking education, seeing people using tobacco and exposure to tobacco marketing, were significantly associated with the attitudes of young people towards restricting smoking in public places., Conclusions: The study provides useful information on factors that should be taken into account when planning anti-smoking strategies so that young people are able to resist the pressure to use tobacco products.

International differences in the incidence of many cancer types indicate the existence of carcinogen exposures that have not yet been identified by conventional epidemiology make a substantial contribution to cancer burden 1 . In clear cell renal cell carcinoma, obesity, hypertension and tobacco smoking are risk factors, but they do not explain the geographical variation in its incidence 2 . Underlying causes can be inferred by sequencing the genomes of cancers from populations with different incidence rates and detecting differences in patterns of somatic mutations. Here we sequenced 962 clear cell renal cell carcinomas from 11 countries with varying incidence. The somatic mutation profiles differed between countries. In Romania, Serbia and Thailand, mutational signatures characteristic of aristolochic acid compounds were present in most cases, but these were rare elsewhere. In Japan, a mutational signature of unknown cause was found in more than 70% of cases but in less than 2% elsewhere. A further mutational signature of unknown cause was ubiquitous but exhibited higher mutation loads in countries with higher incidence rates of kidney cancer. Known signatures of tobacco smoking correlated with tobacco consumption, but no signature was associated with obesity or hypertension, suggesting that non-mutagenic mechanisms of action underlie these risk factors. The results of this study indicate the existence of multiple, geographically variable, mutagenic exposures that potentially affect tens of millions of people and illustrate the opportunities for new insights into cancer causation through large-scale global cancer genomics., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Heated tobacco products (HTPs) are novel tobacco products that are alternatives to cigarettes. The study aimed to investigate the effect of HTPs on blood biomarkers of inflammation as well as to provide a comparative evaluation between daily heated tobacco users and healthy men who do not use nicotine products. This case-control study was carried out among 92 healthy males in Poland (Lodz-Province) aged 20-56 years: 44 daily heated tobacco users (daily use in the past 90 days) and 48 controls who do not use nicotine products. The history of use of the nicotine-containing products was self-reported and verified using a saliva cotinine test. A 20 ml blood sample was collected and the levels of ten blood biomarkers were analyzed. Among all heated tobacco users (n = 44), only the levels of interleukin 8 (IL-8) were significantly higher when compared to controls: 6.86 vs. 3.95 (p = 0.01). Among exclusive heated tobacco users (n = 33), the levels of IL-8 were also significantly higher when compared to controls: 7.76 vs. 3.95 (p = 0.01). IL-8 level was positively correlated (r = 0.37; p = 0.01) with the daily number of heated tobacco sticks. Out of 10 different biomarkers of inflammation, only IL-8 levels were significantly elevated in heated tobacco use compared to controls., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Large-scale biorepositories and databases are essential to generate equitable, effective, and sustainable advances in cancer prevention, early detection, cancer therapy, cancer care, and surveillance. The Mutographs project has created a large genomic dataset and biorepository of over 7,800 cancer cases from 30 countries across five continents with extensive demographic, lifestyle, environmental, and clinical information. Whole-genome sequencing is being finalized for over 4,000 cases, with the primary goal of understanding the causes of cancer at eight anatomic sites. Genomic, exposure, and clinical data will be publicly available through the International Cancer Genome Consortium Accelerating Research in Genomic Oncology platform. The Mutographs sample and metadata biorepository constitutes a legacy resource for new projects and collaborations aiming to increase our current research efforts in cancer genomic epidemiology globally., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests M.R.S. is founder of, consultant to, and stockholder in Quotient Therapeutics. L.B.A. is a compensated consultant and has equity interest in io9, LLC, and Genome Insight. His spouse is an employee of Biotheranostics, Inc. L.B.A. is also an inventor of a US patent 10,776,718 for source identification by non-negative matrix factorization. L.B.A. declares US provisional applications with serial numbers 63/289,601; 63/269,033; and 63/483,237. L.B.A. also declares US provisional applications with serial numbers 63/366,392; 63/367,846; 63/412,835; and 63/492,348., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: Worldwide, lung cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women. The present study explored associations between occupational exposures that are prevalent among women, and lung cancer., Methods: Data from 10 case-control studies of lung cancer from Europe, Canada, and New Zealand conducted between 1988 and 2008 were combined. Lifetime occupational history and information on nonoccupational factors including smoking were available for 3040 incident lung cancer cases and 4187 controls. We linked each reported job to the Canadian Job-Exposure Matrix (CANJEM), which provided estimates of probability, intensity, and frequency of exposure to each selected agent in each job. For this analysis, we selected 15 agents (cleaning agents, biocides, cotton dust, synthetic fibers, formaldehyde, cooking fumes, organic solvents, cellulose, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from petroleum, ammonia, metallic dust, alkanes C18+, iron compounds, isopropanol, and calcium carbonate) that had lifetime exposure prevalence of at least 5% in the combined study population. For each agent, we estimated lung cancer risk in each study center for ever-exposure, by duration of exposure, and by cumulative exposure, using separate logistic regression models adjusted for smoking and other covariates. We then estimated the meta-odds ratios using random-effects meta-analysis., Results and Conclusions: None of the agents assessed showed consistent and compelling associations with lung cancer among women. The following agents showed elevated odds ratio in some analyses: metallic dust, iron compounds, isopropanol, and organic solvents. Future research into occupational lung cancer risk factors among women should prioritize these agents., (© 2024 The Authors. American Journal of Industrial Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Rationale: Benzene has been classified as carcinogenic to humans, but there is limited evidence linking benzene exposure to lung cancer. Objectives: We aimed to examine the relationship between occupational benzene exposure and lung cancer. Methods: Subjects from 14 case-control studies across Europe and Canada were pooled. We used a quantitative job-exposure matrix to estimate benzene exposure. Logistic regression models assessed lung cancer risk across different exposure indices. We adjusted for smoking and five main occupational lung carcinogens and stratified analyses by smoking status and lung cancer subtypes. Measurements and Main Results: Analyses included 28,048 subjects (12,329 cases, 15,719 control subjects). Lung cancer odds ratios ranged from 1.12 (95% confidence interval, 1.03-1.22) to 1.32 (95% confidence interval, 1.18-1.48) ( P trend  = 0.002) for groups with the lowest and highest cumulative occupational exposures, respectively, compared with unexposed subjects. We observed an increasing trend of lung cancer with longer duration of exposure ( P trend  < 0.001) and a decreasing trend with longer time since last exposure ( P trend  = 0.02). These effects were seen for all lung cancer subtypes, regardless of smoking status, and were not influenced by specific occupational groups, exposures, or studies. Conclusions: We found consistent and robust associations between different dimensions of occupational benzene exposure and lung cancer after adjusting for smoking and main occupational lung carcinogens. These associations were observed across different subgroups, including nonsmokers. Our findings support the hypothesis that occupational benzene exposure increases the risk of developing lung cancer. Consequently, there is a need to revisit published epidemiological and molecular data on the pulmonary carcinogenicity of benzene.

