Progress on gene polymorphism of allergic asthma / 国际儿科学杂志

Allergic asthma is a complex，polygenic disease characterized by chronic inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness. Fungus and dust mites are the most important inhaled allergens of allergic asthma，and often exist in the form of mixed allergens. In recent years，genetic studies have shown that several genes are associated with allergic asthma attacks. This article reviews the studies on the genes related to allergic asthma caused by dust mites and fungus，such as a disintegrin and metalloproteinase 33（ADAM33），interleukin-4（IL-4），glycoprotein A repetitions predominant（GARP），toll like receptor 3（TLR3），mannose-binding lectin 2（MBL2），chemokine（C-C motif）ligand 17（CCL17）and other genes .

High-resolution CT features and follow-up analysis of welder pneumoconiosis / 实用放射学杂志

Objective To explore the high-resolution computed tomography(HRCT)imaging findings and prognosis for the welder pneumoconiosis.Methods The HRCT imaging findings and follow-up changes in 11 cases of welder pneumoconiosis diag-nosed by occupational diseases were analyzed retrospectively.Results There were 7 cases(63.7%)showed central lobular nodule shadow,5 cases(45.5%)developed patchy ground glass shadows in the center of the lobule("light ink sign"),5 cases(45.5%)showed branching fine line shadow,2 cases(18.2%)showed interlobular septal thickening,and 3 cases(37.5%)showed better ima-ging performance than before.Conclusion HRCT imaging findings of welder pneumoconiosis mainly include diffuse distribution of nodules in the center of lobules,"light ink sign",and branching fine line shadows in both lungs,with rare hilar and mediastinal lymphadenopathy and calcification.When the image shows nodule shadow or"light ink sign"in the center of the lobule,it is more likely to improve after leaving environment exposure.

Analysis of active components of Acorus tatarinowii extracts and its activity against dust mites / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

Objective To investigate the activity of Acorus tatarinowii extracts against dust mites, and to isolate and characterize active ingredient of A. tatarinowii extracts. Methods The essential oil components were extracted from A. tatarinowii rhizome powder by rotary evaporation with methanol as solvents, followed by petroleum ether extraction and rotary evaporation. The essential oil was mixed with Tween-80 at a ratio of 1:1 and diluted into concentrations of 1.000 00%, 0.500 00%, 0.250 00%, 0.125 00%, 0.062 50% and 0.031 25%, while diluted Tween-80 served as controls. A. tatarinowii essential oil at each concentration (200 μL) was transferred evenly to filter papers containing 100 adult mites, with each test repeated in triplicate, and controls were assigned for each concentration. Following treatment at 25 °C and 75% relative humidity for 24 h, the mean corrected mortality of mites was calculated. The essential oil components were separated by silica gel column chromatography, and the essential oil was prepared in the positive column of medium pressure; and then, each component was collected. Silica gel column chromatography was run with the mobile phase that consisted of petroleum ether solution containing 10% ethyl acetate and pure ethyl acetate, detection wavelength of 254 nm, positive silica gel column as the chromatography column, and room temperature as the column temperature. Each component of the purified A. tatarinowii essential oil was diluted into 1.000 00% for acaricidal tests. The components with less than 100% acaricidal activity were discarded, and the remaining components were diluted into 50% of the previous-round tests for subsequent acaricidal tests. The components with acaricidal activity were subjected to high-performance liquid chromatography, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and pulsed-Fourier transform nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The structure of active monomer compounds was determined by standard spectral library retrieval and literature review. Results A. tatarinowii essential oil at concentrations of 1.000 00%, 0.500 00%, 0.250 00% and 0.125 00% killed all dust mites, and the corrected mortality was all 100%. Exposure to A. tatarinowii extracts at an effective concentration of 0.062 50% for 24 hours resulted in 94.33% mortality of dust mites. Six components (A to F) were separated using gel column chromatography, and components D and E both showed a 100% acaricidal activity against dust mites at a concentration of 0.50000%. In addition, Component D was identified as isoeugenol methyl ether, and Component E as β-asarinol. Conclusion The extract of A. tatarinowii essential oil has acaricidal activity, and the isoeugenol methyl ether shows a remarkable acaricidal activity against dust mites.

Effects of Different Pellet Feed Hardness on Growth and Reproduction, Feed Utilization Rate, and Environmental Dust in Laboratory Mice / 实验动物与比较医学

