Dermal and neural toxicity caused by acrylamide exposure in two Korean grouting workers: a case report

BACKGROUND: Peripheral neuritis caused by acrylamide is well-known, and many Korean grouting workers are frequently exposed to acrylamide in grouting agents that are injected into cracked concrete. We recently encountered two cases of dermal and neural toxicity in Korean grouting workers with exposure to grouting agents that contained a high concentration of acrylamide. CASE PRESENTATION: The first case involved a 44-year-old man with 8 years of waterproofing experience. The patient developed peeling skin on both hands while grouting, which progressed to systemic neurological symptoms, such as reduced sensory function and strength. The patient was diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy caused by acrylamide exposure, and fully recovered after conservative treatment and withdrawal of exposure to the grouting agent. The second case involved a 34-year-old man with 10 years of grouting experience. The patient initially experienced weakness in both legs, which progressed to weakness in his arms and uncontrolled phonation. After being hospitalized, he was diagnosed with cerebellar ataxia and peripheral neuropathy caused by acrylamide exposure, and was discharged after conservative treatment. Our follow-up investigation revealed that both workers were recently exposed to grouting agents that contained higher concentrations of acrylamide, compared to the agents that they had previously been using. CONCLUSIONS: Both workers had workplace acrylamide exposure through dermal contact plus inhalation of dust and vapor, which led to the neural toxicity and dermatitis. Therefore, government studies are needed to investigate the current status of workplace acrylamide use, and to protect workers from the hazardous effects of using acrylamide-containing grouting agents.

Association between Insulin Resistance and Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia in Healthy Middle-aged Korean Men

BACKGROUND: We examined the association between insulin resistance assessed by homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in healthy middle-aged male subjects. METHODS: A cross-sectional study included 1,727 male subjects, aged 40-59 year, free of medication history for BPH who received a transrectal ultrasonography and completed a structured questionnaire in 2011. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the relationships of HOMA-IR with BPH across the tertile of HOMA-IR. RESULTS: The prevalence of BPH was 24.4% (421 out of 1,727). It was increased across HOMA-IR tertiles in crude and age-adjusted models. In a multivariable-adjusted model after adjusting potential confounders such as age, body mass index (BMI), triglyceride, high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), alcohol consumption, smoking, exercise and meat consumption, odds ratios (95% confidence intervals, CIs) of BPH for 2nd tertile and 3rd tertile compared to 1st tertile were 1.76 (1.31-2.35), and 1.83 (1.34-2.48), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In middle-aged, healthy men, higher HOMA-IR was significantly associated with higher prevalence of BPH, supporting insulin resistance as an independent risk factor for BPH.