The study of byssinosis in China: a comprehensive report

Reduction in cotton dust concentration does not totally eliminate respiratory health hazards: the Greek study

A number of epidemiological studies have shown that byssinosis is associated with exposure to high levels of cotton dust. In this first survey, the prevalence of respiratory symptoms in cotton workers under low concentration of cotton dust was investigated. A respiratory questionnaire consisting of 47 questions was given to 443 cotton workers. Their lung function was measured with spirometry. Breathing zone cotton dust concentration was measured by personal samplers and static sampling was used to define the level of the work area concentration. Workers with abnormalities in the pulmonary function parameters, including forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV₁), forced vital capacity (FVC) and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), were 5.9%. In this group of operatives 7.7% had symptoms compatible with byssinosis, 65.4% of them were smokers, 69.2% of them had symptoms of allergic rhinitis, while 72.2% of them were smokers. Asthma, which appeared after the age of 30, was reported by 57.7%, while 60% of them were smokers. Mean breathing zone cotton dust concentration was 0.16 mg/m³ and the mean work area cotton dust concentration 0.14 mg/m³. Despite the reduction in cotton dust concentration, byssinosis symptoms, allergic rhinitis, asthma and impaired pulmonary function are the most common findings in our cotton workers depending on the duration of exposure, whether they are smokers or not and the nature of the cotton dust.

Imaging of occupational lung disease

Occupational lung disease comprises a wide variety of disorders caused by the inhalation or ingestion of dust particles or noxious chemicals. These disorders include pneumoconiosis, asbestos-related pleural and parenchymal disease, chemical pneumonitis, occupational infection, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, and organic dust toxic syndrome. Most of these disorders produce diffuse lung disease. Although many of the disorders can be detected at chest radiography, high-resolution computed tomography (CT) has been shown to be superior to chest radiography in depicting parenchymal, airway, and pleural abnormalities. Some occupational lung diseases have characteristic radiologic features suggesting the correct diagnosis, whereas in others, a combination of clinical features, related occupational history, radiologic findings, and literature supporting an association between the exposure and the disease process is required for diagnosis. With advances in chest radiology, including high-resolution CT, radiologists play a key role in the clinical evaluation of occupational lung diseases and should continue their involvement in the diagnosis and treatment of these diseases.

Respiratory symptoms in Lancashire textile weavers

OBJECTIVES

To investigate a large population of cotton textile weavers for reported respiratory symptoms relative to occupational factors, smoking, and exposure to dust. Cotton processing is known to produce a respiratory disease known as byssinosis particularly in the early processes of cotton spinning. Relatively little is known about the respiratory health of the cotton weavers who produce cloth from spun cotton. By the time cotton is woven many of the original contaminants have been removed.

METHODS

1295 operatives from a target population of 1428 were given an interviewer led respiratory questionnaire. The presence of upper and lower respiratory tract symptoms were sought and the work relatedness of these symptoms determined by a stem questionnaire design. Also occupational and demographic details were obtained and spirometry and personal dust sampling performed.

RESULTS

Byssinosis was present in only four people (0.3%). Chronic bronchitis had a moderate overall prevalence of about 6% and was related predominantly to smoking. There were several other work related respiratory symptoms (persistent cough 3.9%, chronic production of phlegm 3.6%, chest tightness 4.8%, wheezing 5.4%, and breathlessness 2.3%). All of these were predicted predominantly by smoking (either past or present), with no consistent independent effect of exposure to dust. Work related eye and nasal symptoms were more common (10.4% and 16.9% respectively).

CONCLUSION

Byssinosis is a rare respiratory symptom in cotton weaving. Other work related respiratory symptoms were reported but their presence was predominantly related to smoking with no consistent effects of exposure to dust.

The effect of chloroform-extractable secondary metabolites of filamentous fungi on the movement of respiratory tract cilia of one-day-old chicks in vitro

The ciliostatic activity of the chloroform-extractable metabolites of 72 strains of filamentous fungi growing in a liquid medium, on tracheal cilia from 1-d-old chicks in vitro was evaluated. Forty-eight of the investigated strains produced ciliostatic metabolites; 13, 11, 16, and 25% of the strains stopped the movement of cilia after 1, 2, 3, 6 d, respectively. The results are discussed in relationship with chronic bronchitis of people working with mouldy materials, living in mouldy dwellings and with the "sick-building syndrome".

Effect of mycotoxins on in vitro movement of tracheal cilia from one-day-old chicks

The effect of 11 mycotoxins on the ciliary movement of tracheal epithelium from one-day-old chicks in vitro was examined. Sterigmatocystin and diacetoxyscirpenol were most ciliostatically active in vitro; the ciliostatic effect was observed after 2 d if the amount concentration was 30 micrograms/L. In contrast, patulin stopped the movement of cilia after 2 d only if its concentration was 20 mg/L.