Background: Poor oral health has been identified as a prognostic factor potentially affecting the survival of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. However, evidence to date supporting this association has emanated from studies based on single cohorts with small-to-modest sample sizes., Methods: Pooled analysis of 2449 head and neck squamous cell carcinoma participants from 4 studies of the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology Consortium included data on periodontal disease, tooth brushing frequency, mouthwash use, numbers of natural teeth, and dental visits over the 10 years prior to diagnosis. Multivariable generalized linear regression models were used and adjusted for age, sex, race, geographic region, tumor site, tumor-node-metastasis stage, treatment modality, education, and smoking to estimate risk ratios (RR) of associations between measures of oral health and overall survival., Results: Remaining natural teeth (10-19 teeth: RR = 0.81, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.69 to 0.95; ≥20 teeth: RR = 0.88, 95% CI = 0.78 to 0.99) and frequent dental visits (>5 visits: RR = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.66 to 0.91) were associated with better overall survival. The inverse association with natural teeth was most pronounced among patients with hypopharyngeal and/or laryngeal, and not otherwise specified head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. The association with dental visits was most pronounced among patients with oropharyngeal head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Patient-reported gingival bleeding, tooth brushing, and report of ever use of mouthwash were not associated with overall survival., Conclusions: Good oral health as defined by maintenance of the natural dentition and frequent dental visits appears to be associated with improved overall survival among head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press.)

Background: While much research has been done to identify individual workplace lung carcinogens, little is known about joint effects on risk when workers are exposed to multiple agents., Objectives: We investigated the pairwise joint effects of occupational exposures to asbestos, respirable crystalline silica, metals (i.e., nickel, chromium-VI), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) on lung cancer risk, overall and by major histologic subtype, while accounting for cigarette smoking., Methods: In the international 14-center SYNERGY project, occupational exposures were assigned to 16,901 lung cancer cases and 20,965 control subjects using a quantitative job-exposure matrix (SYN-JEM). Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed for ever vs. never exposure using logistic regression models stratified by sex and adjusted for study center, age, and smoking habits. Joint effects among pairs of agents were assessed on multiplicative and additive scales, the latter by calculating the relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI)., Results: All pairwise joint effects of lung carcinogens in men were associated with an increased risk of lung cancer. However, asbestos/metals and metals/PAH resulted in less than additive effects; while the chromium-VI/silica pair showed marginally synergistic effect in relation to adenocarcinoma (RERI: 0.24; CI: 0.02, 0.46; p = 0.05). In women, several pairwise joint effects were observed for small cell lung cancer including exposure to PAH/silica (OR = 5.12; CI: 1.77, 8.48), and to asbestos/silica (OR = 4.32; CI: 1.35, 7.29), where exposure to PAH/silica resulted in a synergistic effect (RERI: 3.45; CI: 0.10, 6.8)., Discussion: Small or no deviation from additive or multiplicative effects was observed, but co-exposure to the selected lung carcinogens resulted generally in higher risk than exposure to individual agents, highlighting the importance to reduce and control exposure to carcinogens in workplaces and the general environment. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP13380.

Background: The unexpected outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has led huge impact on health and safety of employees. Although now the epidemiological situation has improved, but it remains a challenge, especially in light of the emergence of new threats. The aim of the work is to present an epidemiological analysis of data on COVID-19 as an occupational disease in Poland., Material and Methods: The analysis covered all cases of occupational diseases sent by state sanitary inspectors to the Central Register of Occupational Diseases. The years 2020-2022 and such available data as: age, gender, activities and territorial differentiation were analyzed. The data were presented as absolute numbers and incidence rates per 100 000 employed persons and for healthcare workers also per 100 000 persons authorized to practice., Results: In the period 2020-2022 in Poland 7030 diseases recognized as occupational diseases were recorded, of which almost half were infectious diseases (47%). Among infectious diseases, dominated COVID-19 in number of 2059 cases. In this period 98.6% of all cases of COVID-19 were concentrated in the health care and social activities. According to workplaces, most diseases were caused by working in hospitals - 1825 cases (88.6% of all COVID-19 cases in the healthcare workers). Most cases concerned nurses - 1355 cases (65,8%) and doctors - 212 cases (10,3%). The incidence of COVID-19 in the group of physicians per 10 000 persons entitled to practice ranged from 2.6 in 2020 to 68.3 in 2022, while among nurses and midwives the rates were 7.9 and 194.9, respectively., Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic changed the picture of occupational diseases in Poland. Therefore, it is very important to understand the key contributions of people working in environments where workers are at increased risk of contracting COVID-19 due to the nature of their work, and to promote the recognition of COVID-19 as an occupational disease. Med Pr Work Health Saf. 2023;74(6):479-86., (This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.)

Introduction and Objective: Shift work increases the risk of breast cancer, but the mechanisms is still under discussion. This study evaluates the relationship between breast cancer and shift work on the basis of overweight and obesity among postmenopausal women., Material and Methods: We examined this association using data from a case-control study carried between 2015 and 2019. The study involved 111 postmenopausal women with breast cancer and the same number of control participants. A self-reporting questionnaire was used for data collection. Multivariate logistic regression was conducted to find correlations between variables and determine the strength of relationships., Results: A 2.65-fold risk of breast cancer (OR=2.65; 95% CI: 1.34-5.22) was found among shift work women, compared with postmenopausal women not performing shift work. The association was modified by body mass index, showing a risk rate 9.84 times higher (OR=9.84; 95% CI: 2.14-45.19) among shift work and overweight women, compared to non-overweight women who had never been shift workers., Conclusions: About 49% of controls and 72% of cases had ever worked in a job that required shift work. The risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women is associated with shift work, especially among overweight women. Some preventive measures to reduce the risk of breast cancer, in particular regarding a healthy lifestyle and weight control in this group of working women, should be implemented.

