RESEARCH PAPER
Change in airway inflammatory markers in Danish energy plant workers during a working week
 
More details
Hide details
1
Institute of Public Health, Section for Environment, Occupation and Health, University of Aarhus and the Danish Ramazzini Centre, Aalborg, Denmark
 
2
The National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Copenhagen Denmark
 
3
Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Hinnerup, Denmark
 
 
Corresponding author
Yuduo Zheng   

Institute of Public Health, Section for Environment, Occupation and Health, University of Aarhus and the Danish Ramazzini Centre, Aalborg, Denmark
 
 
Ann Agric Environ Med. 2014;21(3):534-540
 
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
Introduction:
It is well known that exposure to organic dust can cause adverse respiratory effect. The pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPS) in the organic dust, such as endotoxin from Gram-negative bacteria cell wall and fungal components, can trigger the release of cytokine (e.g. Interleukin 1β (IL-1β)) and chemokine (e.g. Interleukin 8 (IL-8)) from the immune cells in the airways.

Objective:
To evaluate the potential inflammatory effects of organic dust exposure in energy plants in Denmark.

Material and Methods:
Nasal lavage (NAL) and exhaled breath condensate (EBC) were sampled at Monday morning (referred to as before work) and again at Thursday afternoon (referred to as after work). NAL IL-8, EBC pH, IL-1β concentration were measured. Personal exposure to endotoxin and dust was calculated from time spent on different tasks and measured average work area exposures.

Results:
Before work, workers from biofuel plants had a higher IL-1β and IL-8 concentration compared to conventional fuel plants (control group). Specifically, the IL-1β level of moderately and most exposed group, and IL-8 level of the least exposed group were higher compared to the control group. The changes of IL-1β, pH and IL-8 during a work week were not significant. Workers with rhinitis had a lower percentage change of IL-8 compared to healthy workers.

Conclusions:
An increased level of EBC IL-1β in biofuel energy plant workers before work indicated a chronic or sub-chronic inflammation. The percentage change of IL-8 was lower in workers with rhinitis compared to healthy workers.

 
REFERENCES (28)
1.
Wouters IM, Hilhorst SK, Kleppe P, Doekes G, Douwes J, Peretz C, et al. Upper airway inflammation and respiratory symptoms in domestic waste collectors. Occup Environ Med. 2002; 59: 106–112.
 
2.
Heldal KK, Halstensen AS, Thorn J, Djupesland P, Wouters I, Eduard W, et al. Upper airway inflammation in waste handlers exposed to bioaerosols. Occup Environ Med. 2003; 60(6): 444–450.
 
3.
Douwes J, Wouters I, Dubbeld H, van Zwieten L, Steerenberg P, Doekes G, et al. Upper airway inflammation assessed by nasal lavage in compost workers: A relation with bio-aerosol exposure. Am J Ind Med. 2000; 37(5): 459–468.
 
4.
Cormier Y, Duchaine C, Israël-Assayag E, Bédard G, Laviolette M, Dosman J. Effects of repeated swine building exposures on normal naive subjects. Eur Respir J. 1997; 10(7): 1516–1522.
 
5.
Cormier Y, Israël-Assayag E, Racine G, Duchaine C. Farming practices and the respiratory health risks of swine confinement buildings. Eur Respir J. 2000; 15(3): 560–565.
 
6.
Hirvonen MR, Ruotsalainen M, Roponen M, Hyvärinen A, Husman T, Kosma VM, et al. Nitric oxide and proinflammatory cytokines in nasal lavage fluid associated with symptoms and exposure to moldy building microbes. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 1999; 160(6): 1943–1946.
 
7.
Sigsgaard T, Bonefeld-Jørgensen EC, Hoffmann HJ, Bønløkke J, Krüger T. Microbial cell wall agents as an occupational hazard. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2005; 207: 310–319.
 
8.
Schlünssen V, Madsen AM, Skov S, Sigsgaard T. Does the use of biofuels affect respiratory health among male Danish energy plant workers? Occup Environ Med. 2011; 68(7): 467–473.
 
9.
Burney PGJ, Luczynska C, Chinn S, Jarvis D. The European Community Respiratory Health Survey. Eur Respirat J. 1994; 7: 954–960.
 
10.
Omland O, Sigsgaard T, Hjort C, Pedersen OF, Miller MR. Lung status in young Danish rurals: the effect of farming exposure on asthma-like symptoms and lung function. Eur Respir J. 1999; 13: 31–37.
 