Objective To study the effects of different pellet feed hardness on the growth and reproduction, feed utilization rate, and environmental dust in laboratory mice.Methods One hundred of fifty 50 3-week-old SPF-grade C57BL/6JGpt and 150 ICR laboratory mice were randomly divided into three groups, with an equal number of males and females. They were fed diets with different hardness of 18.62 kg, 23.15 kg, and 27.89 kg. Body weight, feed utilization rate, and dust levels in cages were recorded and calculated for mice aged 3-10 weeks. Forty-five 6-week-old male mice and ninety 4-week-old female mice from each strain were randomly divided into three groups and fed pellet feeds with three different hardness levels. After 2 weeks of adaptation to the same hardness feed, the mice were paired at a 1∶2 male-to-female ratio and monitored for reproductive data for 3 months.Results At the age of 4 weeks, the body weight of male C57BL/6JGpt mice in 23.15 kg group was significantly higher than that in the 18.62 kg and 27.89 kg groups (P<0.01), and the body weight of females in the 18.62 kg group was significantly higher than that in the 27.89 kg group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in body weight among ICR mice aged 3-10 weeks across different feed hardness groups (P>0.05). For both strains, feed utilization rate for males was higher than that for females across different feed hardness groups at all weeks of age (P<0.01). Compared to the 27.89 kg group, both the 18.62 kg and 23.15 kg groups showed a significant increase in the 50-mesh dust levels in cages for both strains aged 4-8 weeks (except for 7-week-old C57BL/6JGpt mice) (P<0.05). For both C57BL/6JGpt and ICR mice, there was no significant difference in basic reproductive performance such as interval between the first litter and the monthly production index among the three feed hardness groups during the experimental period (P>0.05). However, the monthly production index of C57BL/6JGpt mice first increased and then decreased with the increase of feed hardness, while that of ICR mice increased with increasing feed hardness, though these differences were not statistically significant (P>0.05).Conclusion Different strains and genders had different tolerance to feed hardness. C57BL/6JGpt mice are more adapted to lower hardness feeds, while ICR mice are better suited to slightly higher hardness feeds.

Comparison of Methods between Soiled Bedding Sentinels and Exhaust Air Dust PCR for Health Monitoring of Rodent Laboratory Animals / 实验动物与比较医学

The microbiological quality of laboratory animals is crucial for the validity and reproducibility of scientific research data, as well as human health and animal welfare. Currently, individual ventilation cages (IVC) have become the mainstream feeding system for rodent laboratory animals. The most commonly used pathogen monitoring method for this feeding system is soiled bedding sentinels (SBS). This method monitors the microbial carrying status of mouse colony through indirect contact and delayed feedback. It can effectively monitor pathogens transmitted via the fecal-oral route, such as mouse hepatitis virus and reovirus. However, this method has difficulty detecting pathogens mainly transmitted through aerosols or direct contact, such as Sendai virus and Pasteurella pneumotropica. The exhaust air dust (EAD)-PCR monitoring method involves swab sampling in the IVC exhaust ducts to monitor the corresponding racks of the ducts; swab sampling before the prefiltration of the host to monitor the entire IVC rack; and EAD collection device sampling to monitor all racks connected to the same host. Different IVC manufacturers have developed corresponding EAD collection devices for their respective IVC systems, making operations convenient and standardization easy. Compared with the SBS method, the EAD-PCR method significantly improves detection rate and timeliness, with the fastest detection possible after one week of exposure. It can serve as a supplement or replacement for the SBS method. Currently, increasing evidence supports that EAD-PCR testing is a more reliable, sensitive, and cost-effective monitoring method, and is more beneficial to animal welfare. This article reviews the application progress of these two methods for monitoring pathogens, analyzes the existing limitations of the EAD-PCR method, and proposes solutions based on its implementation in our laboratory and examination units. The EAD-PCR method helps reduce the number of live sentinel animals used in pathogen monitoring, in order to better maintain the "3Rs" principle of laboratory animal welfare.

Effects of coal mine dust on interleukin-6 and let-7e in rats / 预防医学

Objective@#To investigate the changes in the levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and let-7e in rats induced by coal mine dust, so as to provide the basis for the mechanism of coal worker's pneumoconiosis (CWP).@*Methods@#Sixty-four clean and healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into the control group, coal dust group, mixed dust group (mixed coal and silica dust) and quartz group. The rats in the control group were exposed to 1 mL physiological saline by non-exposure tracheal perfusion, and the rats in the dust-exposed groups were exposed to 1 mL dust suspension. Rats were sacrificed by anesthesia after 1 month and 6 months, lung tissue was observed using hematoxylin-eosin staining, the pathological change in the lungs was scored using the Szapiel scoring system, the levels of IL-6 in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the expression of let-7e was determined by quantitative real-time PCR.@*Results@#A month after exposure, a small amount of coal spots and inflammatory exudation were observed in the lung tissue of the coal dust group and the mixed dust group. The quartz group showed tissue structure destruction and mild fibrosis and thickening of alveolar septum. Six months after exposure, there were more coal spots and slightly thickened alveolar septum in the coal dust group, and hyperplasia of pulmonary interstitial fibers, destruction of alveolar structure and silica nodules were observed in the mixed dust group. In the quartz group, the alveolar structure was obviously destroyed, the interstitial fiber proliferation was significant and silica nodules were seen. Two-factor analysis of variance showed that the interaction between duration of exposure and dust type significantly influenced the pathological score of lung tissue, IL-6 levels, and let-7e expression levels (P<0.05). Under the same dust type, the pathological score of lung tissue and IL-6 levels were higher at 6 months after exposure than at 1 month, while the relative expression of let-7e was lower at 6 months after exposure than at 1 month (all P<0.05). Under the same duration of exposure, the pathological score of lung tissue and IL-6 levels were higher in the dust-exposed groups than in the control group, while the relative expression of let-7e was lower in the dust-exposed groups than in the control group (all P<0.05).@*Conclusions@#Coal dust can cause an increase in levels of IL-6 and a decrease in let-7e expression in rats. The type of dust and duration of exposure can interactively affect IL-6 and let-7e.

