Vol.12, No 1, 2005 pp. 37 - 43
UC 616.24-008.4:614.71
CHRONIC RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS AND VENTILATORY FUNCTION
IN WORKERS EXPOSED TO TEA DUST:
EFFECT OF DURATION OF EXPOSURE AND SMOKING
Jordan Minov, Jovanka Karadžinska-Bislimovska, Snežana Risteska-Kuc, Sašo Stoleski
Institute of Occupational Health - WHO Collaborating Center for Occupational Health, Skopje
Republic of Macedonia
E-mail: minovj@hotmail.com
Summary. Many studies reviewed show that both workplace exposure to organic dust and smoking may cause chronic respiratory symptoms and airflow limitation in susceptible subjects.
We performed a case-control study including 63 tea workers (36 male and 27 female, aged 36-55, duration of employment 3�30 years) and an equal number of office workers, matched by sex and age. Chronic respiratory symptoms (chronic cough, phlegm, dyspnea gr. 3-4, wheezing, wheezing with dyspnea, and chest tightness) were recorded by questionnaire. Skin prick tests and spirometric measurements were carried out. Environmental measurements were performed on site during the work shifts.
Prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms in exposed workers was insignificantly higher (44.8% vs. 33.6%). Significantly higher prevalence of individual chronic respiratory symptoms was found for phlegm (P<0.05) and dyspnea gr. 3-4 (P<0.05). Chronic respiratory symptoms in exposed workers were significantly associated with duration of exposure (P<0.05) and current smoking (P<0.05, P=0.011), whereas relation of chronic respiratory symptoms and current smoking in controls just missed the significance (P=0.056). Values of FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC% and small airways indices in exposed workers were significantly lower. Small airways changes in exposed workers were strongly linked to duration of exposure (P<0.05) and current smoking (P<0.01), whereas relation of small airways changes and current smoking in controls was not significant.
Our data suggest interactive influence of workplace exposure to tea dust and current smoking in development of chronic respiratory symptoms and airflow limitation with predominantly smaller airways affecting.
Key words: Chronic respiratory symptoms, duration of exposure, small airways, smoking, tea dust exposure
HRONIČNI RESPIRATORNI SIMPTOMI I PLUĆNA FUNKCIJA KOD RADNIKA IZLOŽENIH PRAŠINI ČAJA: EFEKTI DUŽINE IZLOŽENOSTI I PUŠENJA
Kratak sadržaj: Brojne studije su pokazale da radno mesto, gde postoji izloženost organskoj prašini i pušenje mogu dovesti do hroničnih simptoma od strane respiratornog sistema i respiratornih smetnji kod predisponiranih individua. Preduzeta studija obuhvata 63 radnika (36 muškog i 27 ženskog pola, uzrasta 36-55, i radnim stažom od od 3-30 godina) i isti broj radnika iz administracije identičnog uzrasta i pola. Registrovani su u unapred pripremljeni upitnik hronični simptomi respiratornog sistema (hronični kašalj, iskašljavanje, dispneja 3-4 stepena, zviždanje sa dispnejom i stezanje u grudima). Sprovedeni su kožni prick testovi i spirometrijska ispitivanja. Merenja u radnoj sredini su preduzimana u toku rada smene.
Prevalenca hroničnih respiratornih simptoma kod izloženih radnika bila je neznatno viša u poređenju sa kontrolom (44,8% prema 33,6%). Postoji statistički značajna razlika prevalence individualnih hroničnih respiratornih simptoma  u slučaju iskašljavanja (P<0,05) i dispneje 3-4 stepena (P<0,05). Hronični respiratorni simptomi kod izloženih radnika značajno zavise od dužine ekspozicije (P<0,05) i pušenja (P<0,05, P=0,011), dok je veza hroničnih simptoma respiratornog sistema i pušenja kod kontrole nešto ispod granice statističke značajnosti (P=0,056). Vrednosi FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC% i pokazatelji malih disajnih puteva su kod izloženih radnika značajno niže. Promene na malim disajnim putevima kod eksponiranih radnika su strogo povezane sa dužinom ekspozicije (P<0,05) i pušenjem (P<0,01) i nema  statistčki značajne povezanosti promena na malim disajnim putevima sa pušenjem kod kontrole.
Naši podaci ukazuju na interaktivni uticaj ekspozicije prašini čaja na radnom mestu i pušenja u razvoju hroničnih respiratornih simptoma i poremećaja plućne funkcije, koja se domianantno ogleda na nivou malih disajnih puteva.
Ključne reči: Hronični respiratorni simptomi, dužina ekspozicije, mali disajni putevi, pušenje, ekspozicija prašini čaja