OBJECTIVETo explore whether coal tar pitch smoke extract (CTP) induced pyroptosis in human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B).

METHODSBEAS-2B cells were treated with different concentrations of CTP (1, 3 µg/ml) for 8h and 24 h, respectively. Lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) activity and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) levels in the supernatants of cell culture media were measured with LDH activity or human IL-1β ELISA kit, respectively. The activity of Caspase-1 was measured with Caspase-1 colorimetric assay kit.

RESULTSThe activity of caspase-1 in 1 and 3 µg/ml CTP groups were (9.29 ± 0.30) and (8.67 ± 0.59) µmol/ml respectively which were both significantly increased compared to that (7.42 ± 0.59) µmol/ml in the control group (P < 0.05) after 8 h exposure, but there was no significant difference in the activity of LDH and levels of IL-1β in the cell culture media among the CTP and control groups. 24 h after exposure, the activity of LDH in the CTP (1, 3 µg/ml) groups were (1323.03 ± 28.53) and (1148.45 ± 16.42) U/dl respectively which were significantly higher than that (1091.93 ± 26.64) U/dl in the control group (P < 0.05), and the levels of IL-1β in the CTP (1 and 3 µg/ml) groups were (125.37 ± 25.00) pg/ml and (92.04 ± 19.09) pg/ml respectively which were significantly higher than that (46.20 ± 14.43) pg/ml in the control group (P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference in the activity of Caspase-1 among CTP and control groups (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONCTP treatment induced early increase in caspase-1 activity followed by the increase in LDH activity and IL-1 levels, indicative of pyroptosis in human bronchial epithelial cells.

Apoptosis ; Bronchi ; cytology ; Caspase 1 ; metabolism ; Cell Line ; Coal Tar ; adverse effects ; Epithelial Cells ; cytology ; Humans ; Interleukin-1beta ; metabolism ; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase ; metabolism ; Smoke ; adverse effects

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pneumoconiosis ; epidemiology

OBJECTIVETo explore the effects of mechanical irritation to the skin, eyes, and upper respiratory tract in workers exposed to rock wool.

METHODSThe gravimetric concentration of total dust and number concentration of fibre in the air of the rock wool workplace were determined . 109 rock wool manufacturing and processing workers were taken as the exposed group, 104 workers from an air separation plant, a papermaking plant and cover making plant were served as control group. All subjects accepted the questionnaire interview and clinical examination of the skin, eyes, nose and the pharynx.

RESULTS10.1% of the exposed group had the irritant contact dermatitis, which showed linear trend with the current gravimetric concentration of total dust (P < 0.05) but no association with the exposure age (P > 0.05), and the detection rate of conjunctivitis of the exposed group (12.8%) was significantly higher than the control group (2.8%) (P < 0.05). The percentages of shin and eye itching symptoms of the exposed group (54.1% and 42.9%) were significantly higher than the control group (11.5% and 26.5%) (P < 0.05), but the differences among/between the exposed subgroups with different exposure level and different exposure age were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The differences of the detection rate of chronic rhinitis and chronic pharyngitis and the percentages of the symptoms of nose and pharynx between the exposed group and control group were not statistically significant (P > 0.05), except the rhinorrhea symptom.

CONCLUSIONSOccupational exposure to rock wool had some degree of the mechanical irritation effects on the skin and eyes. The current exposure level of total dust should be emphatically controlled.

Adult ; Asbestos ; adverse effects ; Case-Control Studies ; Conjunctivitis ; epidemiology ; Dermatitis, Irritant ; epidemiology ; Dust ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Exposure ; Physical Stimulation ; Workplace

OBJECTIVETo understand the occupational hazards of ammonium perchlorate dust on operating workers and to provide the basis preventive measures for protecting the workers' health.

METHODS36 workers exposed to ammonium perchlorate dust and 48 unexposed workers from one factory were selected as the exposure and control groups. Investigations on the general condition, sampling of dust in the workplaces and a special medical examination were conducted for two groups, including occupational history, clinical manifestations, blood routine test, hepatic and renal functions, indexes of thyroid hormone, spirometric test and chest X-ray.