Analysis of the NLRP3 gene polymorphism and loci interaction in susceptibility to coal workers' pneumoconiosis in the Xinjiang Region / 中国职业医学

ObjectiveTo investigate the correlation of polymorphism and loci interaction of nucleic acid binding oligomeric domain-like receptor heat protein domain associated protein 3 (NLRP3) gene and susceptibility to coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) in Xinjiang Region. Methods A total of 109 CWP were selected as the case group, and 69 coal miners with similar age, years of dust exposure and work types were selected as the control group by convenient sampling method. Blood samples of individuals in workers in these two groups were collected, and the genotypes of single nucleotide polymorphism loci, rs1539019, rs4612666, rs4925650 and rs7525979, in the NLRP3 gene were detected using an improved multiplex ligation detection reaction. The optimal genetic model was selected based on the Akaike information criterion. Results The results of unconditional logistic regression analysis showed that individuals with the C allele of rs1539019 or rs4612666 had a higher risk of CWP than those with the A or T allele (all P<0.05), and individuals with the AA genotype of rs1539019 or the TT genotype of rs4612666 had a lower risk of CWP than those with the CC genotype (all P<0.05), after adjusting for age, years of work, alcohol, and smoking. The optimal genetic models for rs1539019 and rs4612666 were the recessive model and the additive model, respectively, and these differences were associated with the susceptibility to CWP at the Bonferroni-corrected level (all P<0.05). No correlation was found between rs4925650 and rs7525979 and the susceptibility to CWP (all P>0.05). In the smoking population, the rs1539019 co-dominant model, recessive model, and additive model were associated with a decreased risk of CWP (all P<0.05). The rs4612666 co-dominant model, dominant model and additive model were associated with an increased risk of CWP (all P<0.05), with the optimal genetic models being the recessive model and the additive model among smokers. The rs1539019 and rs4612666 were not found to be associated with the increased risk of CWP in non-smokers (all P>0.05). The rs4612666 dominant model and additive model were associated with an increased risk of CWP (all P<0.05), and the rs4925650 recessive model and over-dominant model were associated with a decreased and increased risk of developing CWP (all P<0.05), with the optimal genetic models being the dominant model and the over-dominant model in drinkers. The rs1539019 co-dominant model, dominant model, recessive model, and additive model were associated with a decreased risk of developing CWP (all P<0.05), and the rs4612666 co-dominant model, recessive model, and additive model were associated with an increased risk of developing CWP (all P<0.05), with the optimal genetic models being the additive model and the recessive model in non-drinkers. The result of haplotype analysis showed that the ACAC and ACGC haplotypes were associated with a reduced risk of CWP (all P<0.05). Conclusion The rs1539019 and rs4612666 loci of the NLRP3 gene are associated with susceptibility to CWP. This study provides clues for further research on the risk of CWP in coal workers.

Analyzing the monitoring results of occupational hazards in the workplace of key industries in Guangdong Province, 2020-2023 / 中国职业医学

ObjectiveTo understand the monitoring result of occupational hazard in the workplace of key industries in Guangdong Province from 2020 to 2023. Methods The data of occupational hazards in the workplace of 20 key industries in Guangdong Province from 2020 to 2023 were collected from the “Workplace Occupational Hazard Monitoring System” of the Chinese Disease Prevention and Control System subsystem. The monitoring result of occupational hazard factors, occupational health training, occupational health examination, occupational protection, detection of occupational hazardous agents such as dust, chemical substances and noise were analyzed. Results A total of 13 058 enterprises from key industries were recruited as the monitoring subjects in Guangdong Province. There were 290 large-, 1 342 medium-, 7 635 small-, and 3 791 micro-enterprises, with small and micro-enterprises accounting for 58.5% and 29.0% of the total, respectively. A total of 7 542 enterprises exceeded the national standard in the detection of occupational hazards, with a rate of 57.8%. A total of 1 942 517 workers from 13 058 enterprises were recruited, with 835 567 workers were exposed to occupational hazards, with a rate of 43.0%. The rate of occupational health training for enterprise leaders, occupational health management personnel, and workers was 71.9%, 73.8%, and 86.5%, respectively. The abnormal rate of occupational health examinations for workers exposed to noise, dust, and chemical agents was 2.0%, 0.6%, and 1.0%, respectively. The distribution rate of dust masks, anti-poisoning masks or face masks, and noise prevention earplugs or earmuffs was 83.3%, 71.3%, and 77.8%, respectively. The rate of installation of dust prevention facilities, anti-poisoning facilities, and noise prevention facilities was 85.6%, 81.2%, and 50.1%, respectively. The rate of exceeded the national standard of dust, noise in the worksites/types and workplaces showed a decreasing trend year by year (all P<0.01), while the rate of exceeded the national standard of chemical agents in worksites/types and workplaces showed an increasing trend year by year in various occupational hazards (all P<0.01). Conclusion Occupational hazards in the workplace of key industries in Guangdong Province are relatively common. The proportion of workers exposed to occupational hazards is relatively high. It is necessary to further improve the use of noise prevention facilities and protective equipment, strengthen occupational health training for enterprises throughout the province and regularly monitor occupational hazards to reduce the risk of occupational diseases.