Background: The association between duration of smoking abstinence before non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) diagnosis and subsequent survival can influence public health messaging delivered in lung-cancer screening. We aimed to assess whether the duration of smoking abstinence before diagnosis of NSCLC is associated with improved survival., Methods: In this retrospective, pooled analysis of cohort studies, we used 26 cohorts participating in Clinical Outcomes Studies of the International Lung Cancer Consortium (COS-ILCCO) at 23 hospitals. 16 (62%) were from North America, six (23%) were from Europe, three (12%) were from Asia, and one (4%) was from South America. Patients enrolled were diagnosed between June 1, 1983, and Dec 31, 2019. Eligible patients had smoking data before NSCLC diagnosis, epidemiological data at diagnosis (obtained largely from patient questionnaires), and clinical information (retrieved from medical records). Kaplan-Meier curves and multivariable Cox models (ie, adjusted hazard ratios [aHRs]) were generated with individual, harmonised patient data from the consortium database. We estimated overall survival for all causes, measured in years from diagnosis date until the date of the last follow-up or death due to any cause and NSCLC-specific survival., Findings: Of 42 087 patients with NSCLC in the COS-ILCCO database, 21 893 (52·0%) of whom were male and 20 194 (48·0%) of whom were female, we excluded 4474 (10·6%) with missing data. Compared with current smokers (15 036 [40·0%] of 37 613), patients with 1-3 years of smoking abstinence before NSCLC diagnosis (2890 [7·7%]) had an overall survival aHR of 0·92 (95% CI 0·87-0·97), patients with 3-5 years of smoking abstinence (1114 [3·0%]) had an overall survival aHR of 0·90 (0·83-0·97), and patients with more than 5 years of smoking abstinence (10 841 [28·8%]) had an overall survival aHR of 0·90 (0·87-0·93). Improved NSCLC-specific survival was observed in 4301 (44%) of 9727 patients who had quit cigarette smoking and was significant at abstinence durations of more than 5 years (aHR 0·87, 95% CI 0·81-0·93). Results were consistent across age, sex, histology, and disease-stage distributions., Interpretation: In this large, pooled analysis of cohort studies across Asia, Europe, North America, and South America, overall survival was improved in patients with NSCLC whose duration of smoking abstinence before diagnosis was as short as 1 year. These findings suggest that quitting smoking can improve overall survival, even if NSCLC is diagnosed at a later lung-cancer screening visit. These findings also support the implementation of public health smoking cessation strategies at any time., Funding: The Alan B Brown Chair, The Posluns Family Fund, The Lusi Wong Fund, and the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests We declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Objective: We analyzed the pooled case-control data from the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology (INHANCE) consortium to compare cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption risk factors for head and neck cancer between less developed and more developed countries., Subjects and Methods: The location of each study was categorized as either a less developed or more developed country. We compared the risk of overall head and neck cancer and cancer of specific anatomic subsites associated with cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption. Additionally, age and sex distribution between categories was compared., Results: The odds ratios for head and neck cancer sites associated with smoking duration differed between less developed and more developed countries. Smoking greater than 20 years conferred a higher risk for oral cavity and laryngeal cancer in more developed countries, whereas the risk was greater for oropharynx and hypopharynx cancer in less developed countries. Alcohol consumed for more than 20 years conferred a higher risk for oropharynx, hypopharynx, and larynx cancer in less developed countries. The proportion of cases that were young (<45 years) or female differed by country type for some HNC subsites., Conclusion: These findings suggest the degree of industrialization and economic development affects the relationship between smoking and alcohol with head and neck cancer., (© 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

There is limited evidence regarding the exposure-effect relationship between lung-cancer risk and hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) or nickel. We estimated lung-cancer risks in relation to quantitative indices of occupational exposure to Cr(VI) and nickel and their interaction with smoking habits. We pooled 14 case-control studies from Europe and Canada, including 16 901 lung-cancer cases and 20 965 control subjects. A measurement-based job-exposure-matrix estimated job-year-region specific exposure levels to Cr(VI) and nickel, which were linked to the subjects' occupational histories. Odds ratios (OR) and associated 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated by unconditional logistic regression, adjusting for study, age group, smoking habits and exposure to other occupational lung carcinogens. Due to their high correlation, we refrained from mutually adjusting for Cr(VI) and nickel independently. In men, ORs for the highest quartile of cumulative exposure to CR(VI) were 1.32 (95% CI 1.19-1.47) and 1.29 (95% CI 1.15-1.45) in relation to nickel. Analogous results among women were: 1.04 (95% CI 0.48-2.24) and 1.29 (95% CI 0.60-2.86), respectively. In men, excess lung-cancer risks due to occupational Cr(VI) and nickel exposure were also observed in each stratum of never, former and current smokers. Joint effects of Cr(VI) and nickel with smoking were in general greater than additive, but not different from multiplicative. In summary, relatively low cumulative levels of occupational exposure to Cr(VI) and nickel were associated with increased ORs for lung cancer, particularly in men. However, we cannot rule out a combined classical measurement and Berkson-type of error structure, which may cause differential bias of risk estimates., (© 2022 The Authors. International Journal of Cancer published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of UICC.)

Background: The aim of the study is to analyze the epidemiological situation regarding the occurrence of occupational diseases in Poland in 2020 and to define possible directions for recommendations regarding preventive actions., Material and Methods: The cases of occupational diseases identified in accordance with the Polish judicial system and reported to the Central Register of Occupational Diseases in 2020 were analyzed. The analysis took into account disease entities, causal factors, gender, age of patients, exposure period, NACE section and territorial differentiation. Data are presented in absolute numbers and incidence rates per 100 000 employed and 100 000 employed persons., Results: In 2020, 1850 cases of occupational diseases were diagnosed in Poland (11.5 cases per 100 000 employees). The disease entities with the highest incidence were infectious or parasitic diseases, pneumoconiosis, chronic diseases of the voice organ, diseases of the peripheral nervous system, diseases of the locomotor system and hearing loss. Over 90% of the statements concerned people >45 years of age. Most of the identified occupational diseases arose after at least 10 years of work in exposure to a harmful factor, and 73.9% of cases concerned people with over 20 years of work experience in exposure., Conclusions: The epidemiological situation in the field of occupational diseases in our country indicates a disturbing phenomenon, which is the persistence of a high level of pneumoconiosis of hard coal miners. The reflection of the effects of the pandemic in the COVID-19 incidence statistics as an occupational disease in 2020 is small. It is expected that the number of these cases will increase sharply in the coming years. Med Pr. 2022;73(5):427-33., (This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.)

