The influence of smoking on the formation of occupational lung diseases in workers who come into contact with industrial aerosols

The formation of a healthy lifestyle is one of the most important tasks of disease prevention. Among the factors that negatively affect the health of the population, smoking is of great importance. The influence of smoking on the formation of occupational diseases in workers in harmful and (or) dangerous working conditions has not been sufficiently studied. Based on the knowledge of the pathogenesis of common diseases, it can be assumed with a high degree of probability that smoking can provoke the development of occupational pathology of the respiratory organs, malignant neoplasms, vascular pathology.The aim of the work was to study the clinical manifestations of chronic bronchitis, characterizing the state of the bronchopulmonary system, in smokers and non-smokers who had long-term contact with industrial dust, as well as to analyze the literature data on the impact of smoking on the development of occupational lung diseases in workers exposed to asbestos dust.Materials and methods of research. In the clinic “Research Institute of Occupational Medicine named after Academician N.F. Izmerov”, 55 workers were examined under the influence of industrial aerosols of fibrogenic action. The group of smokers consisted of 45 people: 25 people were coal miners, 20 people were foundry workers. The group of non-smokers consisted of 10 people: 6 coal miners and 4 foundry workers. The severity of the course of professional and non-professional chronic bronchitis in patients was assessed taking into account the clinical manifestations and frequency of exacerbations of the disease, as well as taking into account the severity of respiratory disorders and gas exchange disorders.Results and discussion. In the group of smoking patients, 93,3% had occupational chronic bronchitis, 6.7% had no such pathology. In the group of non-smoking patients with and without occupational chronic bronchitis, there were equally – 50,0%. In the group of smoking patients, 55,5 of the examined patients had respiratory insufficiency of the II degree; 15,5% were diagnosed with respiratory insufficiency of the III degree; cases without respiratory function impairment (DN0 art.) were only 8,8%. In the group of non-smoking patients, grade II DN was more than three times less frequent, amounting to 20,0%, while 40,0% had grade 0 DN and 40,0% had grade I DN; grade III DN was never diagnosed in this group of patients.Conclusion. Smoking, as an independent factor, can play a significant, and in some cases, obviously, a determining role in the development and progression of chronic bronchitis in people exposed to industrial aerosols.The health risks associated with tobacco should be taken into account as an integral part of the assessment of the risks of developing occupational diseases.

COMMON OCCUPATIONAL LUNG DISORDERS IN CURRENT INDIAN POPULATION AND PRINCIPLES OF AYURVEDIC MANAGEMENT

Occupational lung diseases are caused primarily as a result of exposure to risk factors arising from the work envi- ronment. Persons with few weeks of exposure to workplace hazards may experience mild symptoms, whereas long term exposure results in a complicated presentation like severe respiratory debilitation and even death. Occupational lung diseases may be misdiagnosed as COPD or other diseases, which leads to delay in the identification of the etiological factors. There is no treatment for any of the occupational lung diseases that can reverse the damage already done. So, prevention of occupational exposure is the primary strategy in these ailments. In the present era, people are turning towards Ayurveda for chronic disease management, so a long-term approach to these could be beneficial in the management of occupational lung diseases. So, it's the need of the hour for an Ayurvedic physician to be accustomed to occupational diseases and their management through Ayurveda. Keywords: Occupational lung disorders, Ayurveda for OLD, Yoga and Pranayama.

Novel Lipidomes Profile and Clinical Phenotype Identified in Pneumoconiosis Patients

Pneumoconiosis is a group of occupational lung diseases caused by inhalation of particles of coal, asbestos, silica, or similar substances, leading to fibrosis and loss of lung function. It is the most serious and common occupational disease in the world with an increased incidence but poor prognosis. To further investigate the regulatory mechanisms of lipidomic profiles in pneumoconiosis, we measured plasma lipidomic profiles between pneumoconiosis patients and health. Compared with healthy people, it showed that circulating levels of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and free fatty acids (FFA) significantly increased while phosphatidylcholines (PC) and lysophosphatidylcholines (lyso PC) decreased in patients with pneumoconiosis. Clinical trans-omics analyses demonstrated that phenomes in pneumoconiosis connections with multiple lipids. Our data suggested that trans-omic analysis between clinical phenomes and lipidomes might have the potential to uncover the heterogeneity of lipid metabolism of pneumoconiosis patients and to screen out clinically significant phenome-based lipid panels.