Research progress on biological monitoring of dust-exposed populations / 中国职业医学

Occupational pneumoconiosis (referred to as “pneumoconiosis”) caused by exposure to occupational dust is the most serious occupational disease in China. Biological monitoring on occupational populations exposed to dust is important for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of pneumoconiosis. Biological monitoring is a systematic engineering process that includes a series of processes such as biological samples selection, selection of biological monitoring indicators, and selection of detection methods. The biological samples for biological monitoring mainly include urine, blood, exhaled breath gas, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, saliva, sputum, and more. The indicators of biological monitoring involve multiple pathways such as oxidative stress, inflammatory response, collagen synthesis/degradation, phagocytic cell apoptosis, and pathways related to the formation of pneumoconiosis. Suitable detection methods need to be determined upon different biological monitoring indicators, including enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, high-performance liquid chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, etc. Currently, there is a lack of true clinically valuable biological monitoring indicators that can indicate the correlation between dust exposure and the hazards of occupational populations, and there are no systematic and complete biological monitoring methods reported. It is necessary to further standardize the biological monitoring process and search for specific biological monitoring indicators.

Analysis on the association between dust exposure and pharyngeal microbiota in coal miners based on 16sRNA high-throughput sequencing technology / 中国职业医学

ObjectiveTo explore the distribution of pharyngeal microbiota in coal miners exposed to dust. Methods Eight coal miners who had been engaged in occupational dust exposure for more than 20 years were selected as the dust-exposed group, and four coal miners who were not exposed to dust at work were selected as the control group using the judgment sampling method. Pharyngeal secretions of the coal miners were collected with throat swabs, and its pharyngeal microbiota was analyzed. The diversity, abundance and evenness of the microbiota were analyzed by gene sequencing using the 16sRNA gene high-throughput sequencing technology. Results A total of 254 operational taxonomic units of pharyngeal microbiota were detected in the coal miners in the control group, which was 210 more than that in the dust-exposed group. The Chao1 index, Shannon index, PD-tree index and Pielou index of pharyngeal microbiota in the dust-exposed group decreased compared with the control group (all P<0.01). The abundance of Bacteroidetes and Clostridum, at the phylum level, in the pharynx of coal miners in the dust-exposed group was higher than that in the control group (all P<0.05). The abundance of Prevotella, Neisseria, and Monas, at the genus level, in the pharynx of coal miners in the dust-exposed group was higher than that in the control group(all P<0.05), while the abundance of Lactobacillus decreased (P<0.05). The analysis results of the receiver operating characteristic curve showed that Lactobacillus, Fusobacterium and Rothia may play a role for pharyngeal microbiota imbalance prediction in dust-exposed workers, and the area under the curves were all 1.00±0.00. Conclusion The species diversity and evenness of pharyngeal microbiota in coal miners exposed to dust are decreased, which may be related to the continuous inhalation of coal dust that disrupts the microbial environment of the throat.

Occupational hazards in sand casting enterprises in Wenling City / 预防医学

Abstract@#To investigate the main occupational hazards of sand casting process enterprises, so as to provide insights into occupational disease prevention and control.@*Methods@#In 2021 and 2022, six typical ferrous metal casting enterprises using sand casting technology in Wenling City, Zhejiang Province were selected to investigate the production processes and equipment, the operation of occupational disease prevention facilities and personal protective equipment. Occupational hazards including silica dust, noise, high temperature and ultraviolet radiation were detected and analyzed.@*Results@#Six sand casting enterprises had not effectively set up and use occupational disease prevention equipment, and some employees had not worn personal protective equipment as required. The participation rate of occupational health examination was 100.00%. Among the 54 silica dust sampling points at the sand mixing, molding, sand falling, shot blasting and mud core drilling positions, the overall dust concentration exceeding the standard rate was 100.00%, and the respiratory dust exceeding the standard rate was 44.44%. Among the 55 noise measurement points at the sand mixing, sand falling, shot blasting, mud core drilling, polishing and blowing positions, 51 exceeded the standard, with a rate of 92.73%. Among the 90 sampling points for melting, painting, polishing, blowing and welding positions, the concentrations of welding fumes, manganese and its compounds, ethyl acetate and other cahmical factors did not exceed the standard. Six ultraviolet radiation measurement points in the welding position and six heat stress measurement points in the melting position did not exceed the standard.@*Conclusion@#The main occupational hazards of sand casting process enterprises in Wenling City are silica dust and noise, and occupational disease prevention and control should be further strengthened.