New tobacco and nicotine-containing products are gaining more popularity among young people. The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence in the perception of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco among young people in Poland and to assess the factors that are positively correlated with this perception. A cross-sectional study covering almost 12,000 adolescents aged 13-18 was carried out in January and February 2020. Data were collected through a detailed questionnaire recommended for monitoring tobacco use by adolescents. The results of the study showed that 52.2% and 61.9% of young people perceive e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products as less harmful compared to traditional cigarettes, respectively. The risk of perceiving these products as less harmful than smoking was higher among older adolescents, males, those who used these products, had a family member who used e-cigarettes/heated tobacco products and those who were exposed to tobacco advertising. Our study indicates the need to consider the coexistence of traditional smoking, e-cigarettes and heated tobacco and its impact on the assessment of the harmfulness of these products. More research is needed to better understand how perceptions of the harmfulness of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco affect their subsequent use.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to investigate and assess the incidence of silicosis cases acknowledged as occupational diseases in Poland in 2000-2019., Material and Methods: The cases of all medically recognized pneumoconioses, including silicoses, certified as occupational diseases were studied. The records were extracted from the Central Register of Occupational Diseases, the only official Polish central electronic data base of occupational diseases., Results: During the period 2000-2019, 2066 confirmed cases of silicoses and 10 665 cases of other pneumoconioses including asbestosis and coal workers' pneumoconiosis were reported to the Central Register of Occupational Diseases. Silicoses accounted for 12.8-21.2% of all pneumoconioses. The number of confirmed silicoses cases was growing along with the length of latency period and was the highest for the period of ≥40 years (513 cases). Over 70% of silicoses cases occurred after occupational exposure >20 years. The most workers who evolved silicosis were employed in manufacturing, predominantly casting of iron, mining and quarrying and construction., Conclusions: The number of confirmed cases of silicosis in Poland decreased in 2000-2019 but the disease still remains an important health problem. Prevention is crucial to reduce further disease incidence. The medical monitoring standards of exposed workers should be improved. Developing new diagnosing guidelines with the use of other imaging examinations, like high-resolution computed tomography, has to be considered. The analysis should contribute into the implementation of silicosis preventative programmes, both at the enterprise and national level. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2022;35(5):561-70., (This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.)

Teen use of tobacco-related products is a significant public health concern. This study evaluated the predictors of e-cigarette use among secondary school students who were never cigarette smokers and ever cigarette smokers in Poland., Methods: This study examined a sample of Polish youths aged 13-19 ( n = 19,241) attending 200 schools, 12 on average in each county. The study was a part of the National Health Program in Poland for 2016-2020. Logistic regression and multivariable logistic regression models were used to calculate crude and adjusted odds ratios., Results: Of all participants, 32.5% were ever cigarette users. Among the never cigarette users, 13.6% were deemed susceptible to e-cigarette use. Among the ever cigarette users, 60.6% were deemed susceptible to e-cigarette use. Of those susceptible to e-cigarette use, 68.2% were among the 32.5% ever cigarette users. The profile of e-cigarette use among never e-cigarette users also included: pocket money available per month (more than 150 PLN) (OR = 1.7; p = 0.001), 16-17 years old (OR = 1.9; p = 0.001), parental tobacco smoking and e-cigarette usage (OR = 2.0; p = 0.01 and OR = 1.7; p = 0.001 respectively), maternal secondary education (OR = 1.1; p = 0.04), and living in big cities >500,000 inhabitants (OR = 1.4; p = 0.04). E-cigarette users among ever cigarette users were similar to never cigarette users in their opinion that e-cigarette use is less harmful than traditional smoking (OR = 1.6; p = 0.0012) and living with both parents smoking cigarettes (OR = 1.3; p = 0.02). Additionally, the determinants were: female gender (OR = 1.5; p = 0.009) in the age group less than 15 years of age (OR = 1.3; p = 0.007)., Conclusions: The major determinant of e-cigarette use in this population was prior smoking. Additionally, the results revealed that fairly obvious predictors such as parental smoking and a belief in the less harmfulness of e-cigarette use are important determinants for smoking among never or ever e-cigarette users.

Background: Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) occurs widely in occupational settings. We investigated the association between occupational exposure to PAH and lung cancer risk and joint effects with smoking within the SYNERGY project., Methods: We pooled 14 case-control studies with information on lifetime occupational and smoking histories conducted between 1985 and 2010 in Europe and Canada. Exposure to benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) was used as a proxy of PAH and estimated from a quantitative general population job-exposure matrix. Multivariable unconditional logistic regression models, adjusted for smoking and exposure to other occupational lung carcinogens, estimated ORs, and 95% confidence intervals (CI)., Results: We included 16,901 lung cancer cases and 20,965 frequency-matched controls. Adjusted OR for PAH exposure (ever) was 1.08 (CI, 1.02-1.15) in men and 1.20 (CI, 1.04-1.38) in women. When stratified by smoking status and histologic subtype, the OR for cumulative exposure ≥0.24 BaP μg/m3-years in men was higher in never smokers overall [1.31 (CI, 0.98-1.75)], for small cell [2.53 (CI, 1.28-4.99)] and squamous cell cancers [1.33 (CI, 0.80-2.21)]. Joint effects between PAH and smoking were observed. Restricting analysis to the most recent studies showed no increased risk., Conclusions: Elevated lung cancer risk associated with PAH exposure was observed in both sexes, particularly for small cell and squamous cell cancers, after accounting for cigarette smoking and exposure to other occupational lung carcinogens., Impact: The lack of association between PAH and lung cancer in more recent studies merits further research under today's exposure conditions and worker protection measures., (©2022 The Authors; Published by the American Association for Cancer Research.)

Background: Somatic EGFR mutations define a subset of non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) that have clinical impact on NSCLC risk and outcome. However, EGFR-mutation-status is often missing in epidemiologic datasets. We developed and tested pragmatic approaches to account for EGFR-mutation-status based on variables commonly included in epidemiologic datasets and evaluated the clinical utility of these approaches., Methods: Through analysis of the International Lung Cancer Consortium (ILCCO) epidemiologic datasets, we developed a regression model for EGFR-status; we then applied a clinical-restriction approach using the optimal cut-point, and a second epidemiologic, multiple imputation approach to ILCCO survival analyses that did and did not account for EGFR-status., Results: Of 35,356 ILCCO patients with NSCLC, EGFR-mutation-status was available in 4,231 patients. A model regressing known EGFR-mutation-status on clinical and demographic variables achieved a concordance index of 0.75 (95% CI, 0.74-0.77) in the training and 0.77 (95% CI, 0.74-0.79) in the testing dataset. At an optimal cut-point of probability-score = 0.335, sensitivity = 69% and specificity = 72.5% for determining EGFR-wildtype status. In both restriction-based and imputation-based regression analyses of the individual roles of BMI on overall survival of patients with NSCLC, similar results were observed between overall and EGFR-mutation-negative cohort analyses of patients of all ancestries. However, our approach identified some differences: EGFR-mutated Asian patients did not incur a survival benefit from being obese, as observed in EGFR-wildtype Asian patients., Conclusions: We introduce a pragmatic method to evaluate the potential impact of EGFR-status on epidemiological analyses of NSCLC., Impact: The proposed method is generalizable in the common occurrence in which EGFR-status data are missing., (©2022 American Association for Cancer Research.)

