Objectives: Workers at sewage treatment plants are exposed to a complex mixture of toxins, including hydrogen sulphide (H2S). An issue of concern among sewage workers, is possible negative nervous system effects from low-level H2S exposure. Empirical neuropsychological evidence indicates both that low-dose exposure to H2S exposure affects the nervous system, and the contrary, that such exposure may facilitate nervous system function, since H2S is an endogenously produced central nervous system (CNS) gasotransmitter.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA detailed understanding of the antibody response against SARS-CoV-2 is of high importance, especially with the emergence of novel vaccines. A multiplex-based assay, analyzing IgG, IgM, and IgA antibodies against the receptor binding domain (RBD), spike 1 (S1), and nucleocapsid proteins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus was set up. The multiplex-based analysis was calibrated against the Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV-2 assay on a Roche Cobas instrument, using positive and negative samples.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The purpose of this study is to investigate whether airborne exposure to endotoxins, hydrogen sulphide (H2S), and inhalable particles negatively impacts the respiratory system and inflammatory blood proteins in sewage plant and sewer net system workers and, further, to determine dose-response associations between exposure and health outcomes.
Methods: In total, 148 waste water workers (WWWs) from urban and rural sewage plants and the sewer net system participated. One hundred and twenty-one workers were exposed to sewage, 46 from sewage plants and 75 from the sewer net system.
Upon inhalation, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) may reach the subpleura and pleural spaces, and induce pleural inflammation and/or mesothelioma in humans. However, the mechanisms of MWCNT-induced pathology after direct intrapleural injections are still only partly elucidated. In particular, a role of the proinflammatory interleukin-1 (IL-1) cytokines in pleural inflammation has so far not been published.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: We investigated the level of pro- and anti-inflammatory biomarkers before and after 8 weeks of unsupervised physical activity (PA) initiated by employer.
Methods: During autumn 2014, background data, blood samples and self-reported exercise level were collected from 76 men and 41 women in a Norwegian road maintenance company. Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), leptin, adiponectin, p-selectin and CD40 ligand (CD40L) were analyzed.