To determine the correlation between the working environment and the health status of employees in solar greenhouse, 1171 employees were surveyed. The results show the 'Greenhouse diseases' are affected by many factors. Among general uncomforts, the morbidity of the bone and joint damage is the highest and closely related to labor time and age. Planting summer squash and wax gourd more easily cause skin pruritus. Asthma-related cough, eye disease, and skin pruritus are significantly correlated with the cultivation of wax gourd. The application of inorganic fertilizer and fertigation dramatically induce the bone and joint damage. The smell of covering film greatly influence skin pruritus. Personal protection is badly scanty and normative occupational health and safety need to be completed.
Adult ; Asthma ; chemically induced ; Cough ; chemically induced ; Crops, Agricultural ; Educational Status ; Environment, Controlled ; Eye Diseases ; chemically induced ; Fertilizers ; toxicity ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Nose Diseases ; chemically induced ; Occupational Exposure ; Pesticides ; toxicity ; Pruritus ; chemically induced ; Risk Factors ; Stomach Diseases ; chemically induced ; Workplace

Formaldehyde is a low molecular weight chemical and can elicit acute and chronic health related problems. Most of the inhaled formaldehyde is retained in the upper respiratory tract due to its extraordinary solubility. Therefore, cases of formaldehyde-induced occupational asthma are sporadic despite its widespread use in industrial processes. We herein report upon a case of occupational asthma due to formaldehyde, which was confirmed by workplace challenge including working environmental assessments, and by formaldehyde inhalation challenge using a specially designed closed-circuit apparatus. To investigate the possible involvement of an IgE-mediated mechanism, both in vitro and in vivo tests were done. IgE antibody specific for formaldehyde-human serum albumin conjugate (F-HSA) was not detected by ELISA, and no specific cutaneous reactivity to F-HSA was noted by either skin prick or intradermal test. The patient was diagnosed with formaldehyde-induced occupational asthma not associated with an IgE mediated mechanism.
Adult ; Antibodies/blood ; Asthma/*chemically induced ; Case Report ; Formaldehyde/*adverse effects/immunology ; Human ; Male ; Occupational Diseases/*chemically induced

Asthma ; chemically induced ; Cephalosporins ; adverse effects ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Exposure ; adverse effects ; Young Adult

Acute Disease ; Adult ; Aged ; Asthma ; chemically induced ; Chlorine ; poisoning ; Humans ; Male

Current asthma is often excluded by the presence of normal bronchial hyperresponsiveness. We report two asthmatic patients with normal bronchial hyperresponsiveness and one asthmatic patient with mild bronchial hyperresponsiveness (methacholine PC20; 24 mg/ml) which was presumed to be caused by sensitization and exposure to Black GR, the most frequent sensitizer among reactive dyes. They all complained of lower respiratory symptoms after work as well as at the workstation. The bronchoprovocation test with Black GR revealed isolated immediate bronchoconstrictions in all 3 patients and all had high specific IgE antibodies to Black GR-human serum albumin conjugate. After one worker continued at work for 3 days, he experienced a marked drop of methacholine PC20, and it returned to the pre-exposure level during 1 week. The other patient whose initial methacholine challenge was negative developed bronchial hyperresponsiveness on the first day after the dye bronchoprovocation, and returned to normal bronchial hyperresponsiveness on the third day. These findings suggested that patients with occupational asthma caused by reactive dye may not always have bronchial hyperresponsiveness to methacholine, and the screening program utilizing methacholine challenges may not always identify these patients.
Adult ; Asthma/*chemically induced ; Bronchial Provocation Tests/methods ; Bronchoconstriction/*drug effects ; Dyes/*adverse effects ; Human ; Hypersensitivity, Delayed ; Immunoglobulin E/analysis ; Male ; Occupational Diseases/*chemically induced ; Skin Tests

Isocyanates are the most significant cause of occupational asthma in our country. To evaluate the prevalence of work-related respiratory symptoms and immunologic sensitization to it, we performed a questionnaire survey, allergy skin test, radioallergosorbent test (RAST) to toluene diisocyanate (TDI)-human serum albumin (HSA) conjugate and methacholine bronchial challenge test on 23 isocyanate-exposed employees and 9 unexposed controls working in a zipper factory. Six employees (26.1%) complained of work-related respiratory symptoms and three symptomatic workers showed significant bronchoconstrictions on TDI-bronchoprovocation test. Three (13%) asymptomatic workers had high specific IgE antibodies to TDI-HSA and none of the TDI-sensitive asthmatic workers had specific IgE antibody. One of the TDI-sensitive asthmatic workers showed a negative result on the initial methacholine bronchial challenge test, but bronchial hyperresponsiveness developed after the TDI challenge. It was suggested that TDI-sensitive asthma was noted in three (13%) of 23 exposed workers and that asymptomatic workers could have high specific IgE antibody. Measurement of the changes in bronchial hyperresponsiveness after the TDI challenge could be helpful to diagnose TDI-sensitive asthma.
Adult ; Asthma/*chemically induced/diagnosis ; Bronchial Provocation Tests ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E/analysis ; Occupational Diseases/*chemically induced/diagnosis ; Occupational Exposure ; Serum Albumin/immunology ; Toluene 2,4-Diisocyanate/*adverse effects/immunology