Background: The use of self-reported body size as an alternative tool to estimate body weight for health risk assessment is not widely reported, especially in relation to breast cancer. Therefore, we examined the association between breast cancer and body-mass index (BMI) and the usefulness of pictograms., Methods: The case-control study was conducted among postmenopausal women from 2015 to 2019. The study involved 151 women with breast cancer and 67 control subjects. Data were collected by a self-reported detailed questionnaire., Results: An increased, 4.13-fold risk of breast cancer (OR = 4.13; 95% CI [1.69, 10.28]) was observed for women with BMI 25.0-29.9 kg/m 2 compared to women with normal BMI (18.5-24.9 kg/m 2 ), whereas the association in the case of obese women was not statistically significant. An increased risk of breast cancer was observed for pictogram scores 3-4 (OR = 8.95; 95% CI [3.22, 24.88]) and for the highest level of self-reported body size, pictograms ≥ 5 (OR = 3.20; 95% CI [1.13, 9.09])., Conclusions: The risk of breast cancer is associated with an increased BMI and visual overweigh and obesity. The results suggest that a self-reporting alternative tool can be used to assess the prevalence of overweight/obesity, particularly in situations where no other tools are available.

Background: Suicide is a leading cause of death worldwide, and nonfatal suicide attempts, which occur far more frequently, are a major source of disability and social and economic burden. Both have substantial genetic etiology, which is partially shared and partially distinct from that of related psychiatric disorders., Methods: We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of 29,782 suicide attempt (SA) cases and 519,961 controls in the International Suicide Genetics Consortium (ISGC). The GWAS of SA was conditioned on psychiatric disorders using GWAS summary statistics via multitrait-based conditional and joint analysis, to remove genetic effects on SA mediated by psychiatric disorders. We investigated the shared and divergent genetic architectures of SA, psychiatric disorders, and other known risk factors., Results: Two loci reached genome-wide significance for SA: the major histocompatibility complex and an intergenic locus on chromosome 7, the latter of which remained associated with SA after conditioning on psychiatric disorders and replicated in an independent cohort from the Million Veteran Program. This locus has been implicated in risk-taking behavior, smoking, and insomnia. SA showed strong genetic correlation with psychiatric disorders, particularly major depression, and also with smoking, pain, risk-taking behavior, sleep disturbances, lower educational attainment, reproductive traits, lower socioeconomic status, and poorer general health. After conditioning on psychiatric disorders, the genetic correlations between SA and psychiatric disorders decreased, whereas those with nonpsychiatric traits remained largely unchanged., Conclusions: Our results identify a risk locus that contributes more strongly to SA than other phenotypes and suggest a shared underlying biology between SA and known risk factors that is not mediated by psychiatric disorders., (Copyright © 2021 Society of Biological Psychiatry. All rights reserved.)

Background: Sex differences in incidence and/or presentation of schizophrenia (SCZ), major depressive disorder (MDD), and bipolar disorder (BIP) are pervasive. Previous evidence for shared genetic risk and sex differences in brain abnormalities across disorders suggest possible shared sex-dependent genetic risk., Methods: We conducted the largest to date genome-wide genotype-by-sex (G×S) interaction of risk for these disorders using 85,735 cases (33,403 SCZ, 19,924 BIP, and 32,408 MDD) and 109,946 controls from the PGC (Psychiatric Genomics Consortium) and iPSYCH., Results: Across disorders, genome-wide significant single nucleotide polymorphism-by-sex interaction was detected for a locus encompassing NKAIN2 (rs117780815, p = 3.2 × 10 -8 ), which interacts with sodium/potassium-transporting ATPase (adenosine triphosphatase) enzymes, implicating neuronal excitability. Three additional loci showed evidence (p < 1 × 10 -6 ) for cross-disorder G×S interaction (rs7302529, p = 1.6 × 10 -7 ; rs73033497, p = 8.8 × 10 -7 ; rs7914279, p = 6.4 × 10 -7 ), implicating various functions. Gene-based analyses identified G×S interaction across disorders (p = 8.97 × 10 -7 ) with transcriptional inhibitor SLTM. Most significant in SCZ was a MOCOS gene locus (rs11665282, p = 1.5 × 10 -7 ), implicating vascular endothelial cells. Secondary analysis of the PGC-SCZ dataset detected an interaction (rs13265509, p = 1.1 × 10 -7 ) in a locus containing IDO2, a kynurenine pathway enzyme with immunoregulatory functions implicated in SCZ, BIP, and MDD. Pathway enrichment analysis detected significant G×S interaction of genes regulating vascular endothelial growth factor receptor signaling in MDD (false discovery rate-corrected p < .05)., Conclusions: In the largest genome-wide G×S analysis of mood and psychotic disorders to date, there was substantial genetic overlap between the sexes. However, significant sex-dependent effects were enriched for genes related to neuronal development and immune and vascular functions across and within SCZ, BIP, and MDD at the variant, gene, and pathway levels., (Copyright © 2021 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Genetics and biology may influence the age of onset of anorexia nervosa (AN). The aims of this study were to determine whether common genetic variation contributes to age of onset of AN and to investigate the genetic associations between age of onset of AN and age at menarche., Methods: A secondary analysis of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium genome-wide association study (GWAS) of AN was performed, which included 9335 cases and 31,981 screened controls, all from European ancestries. We conducted GWASs of age of onset, early-onset AN (<13 years), and typical-onset AN, and genetic correlation, genetic risk score, and Mendelian randomization analyses., Results: Two loci were genome-wide significant in the typical-onset AN GWAS. Heritability estimates (single nucleotide polymorphism- h 2 ) were 0.01-0.04 for age of onset, 0.16-0.25 for early-onset AN, and 0.17-0.25 for typical-onset AN. Early- and typical-onset AN showed distinct genetic correlation patterns with putative risk factors for AN. Specifically, early-onset AN was significantly genetically correlated with younger age at menarche, and typical-onset AN was significantly negatively genetically correlated with anthropometric traits. Genetic risk scores for age of onset and early-onset AN estimated from independent GWASs significantly predicted age of onset. Mendelian randomization analysis suggested a causal link between younger age at menarche and early-onset AN., Conclusions: Our results provide evidence consistent with a common variant genetic basis for age of onset and implicate biological pathways regulating menarche and reproduction., (© 2021 The Authors.)

