Transcript Kein Folientitel - Occupational Asthma

BAL ABNORMALITIES AND RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS IN
MOLYBDENUM EXPOSED HARD-METAL WORKERS
Harald C Ott, Christian Prior, Manfred Herold, Markus Riha, Guenter Ott
Department of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Medicine, University Hospital Innsbruck
INTRODUCTION:
The aim of the study was to detect an early adverse
effect of chronic inhalative molybdenum and hardmetal dust exposure in those workers.
100,00
Fig.1 to 6.: Results of the lung function tests and the
BAL cytology in symptomatic and non symptomatic
workers and in the control group.


90,00

90,00
80,00

FVC %

FEV 1 %
A group of hard-metal dust exposed workers suffer
from cough and chest thightness without any signs of
respiratory disease found in common occupational
screening programs.
RESULTS:
100,00
p<0,05
70,00

80,00
p<0,05
70,00
p<0,05
p<0,05
60,00
60,00
SY MPTOM
PATIENTS:
NON-SY MPT
SY MPTOM
CONTROLS
NON-SY MPT
CONTROLS
20,00

Among the workers, 33 were suffering from cough
and chest thightness whereas 10 were not
symptomatic.
MA %
10,00

80,00

p<0,05
5,00
p<0,01
70,00

p<0,001
METHODS:
p<0,001
60,00
SY MPTOM
NON-SY MPT
CONTROLS
SY MPTOM
NON-SY MPT
CONTROLS
2,50
6,00
2,00

T4/T8
NEU %

4,00
1,50

1,00
Inhalative exposure was confirmed by electron
mycroscopy of BAL fluid. (left top corner)
2,00
p<0,05

CONCLUSION:
The cellular patterns we found in BAL in the group of
symptomatic workers are similar to those found in
patients suffering from interstitial lung disease, but of a
more moderate extent.
Respiratory symptoms in „healthy“ workers are related
to a change of BAL cellular patterns and therefore have
to be considered as an indicator for an early adverse
effect.


0,50
p<0,001
p<0,05
Corresponding author:
0,00
SY MPTOM
None of the investigated individuals showed firm
radiological signs of interstitial lung disease
Chronic hard-metal and molybdenum dust exposure
causes respiratory symptoms and a relative increase in
inflammatory BAL cells in a subgroup of employees
with no functional and radiological signs of respiratory
disease.

0,00
Chest X-rays were seen by two independent
pulmologists. Spirometry was performed on a
Jaeger spirometer. Bronchoalveolar Lavage cells
were spun into slices and stained May-GruenwaldGiemsa

90,00
15,00
LY %
43 employees of a hard metal plant, chronically
exposed to hard-metal and molybdenum dusts and
23 healthy individuals without inhalative exposure
were examined.
A higher percentage count of macrophages correlated
with a decrease of carbon monoxyde transfer
coefficient (KCO) (r=0,58, p<0,01)
NON-SY MPT
CONTROLS
SY MPTOM
NON-SY MPT
CONTROLS
Harald C Ott MD, Department of Cardiac Surgery,
University Hospital Innsbruck, Anichstraße , 6020
Innsbruck, AUSTRIA, Fax: 00435125042528, Phone:
00435125043806, e-mail: [email protected]