Questions of ethical regulation of immunobiological therapy of some occupational lung diseases

Objective. Taking into account a high prevalence of occupational pathology associated with the exposure of industrial aerosols, to analyze the principles of therapy used for patients with these diseases. Materials and methods. The regulating medical documents, the data of preventive medical examinations as well as the principles of therapy applied for patients with occupational diseases, which are presented in scientific literarure, are analyzed. Results. The role of harmful production factors in the formation of pneumoconiosis and alveolitis, which join the group of interstitial lung diseases (ILD), has been proved. The outcome of these occupational diseases is fibrosing alveolitis with the development of diffuse pulmonary fibrosis. In the treatment of ILD, immunobiological drugs (IBD) are used to suppress the immune processes selectively affecting the monoclonal antibodies, blocking of which interrupts inflammation and in 90 % of cases stops the further development of the disease. Conclusions. The use of immunobiological drugs in clinical practice should be carried out within the framework of ethical and legal regulation between the patient and the doctor.

Assessment of respiratory dust exposure and lung functions among workers in textile mill (Thamine), Myanmar: a cross-sectional study

Background Airborne dusts are being potentially harmful for workers in occupational environment. Exposure to respirable dust is the most important concern in textile workers for the widespread of occupational lung diseases, especially more serious in developing countries. The aim of the study was to assess the respirable dust exposure and associated factors of lung functions among textile workers. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out at a textile mill (Thamine), Yangon Region, from April to December, 2018 and a total of 207 textile workers were randomly selected by using a multistage sampling procedure. Data were collected by using a structured questionnaire for respiratory symptoms, an air sampling pump for assessment of respirable dust exposure, and a spirometer for testing the lung functions. Logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the associated factors of lung functions. Odds ratios with a 95% confidence interval were computed for strength of associations at the significance level of α ≤ 0.05. Results The mean (± standard deviation, SD) respirable dust exposure was 3.3 mg/m3 (± 0.69) and the prevalence of increased respirable dust exposure (> 3 mg/m3) was 50.7%. The level of respirable dust exposure was highest in the textile workers involving at twisting department. The means (± SD) spirometry values were FVC 82.8% (± 17.8), FEV1 83.6% (± 18.5), and FEV1/FVC 0.9 (± 0.1). Overall magnitude of reduced lung functions was 40.1%, and the prevalence of reduced FVC, FEV1, and FEV1/FVC were 36.7, 34.3 and 3.9% respectively. The current working at twisting department, > 5 years of service duration, respiratory symptoms and increased respirable dust exposure were associated with reduction in FVC and FEV1. Conclusions The current working department, service duration, respiratory symptoms and exposure to respirable dust were predictors of lung functions in textile workers. An adequate ventilation, good work practices, hygienic workplace, safety and health training regarding potential health effects, and periodically assessment of lung functions are the critical elements for control of respirable dust exposure and reduction of occupational lung diseases.

Lung Function Impairment and Workplace Control Measures among Marble Stone Carvers in Sa-Kyin Village, Madayar Township, Myanmar

Introduction: Marble rocks, composed of dust containing calcium carbonate and silica particles, predispose to a higher prevalence of occupational lung diseases. This study aimed to assess workplace control measures and lung function impairment among marble stone carvers. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 120 marble stone carvers in Sa-Kyin Village, Madayar Township in May 2019. Information about existing control measures in the workplace was assessed using a pre-tested structured questionnaire and participants’ lung function using spirometry. Respirable dust measurements in twelve randomly selected workers were performed by personal air sampling pumps. Results: It was found that 9.2% of marble stone carvers used disposable or cloth masks throughout the working time, but no one was found using appropriate devices like respirators. No one reported about regular medical checkup and provision of health education at the workplaces. Spirometry testing showed 55.8% had lung function impairment. Concentrations of respirable dust ranged from 7.19 to 10.13 mg/m3, significantly higher than the recommended Threshold Limit Value (3 mg/m3). In multivariable logistic regression analysis, development of lung function impairment was associated with age [adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR) = 2.84; 95% CI = 1.02,7.91] and use of face mask (aOR = 0.11; 95% CI = 0.01,0.91). Conclusion: The working environment was found dusty, and a significant proportion of workers had lung function impairment. It is essential to adopt proper dust control measures in stone carving workplaces. Preventive measures like medical surveillance and health education program are vital to reduce the burdens from occupational lung diseases.