Objectives: We investigated general job demands as a risk factor for lung cancer as well as their role in the association between occupational prestige and lung cancer., Methods: In 13 case-control studies on lung cancer, as part of the international SYNERGY project, we applied indices for physical (PHI) and psychosocial (PSI) job demands - each with four categories (high to low). We estimated odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for lung cancer by unconditional logistic regression, separately for men and women and adjusted for study centre, age, smoking behavior, and former employment in occupations with potential exposure to carcinogens. Further, we investigated, whether higher risks among men with low occupational prestige (Treiman's Standard International Occupational Prestige Scale) were affected by adjustment for the job indices., Results: In 30 355 men and 7371 women, we found increased risks (OR) for lung cancer with high relative to low job demands in both men [PHI 1.74 (95% CI 1.56-1.93), PSI 1.33 (95% CI 1.17-1.51)] and women [PHI 1.62 (95% CI 1.24-2.11), PSI 1.31 (95% CI 1.09-1.56)]. OR for lung cancer among men with low occupational prestige were slightly reduced when adjusting for PHI [low versus high prestige OR from 1.44 (95% CI 1.32-1.58) to 1.30 (95% CI 1.17-1.45)], but not PSI., Conclusions: Higher physical job demands were associated with increased risks of lung cancer, while associations for higher psychosocial demands were less strong. In contrast to physical demands, psychosocial demands did not contribute to clarify the association of occupational prestige and lung cancer.

Bipolar disorder is a heritable mental illness with complex etiology. We performed a genome-wide association study of 41,917 bipolar disorder cases and 371,549 controls of European ancestry, which identified 64 associated genomic loci. Bipolar disorder risk alleles were enriched in genes in synaptic signaling pathways and brain-expressed genes, particularly those with high specificity of expression in neurons of the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. Significant signal enrichment was found in genes encoding targets of antipsychotics, calcium channel blockers, antiepileptics and anesthetics. Integrating expression quantitative trait locus data implicated 15 genes robustly linked to bipolar disorder via gene expression, encoding druggable targets such as HTR6, MCHR1, DCLK3 and FURIN. Analyses of bipolar disorder subtypes indicated high but imperfect genetic correlation between bipolar disorder type I and II and identified additional associated loci. Together, these results advance our understanding of the biological etiology of bipolar disorder, identify novel therapeutic leads and prioritize genes for functional follow-up studies.

Objectives: We evaluated the risk of lung cancer associated with ever working as a painter, duration of employment and type of painter by histological subtype as well as joint effects with smoking, within the SYNERGY project., Methods: Data were pooled from 16 participating case-control studies conducted internationally. Detailed individual occupational and smoking histories were available for 19 369 lung cancer cases (684 ever employed as painters) and 23 674 age-matched and sex-matched controls (532 painters). Multivariable unconditional logistic regression models were adjusted for age, sex, centre, cigarette pack-years, time-since-smoking cessation and lifetime work in other jobs that entailed exposure to lung carcinogens., Results: Ever having worked as a painter was associated with an increased risk of lung cancer in men (OR 1.30; 95% CI 1.13 to 1.50). The association was strongest for construction and repair painters and the risk was elevated for all histological subtypes, although more evident for small cell and squamous cell lung cancer than for adenocarcinoma and large cell carcinoma. There was evidence of interaction on the additive scale between smoking and employment as a painter (relative excess risk due to interaction >0)., Conclusions: Our results by type/industry of painter may aid future identification of causative agents or exposure scenarios to develop evidence-based practices for reducing harmful exposures in painters., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

The COVID-19 pandemic, despite the restrictions and preventive measures applied, has rapidly spread and reached Poland. The adaptation to the dynamically changing epidemiological situation requires a prompt implementation of effective preventive measures. The aim of the publication is to provide current knowledge to all persons involved in the preventive care system, i.e., employees, employers and professionals of occupational medicine, about the epidemiological situation related to SARS‑CoV- 2, as well as recommendations and possible solutions. In order to analyze these issues, a review of literature was conducted based on medical research databases: PubMed, SCOPUS, and the Web of Science Core Collection. The literature was supplemented with studies found on websites of the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization. Data on the cases of and deaths due to COVID-19 come from reports provided by the Ministry of Health, data published on the websites of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, and ourworldindata.org. By the time of submitting the publication, 34 154 cases and 1444 deaths due to coronavirus had been recorded in Poland. Data from published studies suggest that the virus is mainly transmitted via droplets or through contact with contaminated objects and surfaces. Therefore, in the absence of an effective vaccine, preventive actions are based mainly on strategies that minimize the risk of pathogen transmission. In addition to discussing the current epidemiological situation, diagnostic procedures, risk groups and COVID-19 characteristics, the paper presents recommendations and proposed solutions for employers and employees regarding the prevention of SARS‑CoV- 2, along with currently applicable laws and recommendations on employee prophylactic examinations during the pandemic. Subsequently, COVID-19 was discussed in the aspect of an occupational disease and other health threats related to the pandemics. The epidemiological situation regarding coronavirus indicates the need to take immediate and effective actions to minimize infection transmission among employees, and to develop procedures for a quick and effective ability to locate the COVID-19 outbreaks in workplaces. Med Pr. 2021;72(1):69-87., (This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.)

