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Lung Function Changes in Workers Exposed to Cobalt Compounds
- Source :
- Scopus-Elsevier
- Publication Year :
- 2004
- Publisher :
- American Thoracic Society, 2004.
-
Abstract
- The objective of the study was to examine the influence of cobalt exposure on lung function changes in workers from a cobalt-producing plant in a health monitoring program implemented between 1988 and 2001. A total of 122 male workers with at least 4 (median = 6) lung function tests (FEV(1) and FVC) during the follow-up period were assessed longitudinally. Cobalt exposure significantly decreased over the follow-up period, as reflected by the measurements in air and urine. The possible association of spirometric changes with cobalt exposure was examined by a random coefficients model, taking into account other potential influential variables, such as smoking, age, previous respiratory illness, exposure to other lung toxicants, or the presence of glutamate in position 69 in the HLA-DP beta-chain, an HLA polymorphism possibly associated with hard-metal-induced lung diseases. The main finding of the follow-up study was that cobalt exposure contributed to a decline in FEV(1) over time, and only in association with smoking. No influence of glutamate in position 69 in the HLA-DP beta-chain polymorphism was detected. Although the amplitude of the additional FEV(1) decrement associated with smoking exposure was relatively small (< 20%) compared with the expected decline in a non-cobalt-exposed smoker, the results indicate that further efforts to reduce cobalt exposure and to encourage workers to quit smoking are still warranted.
- Subjects :
- Lung Diseases
Male
Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine
medicine.medical_specialty
chemistry.chemical_element
Physiology
Urine
Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine
Pulmonary function testing
FEV1/FVC ratio
Belgium
Polymorphism (computer science)
Occupational Exposure
Intensive care
medicine
Humans
Longitudinal Studies
Lung
business.industry
Cobalt
Monitoring program
Respiratory Function Tests
Surgery
Occupational Diseases
medicine.anatomical_structure
chemistry
Population Surveillance
Epidemiological Monitoring
Respiratory Physiological Phenomena
business
Environmental Monitoring
Follow-Up Studies
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 15354970 and 1073449X
- Volume :
- 170
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....ff7443c446e6d91421bf2384b2744223