Application and comparison of three risk assessment methods for occupational health risk assessment of dust in a sanitary ceramic product manufacturing enterprise / 上海预防医学

ObjectiveThree methods were applied to conduct occupational health risk assessment for the working positions exposed to silicon dusts in a sanitary ceramic manufacturing factory， and the evaluation results were compared to explore the applicability of different occupational health risk assessment methods. MethodsOne large sanitary ceramic product manufacturing enterprise in Songjiang District， Shanghai was selected to conduct occupational health risk assessment for the working positions exposed to silicon dusts， using occupational hazard risk index evaluation method， exposure ratio evaluation method， and International Council on Mining and Metals （ICMM） quantitative occupational health risk assessment method . The consistency of the evaluation results of the three methods was tested using weighted Kappa method. ResultsFourteen working positions exposed to silicon dusts were identified， and three positions had excessive dust concentration： composite forming position of phase 2 workshop （0.80 mg·m-3）， addition forming position of phase 2 workshop （1.00 mg·m-3）， and glazing position of 1F in phase 2 workshop （1.50 mg·m-3）， with an excessive rate of 21.42%. The occupational hazard risk index evaluation method assessed 6 positions with no harm， 6 positions with mild harm， and 2 positions with moderate harm. The ICMM quantitative occupational health risk assessment method assessed 6 positions with potential risks， 2 positions with tolerable risks， and 6 positions with intolerable risks. The exposure ratio evaluation method assessed 8 positions with medium risk， 5 positions with high risk， and 1 position with extremely high risk. The consistency test results of the three evaluation methods were poor. The Kappa coefficient between the occupational hazard risk index evaluation method and the ICMM quantitative occupational health risk assessment method was 0.15. The Kappa coefficient between the occupational hazard risk index evaluation method and the exposure ratio evaluation method was -0.09. The Kappa coefficient between the ICMM quantitative occupational health risk assessment method and the exposure ratio evaluation method was 0.04. The RR values obtained by the three evaluation methods were significantly correlated： the correlation coefficients between RRICMM quantitative assessment method and RRexposure ratio evaluation method， RROccupational hazard risk index evaluation method and RRICMM quantitative assessment method， RROccupational hazard risk index evaluation method and RRexposure ratio evaluation method were 0.915， 0.604， and 0.594， respectively. The correlation between the assessment result level and CTWA was strong. ConclusionThe occupational hazard risk index evaluation method is suitable for the working positions with low silicon dust exposure concentration， the ICMM quantitative occupational health risk assessment method and the exposure ratio evaluation method are suitable for the positions with high silicon dust exposure concentration， but all these three evaluation methods have limitations. It is more reasonable to use multiple methods at the same time in actual evaluation work.

Alterações respiratórias em crianças expostas à poeira de resíduos de mineração em Brumadinho, Minas Gerais, Brasil: Projeto Bruminha / Respiratory changes in children exposed to dust from mining waste in Brumadinho, Minas Gerais State, Brazil: Bruminha Project / Alteraciones respiratorias en niños expuestos al polvo de residuos de la minería en Brumadinho, Minas Gerais, Brasil: Proyecto Bruminha

Este estudo teve como objetivo investigar a ocorrência de afecções respiratórias em crianças expostas à poeira de resíduos de mineração após o desastre do rompimento da barragem em Brumadinho, Minas Gerais, Brasil. A população de estudo incluiu crianças com idades entre 0 e 6 anos, residentes em três comunidades expostas à resíduos de poeira de mineração (Córrego do Feijão, Parque da Cachoeira e Tejuco) e uma comunidade não exposta (Aranha). A coleta de dados ocorreu entre 19 e 30 de julho de 2021, por meio de questionários que abordavam informações sociodemográficas e um inquérito recordatório sobre sinais, sintomas e doenças respiratórias. Foram avaliadas 217 crianças, sendo 119 das comunidades expostas e 98 da comunidade não exposta. Os residentes nas comunidades expostas relataram aumento na frequência de faxina em suas residências (p = 0,04) e no tráfego de veículos (p = 0,03). Entre as crianças de 4 anos, foi observada uma maior frequência de afecções das vias aéreas superiores (p = 0,01) e inferiores (p = 0,01), bem como de alergia respiratória (p = 0,05). O grupo exposto apresentou 1,5 vez mais relatos de alergia respiratória (75%; p = 0,02) em comparação com o não exposto (50,5%). Crianças que viviam nas comunidades expostas à poeira de resíduos apresentaram três vezes mais chance (OR ajustada = 3.63; IC95%: 1,37; 9,57) de ocorrência de alergia respiratória em comparação com as não expostas. Dois anos e seis meses após a ocorrência do desastre ambiental, as crianças das comunidades afetadas pelos resíduos das atividades de mineração e remediação permaneciam expostas à poeira com efeitos tóxicos sobre a saúde respiratória.