Eating disorders and substance use disorders frequently co-occur. Twin studies reveal shared genetic variance between liabilities to eating disorders and substance use, with the strongest associations between symptoms of bulimia nervosa and problem alcohol use (genetic correlation [r g ], twin-based = 0.23-0.53). We estimated the genetic correlation between eating disorder and substance use and disorder phenotypes using data from genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Four eating disorder phenotypes (anorexia nervosa [AN], AN with binge eating, AN without binge eating, and a bulimia nervosa factor score), and eight substance-use-related phenotypes (drinks per week, alcohol use disorder [AUD], smoking initiation, current smoking, cigarettes per day, nicotine dependence, cannabis initiation, and cannabis use disorder) from eight studies were included. Significant genetic correlations were adjusted for variants associated with major depressive disorder and schizophrenia. Total study sample sizes per phenotype ranged from ~2400 to ~537 000 individuals. We used linkage disequilibrium score regression to calculate single nucleotide polymorphism-based genetic correlations between eating disorder- and substance-use-related phenotypes. Significant positive genetic associations emerged between AUD and AN (r g = 0.18; false discovery rate q = 0.0006), cannabis initiation and AN (r g = 0.23; q < 0.0001), and cannabis initiation and AN with binge eating (r g = 0.27; q = 0.0016). Conversely, significant negative genetic correlations were observed between three nondiagnostic smoking phenotypes (smoking initiation, current smoking, and cigarettes per day) and AN without binge eating (r gs = -0.19 to -0.23; qs < 0.04). The genetic correlation between AUD and AN was no longer significant after co-varying for major depressive disorder loci. The patterns of association between eating disorder- and substance-use-related phenotypes highlights the potentially complex and substance-specific relationships among these behaviors., (© 2020 Society for the Study of Addiction.)

Background: Despite the ban on the production of asbestos-containing materials, introduced in Poland over 20 years ago, new cases of asbestos-related diseases are still being recorded. Systematic control of respiratory function in people exposed to asbestos dust is, therefore, extremely important due to the biological properties of this mineral., Material and Methods: The Amiantus preventive medical examination program was undertaken in 2000 to implement the legal rights of former employees of asbestos processing plants for this type of examinations. People who have ever been employed in such factories have been authorized to use preventive medical examinations for the rest of their lives. The research is continuous, spread over time and focused, in particular, on the assessment of the respiratory system., Results: Since the beginning of the program, throughout 20 years of its implementation, 8329 people have been examined, including 5199 (62.4%) men for whom a total of 34 454 medical examinations have been carried out. During the program period, the percentage of diagnosed pathologies increased from 8% in 2000 to 25% in 2019. Overall, 2078 asbestos-related diseases were diagnosed among former employees of asbestos processing plants under the Amiantus Program, which accounted for 25% of this group. Among all diseases caused by exposure to asbestos, the most common were: asbestosis (1880 cases - 90.5%), lung cancer (121 cases - 5.8%) and pleural mesothelioma (77 cases - 3.7%). Diseases of pleura in the form of plaques and diffuse pleural thickening were diagnosed in 40% of the examined patients, while radiological pulmonary shadows affected over 65% of former employees of asbestos processing plants., Conclusions: The Amiantus Program, thanks to the long observation period, enabled monitoring the health of former employees exposed to asbestos, and created a unique opportunity to carry out epidemiological analyzes. These studies allowed the authors to expand their knowledge of the natural history of asbestos-related diseases. Med Pr. 2020;71(5):595-601., (This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.)

Rationale: Although the carcinogenicity of diesel engine exhaust has been demonstrated in multiple studies, little is known regarding exposure-response relationships associated with different exposure subgroups and different lung cancer subtypes. Objectives: We expanded on a previous pooled case-control analysis on diesel engine exhaust and lung cancer by including three additional studies and quantitative exposure assessment to evaluate lung cancer and subtype risks associated with occupational exposure to diesel exhaust characterized by elemental carbon (EC) concentrations. Methods: We used a quantitative EC job-exposure matrix for exposure assessment. Unconditional logistic regression models were used to calculate lung cancer odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) associated with various metrics of EC exposure. Lung cancer excess lifetime risks (ELR) were calculated using life tables accounting for all-cause mortality. Additional stratified analyses by smoking history and lung cancer subtypes were performed in men. Measurements and Main Results: Our study included 16,901 lung cancer cases and 20,965 control subjects. In men, exposure response between EC and lung cancer was observed: odds ratios ranged from 1.09 (95% CI, 1.00-1.18) to 1.41 (95% CI, 1.30-1.52) for the lowest and highest cumulative exposure groups, respectively. EC-exposed men had elevated risks in all lung cancer subtypes investigated; associations were strongest for squamous and small cell carcinomas and weaker for adenocarcinoma. EC lung cancer exposure response was observed in men regardless of smoking history, including in never-smokers. ELR associated with 45 years of EC exposure at 50, 20, and 1 μg/m 3 were 3.0%, 0.99%, and 0.04%, respectively, for both sexes combined. Conclusions: We observed a consistent exposure-response relationship between EC exposure and lung cancer in men. Reduction of workplace EC levels to background environmental levels will further reduce lung cancer ELR in exposed workers.

Rationale: Millions of workers around the world are exposed to respirable crystalline silica. Although silica is a confirmed human lung carcinogen, little is known regarding the cancer risks associated with low levels of exposure and risks by cancer subtype. However, little is known regarding the disease risks associated with low levels of exposure and risks by cancer subtype. Objectives: We aimed to address current knowledge gaps in lung cancer risks associated with low levels of occupational silica exposure and the joint effects of smoking and silica exposure on lung cancer risks. Methods: Subjects from 14 case-control studies from Europe and Canada with detailed smoking and occupational histories were pooled. A quantitative job-exposure matrix was used to estimate silica exposure by occupation, time period, and geographical region. Logistic regression models were used to estimate exposure-disease associations and the joint effects of silica exposure and smoking on risk of lung cancer. Stratified analyses by smoking history and cancer subtypes were also performed. Measurements and Main Results: Our study included 16,901 cases and 20,965 control subjects. Lung cancer odds ratios ranged from 1.15 (95% confidence interval, 1.04-1.27) to 1.45 (95% confidence interval, 1.31-1.60) for groups with the lowest and highest cumulative exposure, respectively. Increasing cumulative silica exposure was associated ( P trend < 0.01) with increasing lung cancer risks in nonsilicotics and in current, former, and never-smokers. Increasing exposure was also associated ( P trend ≤ 0.01) with increasing risks of lung adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and small cell carcinoma. Supermultiplicative interaction of silica exposure and smoking was observed on overall lung cancer risks; superadditive effects were observed in risks of lung cancer and all three included subtypes. Conclusions: Silica exposure is associated with lung cancer at low exposure levels. An exposure-response relationship was robust and present regardless of smoking, silicosis status, and cancer subtype.

Krówczyńska M [...].

