BACKGROUND: The objectives of the present study are to: (i) evaluate the effect of environmental and metabolic heat on heat-related illnesses in outdoor workers; and (ii) evaluate the effect of personal factors, including heat acclimation, on the risk of heat-related illnesses in outdoor workers. METHODS: We identified 47 cases of illnesses from exposure to environmental heat in outdoor workers in Korea from 2010 to 2014, based on review of workers' compensation data. We also obtained the information on location, time, and work environment of each heat-related illness. RESULTS: Our major results are that 29 cases (61.7%) occurred during a heat wave. Forty five cases (95.7%) occurred when the maximum estimated WBGT (WBGTmax) was equal to or greater than the case specific threshold value which was determined by acclimatization and metabolic rate. Twenty two cases (46.8%) were not acclimated to the heat. Thirty-seven cases (78.7%) occurred after tropical night (temperature above 25 °C), during which many people may find it hard to sleep. CONCLUSION: Personal risk factors such as heat acclimation as well as environmental factors and high metabolic rate during work are the major determinants of heat-related illnesses.
Acclimatization ; Extreme Heat* ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Infrared Rays ; Korea ; Risk Factors ; Workers' Compensation

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of heat wave on emergency department (ED) visits due to heat related illness, we developed an ED based active surveillance system. We want to identify epidemiology of ED visits due to heat related illness and determine the effect of heat index on daily ED visits due to heat related illness. METHODS: We developed an ED based active surveillance system for adults who visited the ED due to heat stroke, heat exhaustion, heat syncope, heat edema, and heat cramp. We collected demographic and clinical variables, risk factors, and heat index by standardized registry on the webpage. We operated the surveillance into 16 emergency departments in Daegu City from June to September 2011. We analyzed epidemiologic variables descriptively and assessed the effect of heat index on the number of daily ED visits by multivariate Poisson regression analysis. RESULTS: During the study period, 34 cases were registered and nine cases were heat stroke. Heat stroke patients were older, and had more unemployment status than those with other heat related illness (p<0.05). More ED visits due to heat related illness were observed during the danger period than during the cool period, classified by heat index severity (Adjusted odds ratio: 1.72, 95% CI: 1.33-2.23). Increasing heat index by one degree caused more ED visits due to heat related illness (Adjusted incident rate ratio: 1.13, 95% CI: 1.07-1.19). CONCLUSION: We developed an ED based active surveillance system and observed more elderly persons and lower educational level in patients with heat stroke. In addition, increase in heat index significantly affected more daily ED visits due to heat related illness.
Adult ; Aged ; Daegu ; Edema ; Emergency Service, Hospital* ; Epidemiology ; Extreme Heat ; Heat Exhaustion ; Heat Stress Disorders ; Heat Stroke ; Hot Temperature* ; Humans ; Infrared Rays ; Odds Ratio ; Public Health Surveillance ; Risk Factors ; Syncope ; Unemployment

No abstract available.
Heat-Shock Proteins* ; Hot Temperature*

No abstract available.
Heat-Shock Proteins* ; Hot Temperature*

No abstract available.
Heat-Shock Proteins* ; Hot Temperature*

No abstract available.
Diagnosis* ; Heat Stroke* ; Hot Temperature*

No abstract available.
Atrophy* ; Heat Stroke* ; Hot Temperature*

No abstract available.
Acute Kidney Injury* ; Heat Stroke* ; Hot Temperature*

BACKGROUND: When cells or organisms are exposed to environmental stresses, they respond by synthesizing a characteristic group of proteins called heat shock proteins(HSP) or stress proteins. In a variety of HSP, the so-called HSP 70 family is the most prominent, conserved, and best characterized. The HSP 70 family is required for survival of cells during and after thermal stress. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to investigate if the cultured human melanocytes and rnelanotic malignant melanoma cell lines(SK 30) expressed HSP 70 family unstressed, after heat shock and ultraviolet exposure. METHODS: Protein was isolated from melanocytes and SK 30. Western blotting was done for identification of the HSP 70 family. RESULTS: HSP 70 family expression could be detected in the unstressed cultured human melanocytes and SK 30(malignant melanoma cell lines). HSP 70 family expression inereased in the melanocytes and SK 30 after heat shock. Irradiation of the melanocytes with UVA resulted in a decrease in expression of HSP 70 family after 32, 48 J/cm compared with 4, l6 J/cm. Irradiation of the melanocytes with UVA + B resulted in a dose-dependent increase in expression of HSP 70 family but a decrease in expression of HSP 70 family after 80mJ/cm. Irradiation of SK 30 with UVA resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in expression of the HSP 70 family. CONCLUSION: HSP 70 family expression was detected even unstressed. This high base line HSP 70 family expression may suggest that melanocytes have ability to protect from environmental stresses like keratinocytes.
Blotting, Western ; Heat-Shock Proteins* ; Hot Temperature* ; HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins* ; Humans ; Keratinocytes ; Melanocytes* ; Melanoma ; Shock

BACKGROUND: When cells or organisms are exposed to environmental stresses, they respond by synthesizing a characteristic group of proteins called heat shock proteins(HSP) or stress proteins. In a variety of HSP, the so-called HSP 70 family is the most prominent, conserved, and best characterized. The HSP 70 family is required for survival of cells during and after thermal stress. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to investigate if the cultured human melanocytes and rnelanotic malignant melanoma cell lines(SK 30) expressed HSP 70 family unstressed, after heat shock and ultraviolet exposure. METHODS: Protein was isolated from melanocytes and SK 30. Western blotting was done for identification of the HSP 70 family. RESULTS: HSP 70 family expression could be detected in the unstressed cultured human melanocytes and SK 30(malignant melanoma cell lines). HSP 70 family expression inereased in the melanocytes and SK 30 after heat shock. Irradiation of the melanocytes with UVA resulted in a decrease in expression of HSP 70 family after 32, 48 J/cm compared with 4, l6 J/cm. Irradiation of the melanocytes with UVA + B resulted in a dose-dependent increase in expression of HSP 70 family but a decrease in expression of HSP 70 family after 80mJ/cm. Irradiation of SK 30 with UVA resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in expression of the HSP 70 family. CONCLUSION: HSP 70 family expression was detected even unstressed. This high base line HSP 70 family expression may suggest that melanocytes have ability to protect from environmental stresses like keratinocytes.
Blotting, Western ; Heat-Shock Proteins* ; Hot Temperature* ; HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins* ; Humans ; Keratinocytes ; Melanocytes* ; Melanoma ; Shock