This study aimed to investigate the occurrence of respiratory diseases in children exposed to dust from mining waste after the Brumadinho dam disaster, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The study population included children aged 0-6 years, living in three communities exposed to mining waste dust (Córrego do Feijão, Parque da Cachoeira, and Tejuco) and one unexposed community (Aranha). Data were collected from July 19 to 30, 2021, using questionnaires that addressed sociodemographic information and a recall survey on signs, symptoms, and respiratory diseases. A total of 217 children were evaluated, 119 living in the exposed communities and 98 in the non-exposed community. The residents in the exposed communities reported an increase in the frequency of home cleaning (p = 0.04) and in vehicular traffic (p = 0.03). Among children aged four, a higher frequency of upper (p = 0.01) and lower (p = 0.01) airway disorders, as well as respiratory allergy (p = 0.05) was observed. The exposed group had 1.5 times more reports of respiratory allergy (75%; p = 0.02) compared to the non-exposed group (50.5%). Children living in communities exposed to waste dust were three times more likely (adjusted OR = 3.63; 95%CI: 1.37; 9.57) to have respiratory allergies than those not exposed. Two years and six months after the environmental disaster occurred, children living in the communities affected by waste from mining and remediation activities remained exposed to dust with harmful effects on respiratory health.

El objetivo de este estudio fue investigar la ocurrencia de enfermedades respiratorias en niños expuestos al polvo de residuos de la minería tras el desastre del colapso de la represa en Brumadinho, Minas Gerais, Brasil. La población de estudio incluyó niños que tenían entre 0 y 6 años, que viven en tres comunidades expuestas a residuos de polvo de la minería (Córrego do Feijão, Parque da Cachoeira y Tejuco) y una comunidad no expuesta (Aranha). Se recolectaron los datos entre el 19 y el 30 de julio de 2021, a través de cuestionarios que abordaban informaciones sociodemográficas y una encuesta recordatoria acerca de los señales, síntomas y enfermedades respiratorias. Se evaluaron 217 niños, de los cuales 119 viven en las comunidades expuestas y 98 viven en la comunidad no expuesta. Los residentes de las comunidades expuestas relataron un aumento en la frecuencia de limpieza de sus casas (p = 0,04) y en el tráfico de vehículos (p = 0,03). Entre los niños de 4 años, se observó una frecuencia más alta de enfermedades de las vías aéreas superiores (p = 0,01) e inferiores (p = 0,01), así como de alergia respiratoria (p = 0,05). El grupo expuesto presentó 1,5 veces más relatos de alergia respiratoria (el 75%; p = 0,02) en comparación con el grupo no expuesto (el 50,5%). Niños que vivían en las comunidades expuestas al polvo de residuos presentaron tres veces más probabilidad (OR ajustada = 3,63; IC95%: 1,37; 9,57) de ocurrencia de alergia respiratoria en comparación con los niños que no se expusieron. Dos años y seis meses tras el desastre ambiental, los niños que viven en las comunidades afectadas por los residuos de las actividades de minería y descontaminación permanecían expuestos al polvo con efectos tóxicos para la salud respiratoria.

Changes in the levels of immunological markers after treatment in patients with allergic rhinitis / Cambios en los niveles de marcadores inmunológicos después del tratamiento en pacientes con rinitis alérgica

Introduction: Monitoring changes in the levels of immune markers is of great significance in evaluating the effectiveness of treatment in patients with allergic rhinitis. Objectives: Determine the change in the concentration of immune markers after treatment in patients with allergic rhinitis caused by cotton dust. Methods: A descriptive, single-group, comparative before and after intervention study on 52 patients with allergic rhinitis caused by cotton dust. Comparison of immunological markers results before and after 36 months of treatment. Results: Total IgE concentration after treatment decreased, the median decreased from 1227.756 U/mL to 676.805 UI/mL. Serum levels of IgG, IgG4, and IgG1 in patients after treatment increased compared to before (p< 0.001). The cytokines also changed in the direction of no longer responding toward allergy. Median IL-17 decreased from 1.752 mg/dL to 0.417 mg/dL. Conclusion: In patients with allergic rhinitis after specific sublingual desensitization treatment, IgE levels and cytokines such as IL-6 and IL-17 are significantly reduced and IgG, IgG4 and IgG1 levels are increased after treatment(AU)

Introducción: El monitoreo de los cambios en los niveles de marcadores inmunes es de gran importancia para evaluar la efectividad del tratamiento en pacientes con rinitis alérgica. Objetivos: Determinar el cambio en la concentración de marcadores inmunes después del tratamiento, en pacientes con rinitis alérgica causada por polvo de algodón. Métodos: Estudio descriptivo, monogrupo, comparativo antes y después de la intervención, en 52 pacientes con rinitis alérgica por polvo de algodón. Se compararon resultados de marcadores inmunológicos antes y después de 36 meses de tratamiento. Resultados: La concentración de IgE total después del tratamiento disminuyó, la mediana disminuyó de 1227,756 U/mL a 676,805 UI/mL. Los niveles séricos de IgG, IgG4 e IgG1 en pacientes, después del tratamiento, aumentaron (p< 0,001). Las citocinas también cambiaron en dirección a ausencia de respuesta a la alergia. La mediana de IL-17 disminuyó de 1,752 mg/dL a 0,417 mg/dL. Conclusión: En pacientes con rinitis alérgica, después del tratamiento específico de desensibilización sublingual, los niveles de IgE y citocinas como IL-6 e IL-17 se reducen significativamente y los niveles de IgG, IgG4 e IgG1 aumentan(AU)