RESULTSThe total dust concentration of AP in the batch plant reached to 51.63 ± 43.27 mg/m(3), exceeding the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) permission exposure limits. The systolic blood pressure in the exposure group was higher than that of the control group (146.14 ± 21.03 VS 134.67 ± 18.58), and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The detection rates of the cumulative total symptoms, short of breath and skin itch symptoms in the exposure group were significantly higher than those in the control group (86.11% VS 66.67%; 30.56% VS 12.50%) (P < 0.05), respectively. FT(3) level in the exposure group significantly lowered than the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.01); The pulmonary function result showed that FEV1/FVC% in the exposure group was lower than that in the control group (106.50 ± 28.99 VS 111.70 ± 19.72), but the difference was not significant. X-ray examination revealed one case of pulmonary X-ray abnormalities in the exposure group, diagnosis of pneumoconiosis, and one case with about 1.0 × 1.0 small nodules detected on the left of lung door area in the control group.

CONCLUSIONSThe systolic blood pressure of workers in the exposure group was significantly higher, which could not exclude related to the exposure to AP dust; The T(3) levels in the exposure workers were lower than those in the control group, which may due to AP exposure, suggesting that long-term chronic exposure to AP dust may affect thyroid function.

Adult ; Air Pollutants, Occupational ; Blood Pressure ; Case-Control Studies ; Dust ; Female ; Health Surveys ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multiphasic Screening ; Occupational Exposure ; Perchlorates ; adverse effects ; Quaternary Ammonium Compounds ; adverse effects ; Thyroid Function Tests

OBJECTIVETo investigate the incidence of needlestick and sharps injuries among the medical staff in an upper first-class hospital and its risk factors and to provide a basis for the infection control department of hospital and health administration department to establish the policies for safe injection.

METHODSA questionnaire survey was conducted in 800 healthcare professionals in an upper first-class hospital in Nanjing, China to investigate the incidence of needlestick and sharps injuries in the past year. A total of 641 persons completed the questionnaire, including 239 doctors, 348 nurses, and 54 other healthcare workers. The obtained data were subjected to chi-square test and logistic analysis.

RESULTSNeedlestick and sharps injuries occurred in 373 of 641 healthcare professionals, with an incidence rate of 58.19%. There were significant differences in the incidence of needlestick and sharps injuries among the medical staff of different types or in different departments (P < 0.01). The syringe needles, glass, scalp infusion needles, and suture needles were the major medical apparatus that caused needlestick and sharps injuries; the incidence rate of injury caused by suture needles in doctors (48.21%) was significantly higher than that in nurses (6.72%) (P < 0.01), and the incidence rates of injuries caused by syringe needles, scalp infusion needles, and glass in nurses (71.15%, 59.68%, and 49.04%) were significantly higher than those in doctors (46.43%, 6.25%, and 16.96%) (P < 0.01); compared with nurses, the doctors had higher incidence rates of injuries due to body fluid or tissue sample collection, wound flushing, suture, and cutting (P < 0.05); compared with doctors, the nurses had higher incidence rates of injuries due to injection, intravenous infusion, heparin cap sealing, intravenous infusion line connection, and venous or arterial blood collection (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONNeedlestick and sharps injuries are common in medical staff. The results of the study on risk factors provide a basis for the infection control department of hospital and health administration department to establish the policies for safe injection.

Accidents, Occupational ; statistics & numerical data ; China ; Female ; Health Personnel ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Needlestick Injuries ; epidemiology ; Risk Factors ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVETo determine the incidence of work-related acute pesticide poisoning among farmers in Jiangsu Province and to identify the risk factors.

METHODSMulti-stage stratified sampling and cluster sampling methods were used to randomly select 1490 farmers from the south (Z village), centre (Y village) and north (X village) of Jiangsu Province. The database was established by EpiData 3.1. SPSS 17.0 and SAS 9.13 were used to do chi-square test, trend chi-square test, single factor and multi-factor logistic regression analysis.

