Effect Assessment of Worksite-based, Post-examination, Health Care Management System / 대한산업의학회지

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to develop a worksite-based, post-examination, health care management system for continuous and systematic management of workers with hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, and abnormal LFT detected by periodic health examination and to assess the effectiveness such a system as an intervention study. METHODS: Study subjects were selected from workers with hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, and abnormal LFT according to the selection criteria. The intervention group, but not the control group, received medical treatment of disease, follow up examination, and health education which consisted of information about the disease and the importance of life-style modification through periodic interview using the resources of occupational health service center in the worksite. To assess the effectiveness of this system, we compared follow up examination data from the intervention group with periodic examination data from the worksite control group. RESULTS: In the intervention group a significant reduction trend was recorded for systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fasting blood sugar, postprandial 2 hour glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL-cholesterol, AST, ALT, and gamma-GTP, and a rising trend for HDL-cholesterol. Significant group differences ware recorded for fasting blood sugar, postprandial 2 hour glucose, total cholesterol, AST, and ALT. CONCLUSIONS: The worksite-based, post-examination, health care management system was effective for the continuous and systematic management of workers who had abnormal findings detected by periodic health examination.

The Association between Pneumoconiosis and Genetic Polymorphism of GSTM1, GSTT1, GSTP1, NAT2, CYP2E1 and CYP1A1 / 대한산업의학회지

OBJECTIVES: To investigate effects of genetic polymorphism of glutathione S-transferase M1 (GSTM1), glutathione S-transferase T1 (GSTT1), glutathione S-transferase P1 (GSTP1), N-acetyltransferase (NAT2), cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) and cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1) on pneumoconiosis. METHODS: Eighty-five pneumoconiosis patients and 122 age and sex matched healthy controls were enrolled. Direct interview and standard questionnaire were conducted and the genotypes of GSTM1, GSTT1, GSTP1, NAT2, CYP2E1 and CYP1A1 were investigated using multiplex PCR or PCR-RFLP methods with DNA extracted from venous blood. The relationship was investigated between the severity of pneumoconiosis and the polymorphism of GSTM1, GSTT1, GSTP1, NAT2, CYP2E1 and CYP1A1, and also with various environmental factors including smoking. RESULTS: We observed a significantly higher rate of genetic polymorphism in pneumoconiosis patients than in normal subjects. The odds ratio (95% CI) of NAT2 was 2.09 (1.19-3.68). In addition, smoking was related significantly with pneumoconiosis (OR 2.89, 95% CI 1.40-5.95). In multiple logistic regression analyses, NAT2 and smoking were significant risk factors for the development of pneumoconiosis (OR 1.84, 95% CI 1.00-3.37; OR 2.98, 95% CI 1.40-6.35, respectively). The age of onset of the disease and smoking were significantly related with moderate or severe pneumoconiosis (OR 0.91, 95% CI 0.83-0.99; OR 6.94, 95% CI 1.54-31.30, respectively). However there was no significant difference between the rate of genetic polymorphism of GSTM1, GSTT1, GSTP1, CYP2E1 and CYP1A1 in the two groups. CONCLUSION: NAT2 genetic polymorphism was higher in pneumoconiosis patients than in normal subjects. The age of onset of the disease and smoking were significantly related with pneumoconiosis. However, the genetic polymorphism of GSTM1, GSTT1, GSTP1, CYP2E1 and CYP1A1 was not related with development or severity of pneumoconiosis.

Relationships between health practices and hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and hyperglycemia in male workers

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to identify health practices that would be helpful in order to reduce the prevalence of correctable cardiovascular risk factors (CVR), i.e. hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and hyperglycemia in male workers by examining the association between health practices and the prevalence of the three risk factors. METHODS: For 1,815 male workers at a car manufacturer who participated in the basic health examination, survey on socioeconomic status and seven healthy practices suchas not currenly smoking, moderate alcohol drinking, proper weight control, regular exercise, 7-8 hour sleep, eating breakfast regularly, and not eating between meals was done and the prevalence of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and hyperglycemia as obtained. x2 test, Fisher's exact test, and multiple logistic regression analyses were done for workers under 40 years old and workers 40 and over in two, separate groups by adjusting socioeconomic variables. RESULTS: The prevalence of hypertension and hypercholesterolemia was 1.84 times and 5.22 times, respectively, showing, higher in overweight younger workers than in those of normal weight. The prevalence of hypercholesterolemia was 2.02 times higher in younger smokers than in younger non-smokers. In contrast, the prevalence of hyperglycemia was 4.99 times higher in older smokers than in older non-smokers. The prevalence of hyperglycemia was 16.5 times higher in older workers with regular snacking habit than in those without such a habit. The prevalence of hypercholesterolemia was 7.47 times higher only in younger workers practicing healthy behaviors below 3 than in those practicing at least 6 healthy behaviors. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that overweight and smoking habit among younger workers, and smoking habit among older workers sould be controlled in order to decrease the prevalence of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and hyperglycemia.

Assessment of chronic renal dysfunction in workers of shoe factories by use of urinary N-acetyl-?D-glucosaminidase activitiy / 대한산업의학회지

No abstract available.

Assessment of renal function in silicosis with urinary N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase activity / 예방의학회지

To provide the basic for assessment of renal dysfunction related to silicosis, urinary N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase(NAG) activity known as a sensitive markers for early renal damage were measured in 58 silicosis patients, and control subjects of 40 pulmonary tuberculosis patients and 51 official workers. The results were summarized as follows. 1. The values of blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine in all subjects were within reference limits. But the mean value of urinary NAG activity(7.25+/-7.31 U/g creatinine) was beyond reference value and more sensitive test than others. 2. The mean value of urinary NAG activity in silicosis group was 11.98+/-9.05 U/g creatinine and significantly higher than in tuberculosis and healthy group(p0.05). 3. The value of NAG activity in tuberculosis had a tendency to be increased according to severity of disease, but that was not significant(p>0.05). The value of NAG activity was increased significantly by use of nephrotoxic antituberculosis drugs(p0.05). 5. After excluding the users of nephrotoxic antituberculosis drugs, the mean values of NAG activity in healthy control and in tuberculosis control were same as 3.63 U/g creatinine and 3.60 U/g creatinine, respectively. But the mean value of NAG activity in silicosis group was remarkably increased as 10.90 U/g creatinine(p<0.01). As above results, even though there are no abnormal findings in screening renal function test, silicosis can be related with renal dysfunction. And it will be very useful to apply urinary NAG activity in health management of workers exposed to dust.

A Study on Serum Zinc Concentration in some Methamphetamine Abusers / 예방의학회지

The author investigated the zinc concentrations in sera of 110 methamphetaimine abusers (male 87, female 23) and of 41 healthy official workers(male 29, female 12) using inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometer. The serum zinc concentrations were analysed according to hepatitis C virus antibody(Anti HCV), hepatitis B surface antigen(HBsAg) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) value in both groups. The analytical results were obtained as follows; 1. The mean zinc concentration of MAP abuser group(298.5+/-246.9 microgram/100 microliter) was 2.5 times higher than that of control group(118.8+/-25.4 microgram/100 microliter). 2. The distribution of zinc concentration in both groups were skewed pattern. 3. The zinc concentration were higher in Anti HCV-positive group and abnormal ALT value group than Anti HCV-negative group and normal ALT value group. But HBs-Ag positive group had lower zinc concentration than HBs-Ag negative group. 4. The number of anti HCV-positive subjects was increased and the zinc concentration were decreased in proportion to the abusing duration of MAP.