Study of lung function tests in tea garden factory workers in relation to duration of exposure to tea dust

Background: Occupational hazard is a common health problem in the world today. The tea industry is also no exception. Tea dust inhalation leads to development of many respiratory symptoms: Acute as well as chronic. Workers in the tea factory often are not aware of the ill effects of inhalation of tea dust. There is therefore a need to make them aware of their working environment and take necessary precautions to keep themselves healthy to earn their livelihood. Aims and Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess the pulmonary function tests (PFT) in tea garden factory workers and assess the outcome of exposure duration to tea dust in them. Materials and Methods: The study had been carried out on 210 male tea garden factory workers (cases) and 70 male field workers (control) employed in various tea gardens of Dibrugarh, in Assam. Computerized spirometer was used to evaluate PFTs. The cases were categorized into three categories (70 numbers in every category) according to their exposure duration, namely – Category 1: Exposure duration <1 year; Category 2: Exposure duration of 1–2 years; and Category 3: Exposure duration of >2 years up to 5 years. Statistical analysis was done using ANOVA. Results: On comparing with control group values, statistically significant decline of forced vital capacity and forced expiratory volume (FEV)1 values were seen in Category 1 while highly significant decline were seen for Categories 2 and 3. Decline of FEV1% in Category 3 was highly significant. Decline of peaked expiratory flow rate values in Category 2 and Category 3 was significant. Conclusion: Increase in exposure duration to tea dust causes a significant decline in lung functions.

Serum bilirubin in workers exposed to tobacco dust and noise / 环境与职业医学

Background Exposure to tobacco dust or noise is associated with the risk of cardiovascular disease in workers, but there are few studies on their effects on workers' serum bilirubin levels. Objective To analyze the effects of combined exposure to tobacco dust and noise on workers' serum bilirubin levels. Methods We selected 824 employees from a large cigarette factory in Wuhan. According to the status of occupational hazards on site, we divided the participants into a control group (n=149), a tobacco dust exposure group (n=198), a noise exposure group (n=299), and a tobacco dust and noise combined exposure group (n=178). We collected general information of the participants. We collected blood samples and measured serum bilirubin. We used chi-square test to compare between-group categorical indicators. We used analysis of variance to compare measurement data. Taking the control group as the reference category, we used generalized linear regression model to analyze serum bilirubin concentration across the three exposure groups and the control group. Results The abnormal rates of serum indirect bilirubin concentrations in the control group, the tobacco dust exposure group, the noise exposure group, and the tobacco dust and noise combined exposure group were 6.04% (9/149), 12.63% (25/198), 13.38% (40/299), and 17.42% (31/178), respectively, showing a clear increasing trend (P<0.05). The mean concentrations of indirect bilirubin in the tobacco dust and noise combined exposure group were significantly higher than that in the tobacco dust and the noise groups (P<0.05). The serum indirect bilirubin concentrations in the tobacco dust exposure group, the noise exposure group, and the tobacco dust and noise combined exposure group were 1.833, 1.774, and 1.634 times higher than those of the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion Occupational exposure to tobacco dust or noise may associate with elevated serum total bilirubin concentration in cigarette factory workers, mainly indirect bilirubin concentration. Serum indirect bilirubin anomaly is higher among workers simultaneously exposed to tobacco dust and noise.

Exploring occupational hazards and protective strategies in power generation enterprises / 中国职业医学

Currently, power generation in China is dominated by thermal power, wind power, nuclear power, and hydropower enterprises. The power source mainly comes from thermal power generation. The occupational hazards in thermal power station are noise, high temperature, power frequency electric fields, dust, and chemical toxins and so on, with noise and dust (silica and coal dust) being the primary factors. The occupational hazards in wind power station are noise, power frequency electric fields, high temperature, low temperature, and chemical toxins (sulfur hexafluoride, toluene, styrene, etc.), with noise and power frequency electric fields being the major concerns. The occupational radiation hazards in nuclear power station are gamma rays, beta rays, X-rays, neutrons, alpha rays, and radioactive aerosols. There is special attention in radiation protection but not enough protection in non-radioactive hazards such as noise, high temperature, and ammonia. The occupational hazards in hydropower station are noise, power frequency electric fields, vibration, radon and its de-composites, and chemical toxins, with noise and power frequency electric fields being the primary hazards. Different categories of power generation enterprises should identify key hazards and work site for occupational disease prevention and control based on the features of occupational hazards. Improving occupational health management and protection levels are essential measures.

