Second-hand Smoke Exposure and Urine Cotinine Levels by Occupation in the Busan, Ulsan, Kyeongnam Provinces / 대한산업의학회지

OBJECTIVES: Exposure to second-hand smoke varied by smoking rate in the workplace and no-smoking policies. The purpose of this study was to estimate the status of second-hand smoke exposure by occupation through urine cotinine analysis in Busan, Ulsan, and Kyeongnam provinces. METHODS: Data was obtained from the National Institute of Environmental Research of Korea as 'The 2008 Korea National Survey for Environmental Pollutants in Human Body'. We selected 629 non-smokers who lived in Busan, Ulsan and Gyeongnam provinces. General and occupational characteristics were gathered using a structured questionnaire. Urine cotinine concentrations were analyzed by a gas chromatograph-mass selective detector. Statistical analysis was carried out using the Chi-square test, Student t-test and ANOVA. RESULTS: The geometric mean (geometric standard deviation) of urine cotinine concentration was 17.11 (2.74) ng/ml. The urine cotinine concentration of the middle school graduate group (18.47 (2.86) ng/ml) was higher than the college graduate group (15.64 (2.60) ng/ml, p=0.212). Also, the cotinine concentration of current drinkers (18.98 (2.47) ng/ml) was higher than non-drinkers (16.15 (2.88) ng/ml, p=0.054). The proportion who smelled smoke was higher in workers (38.5%) than in non-workers (29.7%, p=0.02). Therefore, urine cotinine concentration was higher in workers (17.29 (2.66) ng/ml) than in non-workers (16.97 (2.81) ng/ml) but not at a statistically significant amount (p=0.826). In addition, cotinine concentration between the group who smelled smoke (20.45 (2.42) ng/ml) and the group who did not smelled smoke (15.53 (2.78) ng/ml) was significantly different (p=0.016) in workers but not in non-workers (17.08 (2.42) ng/ml vs 16.92 (2.98) ng/ml, p=0.942). According to the National Center for Health Statistics occupational categories in the US and the Korea Standard Classification of Occupations, the urine cotinine concentration of white collar workers such as technical workers and administrators, professional specialists, and managers was higher (18.01 (2.55) ng/ml) than that of blue collar workers such as plant and machine operators and assemblers, elementary occupations, and craft and related trades workers (15.36 (3.48) ng/ml). CONCLUSIONS: The workplace is an important contributor to second-hand smoke exposure in Busan, Ulsan and Kyeongnam provinces. Unlike in advanced countries, where anti-smoking policies have been implemented, urine cotinine concentration in people in Busan, Ulsan and Kyeongnam provinces was higher in the white collar group than in the blue collar group. This result might be due to a higher indoor second-hand smoking rate of workplaces in these areas. Further studies are needed to evaluate the correlation between regional characteristics of industries, anti-smoking policies in the workplace, smoking rates and urine cotinine concentrations of workers.

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.

Effect of ethanol on Na+-Pi uptake in opossum kidney cells: Role of membrane fluidization and reactive oxygen species

This study was undertaken to examine the effect of ethanol on Na+-dependent phosphate (Na+-Pi) uptake in opossum kidney (OK) cells, an established renal proximal tubular cell line. Ethanol inhibited Na+-dependent component of phosphate uptake in a dose-dependent manner with I50 of 8.4%, but it did not affect Na+-independent component. Similarly, ethanol inhibited Na+-dependent uptakes of glucose and amino acids (AIB, glycine, alanine, and leucine). Microsomal Na+-K+-ATPase activity was not significantly altered when cells were treated with 8% ethanol. Kinetic analysis showed that ethanol increased Km without a change in Vmax of Na+-Pi uptake. Inhibitory effect of n-alcohols on Na+-Pi uptake was dependent on the length of the hydrocarbon chain, and it resulted from the binding of one molecule of alcohol, as indicated by the Hill coefficient (n) of 0.8-1.04. Catalase significantly prevented the inhibition, but superoxide dismutase and hydroxyl radical scavengers did not alter the ethanol effect. A potent antioxidant DPPD and iron chelators did not prevent the inhibition. Pyrazole, an inhibitor of alcohol dehydrogenase, did not attenuate ethanol-induced inhibition of Na+-Pi uptake, but it prevented ethanol-induced cell death. These results suggest that ethanol may inhibit Na+-Pi uptake through a direct action on the carrier protein, although the transport system is affected by alterations in the lipid environment of the membrane.