The state of the cardiovascular system in occupational bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, not associated with the impact of harmful industrial factors

The formation and progression of chronic dust bronchitis and chronic bronchitis of toxic-chemical etiology, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is accompanied by an increase in the degree of ventilation disorders, echocardiographic signs of hypertrophy and dilatation of the right ventricle are formed, typical for chronic pulmonary heart disease. The progression of disturbances in the function of external respiration in dusty lung diseases leads to a decrease in myocardial contractility. The detection of hemodynamic disturbances at the early stages of the development of occupational lung diseases indicates the need for individual monitoring of the functional state of the cardiovascular system in the process of contact with industrial aerosols, especially in groups of workers with long-term exposure.

A deep learning-based model for screening and staging pneumoconiosis

This study aims to develop an artificial intelligence (AI)-based model to assist radiologists in pneumoconiosis screening and staging using chest radiographs. The model, based on chest radiographs, was developed using a training cohort and validated using an independent test cohort. Every image in the training and test datasets were labeled by experienced radiologists in a double-blinded fashion. The computational model started by segmenting the lung field into six subregions. Then, convolutional neural network classification model was used to predict the opacity level for each subregion respectively. Finally, the diagnosis for each subject (normal, stage I, II, or III pneumoconiosis) was determined by summarizing the subregion-based prediction results. For the independent test cohort, pneumoconiosis screening accuracy was 0.973, with both sensitivity and specificity greater than 0.97. The accuracy for pneumoconiosis staging was 0.927, better than that achieved by two groups of radiologists (0.87 and 0.84, respectively). This study develops a deep learning-based model for screening and staging of pneumoconiosis using man-annotated chest radiographs. The model outperformed two groups of radiologists in the accuracy of pneumoconiosis staging. This pioneer work demonstrates the feasibility and efficiency of AI-assisted radiography screening and diagnosis in occupational lung diseases.

An Analytical Study Carried Out to Identify Symptoms of Occupational Lung Diseases and Preventive Measures among Workers Involved in Marble Industries in Rajsamand District of Rajasthan

BACKGROUND Occupational lung diseases are diseases affecting the respiratory system, including occupational asthma, black lung disease and many more. Workers exposed to marble dust stand an increased risk of suffering from asthma symptoms, chronic bronchitis, nasal inflammation and impairment of lung functions. The recognition of occupational causes can be made difficult by years of latency between exposure in the workplace and the occurrence of disease. Through this study, authors have established the importance of early identification of symptoms of occupational lung diseases and the importance of preventive measures that can be applied to reduce incidence of such diseases. METHODS This was a cross sectional community-based study conducted on 340 marble mining or cutting workers of Rajnagar [Morwar], Rajsamand district of Rajasthan, for a duration of three months. Workers were clinically examined and asked about environmental conditions and use of preventive measures through a questionnaire designed by the investigators and with the help of pamphlets and videos, educational interventions were provided. RESULTS Almost 90 % of the workers didn’t use protective measure like mask or shield. Among the 10 % workers who were using safety measures, 60 % were using face mask and 20 % were using apron at the work place. After the educational intervention given by investigators, around 63 % had started using various safety measures. CONCLUSIONS Early interventions after development of symptoms are important as they can decrease chances of further worsening of the condition. Health education, periodic health check-ups and use of protective measures are the essence in preventing occupational lung diseases. KEYWORDS Occupational Lung Disease, Cough, Marble Workers, Silicosis