RESULTSAmong 1490 farmers, 121 people had work-related acute pesticide poisoning in the past year. The incidence rate in Jiangsu Province was 8.1%. 118 farmers (97.5%) were mild pesticide poisoning.3 farmers (2.5%) were moderate pesticide poisoning. The incidence rate of Work-related acute pesticide poisoning in X village of North Jiangsu Province (13.5%, 68/505) is obviously higher than that in Y village of Central Jiangsu Province (4.8%, 19/399) and Z village of South Jiangsu Province (5.8%, 34/586), and the difference is statistically significant (χ(2) = 29.60, P < 0.01). The incidence rate of Work-related acute pesticide poisoning in female (10.4%, 58/557) is obviously higher than that in male (6.8%, 63/933), and the difference is statistically significant (χ(2) = 6.26, P < 0.05). There are lack of safety guidance, unsafety application methods (without alternate row spraying, without backward application, without down-wind application) and risk behaviors in the spraying (without read labels, preparing pesticides without gloves, wiping sweat with hand (s), equipment leakage, body pollution by pesticide, working when feeling sick, without bath after work). If farmers have risk behaviors above, the incidence rate of Work-related acute pesticide poisoning will be obviously higher than farmers who receive safety guidance and have no such dangerous behaviors, and all the differences are statistically significant (P < 0.05). The group of 24 ∼ 34 years old has the highest risk of work-related acute pesticide poisoning (OR = 7.15).

CONCLUSIONThe incidence rate of work-related acute pesticide poisoning among farmers in Jiangsu Province was higher. Effective measures are needed to prevent and reduce the occurrence of work-related acute pesticide poisoning. We can teach the farmers who spray pesticides about safety guidance, safety application methods and avoiding risky behaviors.

Adult ; Aged ; Agricultural Workers' Diseases ; epidemiology ; Agriculture ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Exposure ; Pesticides ; poisoning ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVETo measure the content of silica in C1 bituminous coal and its combustion products in the high-incidence area of lung cancer in Xuanwei, Yunnan Province, China and to investigate the relationship between high incidence of lung cancer among non-smoking women and silica produced naturally in C1 bituminous coal in Xuan Wei.

METHODSThe C1 bituminous coal widely used in the high-incidence area of lung cancer in Xuanwei was selected as experiment group, while the C2+1, K7, and M30 bituminous coal that was mined and used in the low-incidence area of lung cancer in Xuanwei for more than 10 years were selected as control group. Fourteen paraffin-embedded cancer tissue samples from the non-smoking women with non-small cell lung cancer who were born in Xuanwei and were at least the 3rd generation of the family living there were collected from the department of pathology, the third affiliated hospital of kunming medical university (tumor hospital of yunnan province). Titrimetric potassium silicofluoride method was used to measure the content of silica in raw coal and its bottom ashes in 20 samples from the experimental group and control group. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to observe the morphology of silica particles in C1 bituminous coal and its bottom ashes, and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray analyzer (SEM-EDX) was used to analyze the microscopic composition. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) was used to observe the morphology of silica particles in the bottom ashes and coal soot of C1 bituminous coal as well as the lung cancer tissue from the non-smoking women in Xuanwei, and transmission electron microscope coupled with energy dispersive X-ray analyzer (TEM-EDX) was used to analyze the microscopic composition. The silica particles were separated from the coal soot and bottom ashes and characterized by physical method.

RESULTSThe silica content in C1 bituminous coal and its bottom ashes was significantly higher than that in C2+1, K7, and M30 bituminous coal (P < 0.05). The bottom ashes of C1 bituminous coal contained a large quantity of silica particles, mostly with microscale sizes. Silica particles were found in the soot of C1 bituminous coal and the lung cancer tissue from non-smoking women in Xuanwei. The silica particles in the bottom ashes were mostly 120 ∼ 500 nm in diameter, had various shapes, and contained such elements as iron, aluminium, calcium, and potassium; the silica particles in the coal soot were mostly nanoscale, ranging from 37 nm to 80 nm in diameter, had various shapes, with some in fibrous form, had non smooth surfaces, and contained such elements as iron, potassium, calcium, aluminium, and sulfur.

CONCLUSIONIn Xuanwei, the incidence of lung cancer among non-smoking women is high in the area where silica-rich C1 bituminous coal is produced. There are silica particles enriched in both the combustion products (coal soot and bottom ashes) of C1 bituminous coal and the cancer tissue from the non-smoking women with non-small cell lung cancer, with similar morphology and microscopic composition. We hypothesize that the silica particles from combusted C1 bituminous coal in Xuanwei are mixed with indoor air and inhaled along with other suspended particles.