Study of Lung Function Disorders of Headstone and Stone Mortar Crafters and Factors That Affect Them

@#Introduction: Dust is one of the chemical substances that cause occupational disease, especially among stone crafters. Its deposition for a long period can lead to various health problems, hence, there is a need for early detection. Therefore, this study aims to assess the occurrence of lung function disorder in headstone and stone mortar crafters. Methods: A cross-sectional design was used and the sample population consists of all headstone and stone mortar crafters in Allakuang Village, Sidrap Regency, Indonesia. They were selected using a purposive sampling method, and 33 out of 148 people met the criteria. Subsequently, their lung function was measured once using spirometry as well as FVC and FEV1 parameters. The data obtained were then analyzed using Chi-Square. Results: 18 of 33 respondents with lung function disorders. They had a long tenure, a normal working time, bad exercise habits, as well as a normal and overweight nutritional status based on their BMI category. The statistical test results showed that tenure, working time, and exercise habits had an effect on the disease condition with p=0.000. Meanwhile, other factors, such as age and nutritional status had no effect with p-values of 0.981 and 0.14, respectively. Conclusion: Based on the results, the majority of headstone and stone mortar crafters have lung function disorders, and the influential factors include tenure, working time, and exercise habits.

Analysis of the regular monitoring of occupational hazards in Guangdong Province in 2022 / 中国职业医学

Objective To analyze the overall situation of regular monitoring of occupational hazards in enterprises in Guangdong Province in 2022. Methods Analysis and quality sampling from enterprises were conducted on the occupational hazard regular monitoring reports submitted by various occupational health institutions through the Guangdong Province Occupational Health Quality Control Platform for the year 2022. Results In 2022, a total of 40 129 enterprises in Guangdong Province conducted regular monitoring of occupational hazards, accounting for 5.9%. More than 4.85 million workers were enrolled, of which more than 1.99 million workers were exposed to occupational hazards, with an incidence of 41.1%. The incidence of exposure to chemicals, dust, and noise were 18.2%, 11.9%, and 23.5%, respectively. The incidence of exceeding national standard for chemical substances, dust and noise in enterprises were 2.7%, 3.3%, and 42.7%, respectively. The incidence of exceeding national standard for all occupational hazards increased with the scale of enterprises from micro, small, medium to large enterprises (29.1% vs 46.7% vs 61.3% vs 65.4%, all P<0.05). The top three key industries, with more enterprises exceeding national standard, were metal furniture manufacturing, wooden furniture manufacturing, and other metal daily necessities manufacturing. The concentration of 97 chemical hazardous agents such as silica dust and benzene in work site exceeded the national standard, but less than 1.0% chemical hazardous agents exceeded national standard in most of the chemical-exposed work site. The incidence of noise exceeding national standard was 45.4%, while the incidence of silica dust exceeding national standard was 17.3%. Conclusion The percentage of regular monitoring of occupational hazards in enterprises in Guangdong Province is relatively low. The main occupational hazard that exceeds the national standard was noise, indicating the need for special attention on noise protection in workplace.

Fipronil and its metabolites in indoor dust in Shenzhen in 2020 -2021: analysis of residual levels and temporal variations / 公共卫生与预防医学

Objective To explore the residual level of FPMs in indoor dust samples in Shenzhen from 2020 and 2021, and to analyze its temporal distribution characteristics. Methods In the present study, indoor dust samples (n=193) from residential buildings in Shenzhen. were collected to analyze the temporal variation characteristics of FPMs. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) was applied to determine the concentrations of FP and its four major metabolites (fipronil-sulfone, fipronil-sulfide, fipronil-desulfinyl, and fipronil-amide; abbreviated as FP-SFO, FP-SFI, FP-DES, and FP-AM) in the samples. The sum of the concentrations of FP and its four metabolites was represented as additive mass concentration (ΣFPMs). Additionaly, Wilcoxon test was performed to determine the temporal distribution differences of FPMs’ concentrations. Results From 2020 to 2021, the concentration of ΣFPMs for the in door dust samples in Shenzhen ranged from 0.51 to 4 415 ng/g (median: 18.8ng/g). FP, FP-SFO AND FP-SFI were the major target analytes in the sample with detection rates of 90.60%，86.20% and 75.40%, respectively. The detection rates of other metabolites were low (≤ 44.3%). Analysis of the temporal variation trend of FPMs’ concentrations showed that there was no significant difference in the levels of ΣFPMs between warm season（spring and summer）and cold season（autumn and winter）in the indoor dust samples from 2020 to 2021(2.38 vs 2.84ng/g , P > 0.05). However , the concentrations of FP-SFI and ΣFPMs in the indoor dust samples collected from 2021 showed an significantly increasing trend compared with 2020（1.02 vs 1.89 , 17.80vs. 20.10 ng/g , P < 0.05). Conclusion From 2020 to 2021 , the detection level of FPMs in indoor dust in Shenzhen is relatively high and shows an upward trend , with no obvious seasonal difference. However, whether the residual level of FPMs in indoor dust poses a risk to human health needs further study.