Azodicarbonamide is a low molecular weight foaming agent for plastics and rubbers. Azodicarbonamide can elicit acute and chronic health related problems due to its potential for pulmonary and cutaneous sensitization. Some cases of occupational asthma associated with exposure to azodicarbonamide have been reported, of which only a few cases were confirmed by specific inhalation challenges. Here, the first case of occupational asthma due to azodicarbonamide in Korea, in which the diagnosis was confirmed by specific inhalation challenge, is reported.
Asthma/*chemically induced ; Azo Compounds/*adverse effects ; Human ; Immunosuppressive Agents/*adverse effects ; Inhalation Exposure ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Diseases/*chemically induced ; Occupational Exposure ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

We report a case of occupational asthma caused by cobalt associated with systemic symptoms. He was a non-atopic, ex-smoker and had worked in a glassware factory for 14 months. A skin prick test with CoSO4 up to 100 mg/ml showed a negative result. A bronchoprovocation test with CoSO4 demonstrated an isolated asthmatic response with systemic symptoms such as fever, arthralgia and myalgia. Although an initial methacholine bronchial challenge test showed a negative result, the following methacholine bronchial challenge test which was done 24 hours after the challenge testing demonstrated an increased airway hyperresponsiveness at 2.5 mg/ml which recovered 7 days later. An intradermal skin test with 10 mg/ml and 100 mg/ml CoSO4 solution demonstrated positive responses respectively(13 x 12/40 x 32, 20 x 15/40 x 37 (mm), histamine 16 x 14/64 x 50). A patch test including cobalt showed a negative result. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid after the cobalt inhalation testing and other laboratory findings showed no evidence of hypersensitivity pneumonitis. These results suggested that cobalt could induce occupational asthma with systemic illness in an exposed worker.
Alveolitis, Extrinsic Allergic/chemically induced ; Asthma/*chemically induced ; Case Report ; Cobalt/*adverse effects ; Human ; Male ; Middle Age ; *Occupational Exposure ; Respiratory Function Tests

Reactive dyes have been widely used in recent years. This paper reports nine cases of immediate type occupational asthma to reactive dyes in one dye industry. All patients had had asthmatic symptoms, four had had rhinitis and they had worked for 6 to 25 months. Skin prick tests with reactive dyes were positive and bronchoprovocation tests also produced immediate or dual types of bronchoconstriction. We used the radioallergosorbent test (RAST) technique with nitrocellulose filter paper as a solid phase to detect specific IgE to four reactive dye-human serum albumin conjugates. High specific IgE binding was found in eight asthmatic workers compared with 13 negative controls. The RAST inhibition test revealed that there was no immunological cross-reactivity between 4 reactive dyes. These results suggested that the mechanism of their asthmatic symptoms was immunological, mostly an IgE-mediate reaction.
Adult ; Asthma/chemically induced/*immunology ; Dyes/*adverse effects ; Human ; Immunoglobulin E/*analysis ; Male ; Middle Age ; Occupational Diseases/chemically induced/*immunology ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Reactive dyes have been widely used in recent years. This paper reports nine cases of immediate type occupational asthma to reactive dyes in one dye industry. All patients had had asthmatic symptoms, four had had rhinitis and they had worked for 6 to 25 months. Skin prick tests with reactive dyes were positive and bronchoprovocation tests also produced immediate or dual types of bronchoconstriction. We used the radioallergosorbent test (RAST) technique with nitrocellulose filter paper as a solid phase to detect specific IgE to four reactive dye-human serum albumin conjugates. High specific IgE binding was found in eight asthmatic workers compared with 13 negative controls. The RAST inhibition test revealed that there was no immunological cross-reactivity between 4 reactive dyes. These results suggested that the mechanism of their asthmatic symptoms was immunological, mostly an IgE-mediate reaction.
Adult ; Asthma/chemically induced/*immunology ; Dyes/*adverse effects ; Human ; Immunoglobulin E/*analysis ; Male ; Middle Age ; Occupational Diseases/chemically induced/*immunology ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't