Background: Despite the fact that asbestos is no longer used in production in Poland, there are still new cases of asbestos-related diseases among workers previously exposed to asbestos dust. This situation is related to the specificity of the biological activity of this mineral; the health consequences of asbestos can manifest not only during the exposure but also many years after exposure cessation. The aim of the analysis was to assess the occurrence of occupational diseases among people exposed to asbestos dust, who were examined under the Amiantus program., Material and Methods: The research material consisted of the program cards filled by the doctors conducting the examinations as well as radiological images stored on the International Labour Organization form. The analysis covered 8049 people, including 37% of women surveyed in the years 2000-2017., Results: In the group of former employees of asbestos processing plants, the occupational disease was diagnosed in 1993 people (25%), including 584 women (19%). The most common was asbestosis (76% of occupational diseases) and pleural disease (17%). Malignant neoplasms accounted for 7% of all cases in this group. The analysis showed an increase in the incidence of respiratory system diseases along with the age of the surveyed persons, their seniority at asbestos processing plants and an increase in cumulative exposure. The chest radiographs revealed radiological changes among 75% of the examined cases, whereas the changes entitling to diagnose asbestosis, according to the criteria applicable in Poland, occurred in 23% of the workers. The adoption of international criteria would increase the incidence of asbestosis as an occupational disease by 19% in the study group., Conclusions: The increase in the percentage of people with a diagnosed occupational disease provides evidence for the worsening health status of the former workers as well as a good detection of asbestos-related diseases among employees exposed to asbestos dust in the past. The results of the analysis indicate the need for undertaking a discussion in Poland on the implementation of international criteria for the diagnosis of asbestosis. Med Pr. 2019;70(6):723-31., (This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.)

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has an undisputed genetic component and a stable 2:1 male to female sex ratio in its incidence across populations, suggesting possible sexual dimorphism in its genetic susceptibility. We conducted the first sex-specific genome-wide association analysis of RCC for men (3227 cases, 4916 controls) and women (1992 cases, 3095 controls) of European ancestry from two RCC genome-wide scans and replicated the top findings using an additional series of men (2261 cases, 5852 controls) and women (1399 cases, 1575 controls) from two independent cohorts of European origin. Our study confirmed sex-specific associations for two known RCC risk loci at 14q24.2 (DPF3) and 2p21(EPAS1). We also identified two additional suggestive male-specific loci at 6q24.3 (SAMD5, male odds ratio (OR male ) = 0.83 [95% CI = 0.78-0.89], P male  = 1.71 × 10 -8 compared with female odds ratio (OR female ) = 0.98 [95% CI = 0.90-1.07], P female  = 0.68) and 12q23.3 (intergenic, OR male  = 0.75 [95% CI = 0.68-0.83], P male  = 1.59 × 10 -8 compared with OR female  = 0.93 [95% CI = 0.82-1.06], P female  = 0.21) that attained genome-wide significance in the joint meta-analysis. Herein, we provide evidence of sex-specific associations in RCC genetic susceptibility and advocate the necessity of larger genetic and genomic studies to unravel the endogenous causes of sex bias in sexually dimorphic traits and diseases like RCC.

Characterized primarily by a low body-mass index, anorexia nervosa is a complex and serious illness 1 , affecting 0.9-4% of women and 0.3% of men 2-4 , with twin-based heritability estimates of 50-60% 5 . Mortality rates are higher than those in other psychiatric disorders 6 , and outcomes are unacceptably poor 7 . Here we combine data from the Anorexia Nervosa Genetics Initiative (ANGI) 8,9 and the Eating Disorders Working Group of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (PGC-ED) and conduct a genome-wide association study of 16,992 cases of anorexia nervosa and 55,525 controls, identifying eight significant loci. The genetic architecture of anorexia nervosa mirrors its clinical presentation, showing significant genetic correlations with psychiatric disorders, physical activity, and metabolic (including glycemic), lipid and anthropometric traits, independent of the effects of common variants associated with body-mass index. These results further encourage a reconceptualization of anorexia nervosa as a metabo-psychiatric disorder. Elucidating the metabolic component is a critical direction for future research, and paying attention to both psychiatric and metabolic components may be key to improving outcomes.

Background: The aim of the work is to present the epidemiological situation in the field of occupational diseases in Poland in 2016., Material and Methods: The cases of occupational diseases identified in accordance with the applicable case law system in Poland and reported to the Central Register of Occupational Diseases in 2016 were analyzed. The analysis includes nosologic units, their causative factors as well as gender and age of patients. Absolute numbers and incidence rates per 100 000 employees were presented., Results: In 2016, 2119 cases of occupational diseases were recorded in Poland, i.e. 14.3 cases per 100 000 employed persons. The incidence rate was mainly caused by pneumoconioses (28.5%), infectious or parasitic diseases (27.2%), chronic voice disorders (9.7%), chronic diseases of the peripheral nervous system (8.6%) and hearing loss (6.3%). The highest incidence was recorded in the mining and quarrying (329.7 cases), agriculture and forestry (23.8 cases), manufacturing (20 cases) and education (17.9 cases) and healthcare and social work activities (17.7 cases)., Conclusions: In comparison with 2015, there was an increase in the number of cases of occupational diseases by 1.2%, which was influenced mainly by a larger (by 181 cases) number of pneumoconiosis. The epidemiological situation resulting from occupational diseases in our country, although it covers all identified cases, should be assessed with caution because the suspicion arises underestimation of certain diseases, especially cancer. Med Pr 2018;69(6):643-650., (This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.)

Background: The aim of the paper is to present statistical data on the occurrence of occupational diseases among healthcare and social workers in Poland in 2009-2016., Material and Methods: All cards certifying that a case of occupational disease had been diagnosed in a patient belonging to this occupational group, received by the Central Register of Occupational Diseases, served as the basis of the study. Data is presented in absolute numbers and incidence rates. In the analysis, disease categories, voivodships and occupations were taken into account., Results: In 2009-2016, as many as 1462 cases of occupational diseases were diagnosed for healthcare workers. In 2016, the number of cases was 42.6% lower than in 2009. Mean annual incidence rate in these years was 26.3 cases per 100 thousand workers. The most frequent were: infectious and parasitic diseases (64.8% of cases), peripheral nervous system diseases (9.6%), dermal diseases (8.9%), locomotor (8.3%), and chronic vocal organ disorders (3.2%). Among infectious or parasitic diseases, the most cases were viral hepatitis (56%) and tuberculosis (39%). Almost every second case of occupational disease in healthcare workers was detected in the nurses (47.8%)., Conclusions: The incidence of occupational diseases in total and in the most frequent categories continued to decrease. One of the reasons for the decline is the improvement of working conditions resulting from the application of more modern instruments and apparatus as well as greater knowledge of the risks and the use of appropriate procedures. Med Pr 2018;69(5)., (This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.)