Humans ; Occupational Diseases ; diagnosis ; Saliva ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Stress, Psychological ; diagnosis

Pneumoconiosis was diagnosed by open lung biopsy in two dental technicians who had interstitial lung disease. Mineralogical analysis was performed to investigate the origin of the dust that had been inhaled. A marked accumulation of silicon and phosphorus was found in both cases. The hard metals chromium and cobalt were also found. Dental technician's pneumoconiosis is a complex pneumoconiosis in which such dust and hard metals may play a role.
Adult ; *Dental Technicians ; Human ; Lung/pathology ; Lung Diseases, Interstitial/*diagnosis/metabolism ; Male ; Minerals/metabolism ; Occupational Diseases/*diagnosis/metabolism ; Pneumoconiosis/*diagnosis/metabolism ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

A number of case reports on occupational asthma caused by herbal medicines have been issued, for example, on Sanyak, Chunkung, Banha, and Brazilian ginseng. Recently, cases of occupational asthma induced by Sanyak and Korean ginseng have been reported, but the pathogenic mechanisms involved are unknown. This study was carried out to evaluate the immunologic mechanism underlying Korean ginseng-induced occupational asthma. A patient engaged in Korean ginseng wholesale was referred for recurrent dyspnea, wheezing, and nasal symptoms, which were aggravated at work. Allergen bronchial provocation testing to Korean ginseng extract showed a typical immediate response, and skin prick testing to Korean ginseng extract also showed a strong positive response. Moreover, serum-specific IgE levels to Korean ginseng extract were significantly higher than in controls. Enzymelinked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) inhibition tests showed a dose-dependent inhibition by Korean ginseng, but not by Dermatophagoides farinae, wheat flour, or Chinese balloon flower. Sodium dodecylsulfate-poly-acrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and immunoblotting revealed four specific Immunoglobulin E (IgE) binding components at 26, 30, 47, and 60 kDa, which were not bound by control sera. These results strongly suggest that occupation asthma induced by Korean ginseng is induced via an IgE-mediated mechanism.
Animals ; Asthma/diagnosis/*etiology/*immunology ; Bronchi/metabolism ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay/methods ; Flour ; Flowers ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity/*diagnosis ; Immunoglobulin E/analysis/*chemistry ; Korea ; Occupational Diseases/diagnosis/*etiology/*immunology ; Panax/*adverse effects ; Pyroglyphidae/metabolism ; *Skin Tests

OBJECTIVETo investigate the frequency of numerical aberrations for chromosomes 7 and 8 in the sperms of workers exposed to benzene series.

METHODSNumerical aberrations in the sperms of workers were detected by two-color fluorescence in situ hybridization with biotin labeled chromosome 7 probe (D7Z1) and digoxingenin labeled chromosome 8 probe (D8Z1).

RESULTSThe time-weight average air concentration (TWA) of benzene in the workshop was 42.29 mg/m(3), which was significantly higher than that of the national maximum allowable concentration [6 mg/m(3)]. The concentration of urinary trans,trans-muconic acid(ttMA) in the exposed group was also higher than that of the control group. In all, 155721 sperm nuclei from 15 workers in the exposed group and 123771 sperm nuclei from 12 individuals in the control group were examined. The results showed that the frequency of diploidy sperms and the frequencies of disomic sperm for chromosomes 7 and 8 in the exposed group (0.129%, 0.170%, 0.078%) were significantly higher than those of the control group (0.055%, 0.053%, 0.033%), respectively. The frequencies of nullisomic sperm for chromosomes 7 and 8 in the exposed group (0.165%, 0.088%) were also significantly increased, compared with those of the control group (0.056%, 0.029%). A statistically significant difference in the frequency of overall numerical chromosome aberrations was seen between the exposed group (0.745%) and the control group (0.289%).

CONCLUSIONThe results suggested that higher concentration of benzene may induce higher frequencies of numerical aberrations in the sperms of workers exposed to benzene series.

Adult ; Benzene ; poisoning ; Chromosome Aberrations ; chemically induced ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 7 ; genetics ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 8 ; drug effects ; genetics ; Female ; Humans ; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence ; methods ; Male ; Occupational Diseases ; diagnosis ; genetics ; Occupational Exposure ; analysis ; Spermatozoa ; drug effects ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo find a better index for detecting myocardial lesion in patients with acute ammonia poisoning.

METHODSCardiac troponin T (cTnT), creatine kinase (CK), creatine kinase-MB isoenzyme (CK-MB), and electrocardiogram (ECG) were determined and compared in patients with acute ammonia poisoning and healthy controls.

RESULTSIn severe ammonia poisoning patients, the levels of cTnT [(1.285 +/- 2.650) micro g/L], CK [(257.636 +/- 362.719) IU/L], CK-MB [(20.909 +/- 19.770) IU/L] were significantly higher than those in healthy control [(0.035 +/- 0.014) micro g/L, (82.050 +/- 36.302) IU/L, (8.350 +/- 2.455) IU/L respectively, P < 0.05]. The levels of cTnT, CK and CK-MB in mild ammonia poisoning patients [(0.039 +/- 0.016) micro g/L, (78.200 +/- 28.401) IU/L and (8.467 +/- 2.669) IU/L respectively], and moderate ammonia poisoning patients [(0.054 +/- 0.043) micro g/L, (99.786 +/- 71.941) IU/L and (9.429 +/- 3.857) IU/L were not significantly different from those of healthy controls (P > 0.05)]. cTnT positive detection rate (68.2%) was significantly higher than CK (36.4%), CK-MB (31.2%) and ECG (31.2%) (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONcTnT is a better index to detect myocardial lesion in severe ammonia poisoning.

Acute Disease ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Ammonia ; poisoning ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Creatine Kinase ; metabolism ; Creatine Kinase, MB Form ; Electrocardiography ; Female ; Heart ; drug effects ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Isoenzymes ; metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myocardium ; pathology ; Occupational Diseases ; chemically induced ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; Troponin T ; metabolism

Porcine pancreatic extracts (PPE), which are widely used as a digestive drug in Korea, are composed of alpha-amylase and lipase. Such enzymes are commonly described as occupational allergens. This is the first report of occupational rhinitis caused by PPE developing into occupational asthma in a hospital nurse. She showed strong positive response in the skin prick test (SPT) (5+, wheal ratio of allergen to histamine) and had a high serum-specific IgE level to PPE, but showed a negative response in the methacholine bronchial challenge test (MBT). She had been exposed to PPE intermittently with intermittent medications for rhinitis. Two years later, she presented with rhinitis and additional asthmatic symptoms. In contrast to her first visit, she showed a positive response in the MBT, and developed bronchoconstriction in the PPE-bronchial provocation test (BPT). These findings suggest that inhalation of PPE powder can induce IgE-mediated occupational rhinitis in a hospital setting, which will develop into occupational asthma if avoidance is not complete.
Adult ; Animals ; Asthma/*diagnosis/etiology ; Bronchial Provocation Tests ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Agents/adverse effects ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E/metabolism ; Methacholine Chloride/pharmacology ; Occupational Diseases/*diagnosis/etiology ; Pancreatic Extracts/*adverse effects ; Powders ; Rhinitis/*diagnosis/etiology ; Skin Tests ; Swine