Cotton DJ, Graham BL, Li KY, Froh F, Barnett GD, Dosman JA. Effects of smoking and occupational exposure on peripheral airway function in young cereal grain workers.
Am Rev Respir Dis 1982;
126:660-5. [PMID:
7125357 DOI:
10.1164/arrd.1982.126.4.660]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
We studied two groups of young male cereal grain elevator workers: 82 lifetime nonsmoking grain workers (2.5 +/- 1.2 yr of dust exposure) who were 22.7 +/- 3.5 yr of age, and 82 smoking grain workers (6.1 +/- 4.1 pack-years of smoking) individually matched to the nonsmoking grain workers for age (22.7 +/- 3.3 yr) and years of work in the grain industry (2.6 +/- 1.3 yr). We also studied the following groups of community control subjects: 82 nonsmoking community control subjects individually matched to the nonsmoking grain workers for age (22.8 +/- 3.7 yr), and 82 smoking community control subjects individually matched to the smoking grain workers for age (22.7 +/0 3.6 yr) and smoking history (6.0 +/- 4.0 pack-years). We measured forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), FEV1/FVC %, the maximal mid-expiratory flow rate (FEF25-75), the flow at 50% (Vmax50) and 25% (Vmax25) of a maximal expiratory flow-volume maneuver, the percent increase in the maximal expiratory flow at 50% FVC breathing a mixture of 80% helium-20% oxygen as compared with air (delta Vmax50), and the slope of Phase III of the single breath nitrogen test (delta N2/L). We also assessed the prevalence of respiratory symptoms from responses to a standardized questionnaire. Smoking was associated with an increased prevalence of cough, wheezing, and dyspnea, and a mildly decreased FEV1/FVC %. Two variables were used as indexes of small airway dysfunction, a lower delta Vmax50 and a higher delta N2/L. Only the group of workers who both smoked and were occupationally exposed to grain dust had evidence of small airway dysfunction. The differences in delta N2/L and delta Vmax50 were greater than was expected from an additive model, suggesting that the combined effects of occupational exposure to grain dust and inhalation of cigarette smoke may have a synergistic effect leading to small airway dysfunction in young cereal grain workers.
Collapse