Air Pollutants ; analysis ; China ; epidemiology ; Coal ; Coal Ash ; analysis ; Environmental Exposure ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lung Neoplasms ; epidemiology ; Risk Factors ; Silicon Dioxide ; analysis ; Smoking

OBJECTIVETo estimate the coverage level of case reporting for coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) and the incidence of CWP in China according to the data from CWP reporting database in China as well as the data on annual raw coal output, coal workers, etc. from relevant year books, and to provide scientific data for CWP control measures.

METHODSThe data on the numbers of coal workers and annual raw coal outputs of national top 100 enterprises in coal sector (Top 100 in coal sector) were acquired from China Coal Industry Yearbook; the annual per capita output of raw coal in each enterprise was calculated. The numbers of coal workers in the enterprises other than the Top 100 were estimated based on the annual per capita output of raw coal in the Top 100 and the annual raw coal outputs of the enterprises other than the Top 100. The numbers of coal workers in the enterprises that reported CWP cases were estimated based on the distribution of these enterprises in China, and the coverage rates of case reporting in the Top 100 and other enterprises were calculated accordingly. The total number of CWP cases and the number of CWP cases due to per million tons of raw coal output were estimated according to the coverage rates of case reporting and the total numbers of reported CWP cases in China.

RESULTSThe mean coverage rates of case reporting in the Top 100 and other enterprises were 55.34% and 5.18%, respectively. The estimated mean numbers of new CWP cases in the Top 100 and other enterprises were 3088 and 98205, respectively; the estimated total number of new CWP cases nationwide was 101293. The estimated mean numbers of new CWP cases due to per million tons of raw coal output were 2.05 in the Top 100 and 7341 in other enterprises. The number of reported CWP cases accounted for 6.7% of the estimated number of CWP cases (6796/101293).

CONCLUSIONIt is urgent to enhance occupational disease control in coal sector, and the estimation results for CWP should be spread and applied. The system of occupational disease control should be further improved.

Anthracosis ; epidemiology ; China ; epidemiology ; Coal Mining ; Data Interpretation, Statistical ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Occupational Exposure

OBJECTIVETo revise diagnosis criteria of asbestos-induced occupational lung cancer.

METHODSAll literatures which met the criteria of cohort studies with results of lung cancer incidence or mortality among workers exposed to asbestos would incorporate into the systematic review. Meanwhile, the information about diagnosis criteria on asbestos-induced lung cancer in other countries was collected. Meta analysis was used to calculate meta-SMR and its 95% confidence interval.

RESULTS21 asbestos-exposed cohorts were summarized. The percentage of all deaths due to mesothelioma was 0 to 36.36%. The main kind of asbestos-exposed raw material was chrysotile which accounted for 47.6%, and 7 cohorts (33.3%) didn't provide the information. There were 13 cohorts in 15 which concluded that the lung cancer risk of workers with asbestos exposure had increased (lung cancer SMR = 1.6 ∼ 6.52, P < 0.05). Meta-SMR of 10 included cohorts is 2.09, with 95%CI 1.73 to 2.52 by using Meta analysis. When cumulative asbestos exposure years were less than one year, the risk of lung cancer had increased (lung cancer SMR = 1.6 ∼ 1.82, P < 0.05). When latent period of lung cancer was more than 15 years, the risk of lung cancer had increased (lung cancer SMR = 2.08 ∼ 3.75, P < 0.05). There were three studies, which had analyzed the relation between cumulative asbestos exposure years and the risk of mesothelioma, showing that when cumulative asbestos exposure years were less than one year, the risk of mesothelioma had increased (mesothelioma SMR = 18.0 ∼ 20.0, P < 0.05). When latent period of mesothelioma was more than 15 years, the risk of mesothelioma had increased.

CONCLUSIONThe emphasis of the new version of asbestos-induced lung cancer and mesothelioma diagnosis criteria should focus on cumulative asbestos exposure years and latent period.

Asbestos ; adverse effects ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; etiology ; Mesothelioma ; diagnosis ; etiology ; Occupational Diseases ; diagnosis ; Occupational Exposure ; Risk Assessment

Adult ; Delirium ; chemically induced ; Female ; Humans ; Thiocarbamates ; poisoning