11.
Dreborg S, Frew A, Bousquet J. Allergen standardization and skin test. Allergy. 1993; 48: 49–54.
 
12.
Sigsgaard T, Bonefeld-Jørgensen EC, Kjaergaard SK, Mamas S, Pedersen OF. Cytokine release from the nasal mucosa and whole blood after experimental exposures to organic dust. Eur Respir J. 2000; 16: 140–145.
 
13.
Cunningham S, McColm JR, Ho LP, Greening AP, Marshall TG. Measurement of inflammatory markers in the breath condensate of children with cystic fibrosis. Eur Respir J. 2000; 15: 955–957.
 
14.
Dosman JA, Fukushima Y, Senthilselvan A, Kirychuk SP, Lawson JA, Pahwa P, et al. Respiratory response to endotoxin and dust predicts evidence of inflammatory response in volunteers in a swine barn. Am J Ind Med. 2006; 49(9): 761–766.
 
15.
Larsson BM, Palmberg L, Malmberg PO, Larsson K. Effect of exposure to swine dust on levels of IL-8 in airway lavage fluid. Thorax. 1997; 52(7): 638–642.
 
16.
Dahlqvist M, Palmberg L, Malmberg P, Sundblad BM, Ulfvarson U, Zhiping W. Acute effects of exposure to air contaminants in a sawmill on healthy volunteers. Occup Environ Med. 1996; 53(9): 586–590.
 
17.
Spaan S, Doekes G, Heederik D, Thorne PS, Wouters IM. Effect of extraction and assay media on analysis of airborne endotoxin. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2008; 74(12): 3804–3811.
 
18.
Ebbehøj NE, Meyer HW, Würtz H, Suadicani P, Valbjørn O, Sigsgaard T, et al. Molds in floor dust, building-related symptoms, and lung function among male and female school teachers. Indoor Air. 2005; 15(10): 7–16.
 
19.
Maestrelli P, Canova C, Scapellato ML, Visentin A, Tessari R, Bartolucci GB, et al. Personal exposure to particulate matter is associated with worse health perception in adult asthma. J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol. 2011; 21(2): 120–128.
 
20.
Papaioannou AI, Loukides S, Minas M, Kontogianni K, Bakakos P, Gourgoulianis KI, et al. Exhaled breath condensate pH as a biomarker of COPD severity in ex-smokers. Respir Res. 2011; 12: 67.
 
21.
Corradi M, Gergelova P, Di Pilato E, Folesani G, Goldoni M, Andreoli R, et al. Effect of exposure to detergents and other chemicals on biomarkers of pulmonary response in exhaled breath from hospital cleaners: a pilot study. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2011 (ahead of print).
 
22.
von Jagwitz M, Pessler F, Akmatov M, Li J, Range U, Vogelberg C. Reduced breath condensate pH in asymptomatic children with prior wheezing as a risk factor for asthma. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2011; 128(1): 50–55.
 
23.
Nightingale JA, Rogers DF, Hart LA, Kharitonov SA, Chung KF, Barnes PJ. Effect of inhaled endotoxin on induced sputum in normal, atopic, and atopic asthmatic subjects. Thorax. 1998; 53(7): 563–571.
 
24.
Castano R, Maghni K, Castellanos L, Trudeau C, Malo JL, Gautrin D. Proinflammatory mediators in nasal lavage of subjects with occupational rhinitis. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2010; 143(2): 301–303.
 
25.
Gosset P, Tillie-Leblond I, Malaquin F, Durieu J, Wallaert B, Tonnel AB. Interleukin-8 secretion in patients with allergic rhinitis after an allergen challenge: interleukin-8 is not the main chemotactic factor present in nasal lavages. Clin Exp Allergy. 1997; 27(4): 379–388.
 
26.
Eldridge MW, Peden DB. Allergen provocation augments endotoxin-induced nasal inflammation in subjects with atopic asthma. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2000; 105(3): 475–481.
 
27.
Garey KW, Neuhauser MM, Robbins RA, Danziger LH, Rubinstein I. Markers of inflammation in exhaled breath condensate of young healthy smokers. Chest. 2004; 125(1): 22–26.
 
28.
Gessner C, Scheibe R, Wötzel M, Hammerschmidt S, Kuhn H, Engelmann L, et al. Exhaled breath condensate cytokine patterns in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Respir Med. 2005; 99(10): 1229–1240.
 
eISSN:1898-2263
ISSN:1232-1966
Journals System - logo
Scroll to top