Systemic inflammatory effects of zinc oxide particles: is a re-evaluation of exposure limits needed?

Exposure to airborne substances such as gases, vapours, and particles remains a relevant health risk in many workplaces. A current topic and cause for discussion is the investigation of the health effects of particles containing zinc oxide (ZnO). Among other data, those collected from our study on human exposure data of ZnO in 2018 prompted the National Research Centre for the Working Environment 2021 to formulate a new, sharply lowered proposed occupational exposure limit (OEL) for zinc in workplaces.

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis due to metal working fluids: Detection of specific IgG antibodies to microbial antigens.

Occupational exposure to microbially contaminated metal working fluids (MWF) can cause hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP). An important step in the diagnosis of HP is to identify the triggering antigen by detection of corresponding specific IgG antibodies (sIgG). As commercial sIgG tests are currently not available, protein antigens were prepared from MWF-workplace samples and from MWF-typical bacterial isolates.

Serial fractional exhaled nitric oxide measurements at and off work may help to identify immunologic occupational asthma in cases with complex exposures.

Serial measurements of fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) at home and at work have been described to provide complementary information for the diagnosis of occupational asthma (OA) when specific inhalation challenge (SIC) is missing or doubtful. We describe two cases in which serial FeNO measurements enabled the detection of probable OA after complex exposures. A 25-year-old industrial painter with exposure to a variety of paints suffered from work-related airway symptoms for five years.

CEP162 deficiency causes human retinal degeneration and reveals a dual role in ciliogenesis and neurogenesis.

Defects in primary or motile cilia result in a variety of human pathologies, and retinal degeneration is frequently associated with these so-called ciliopathies. We found that homozygosity for a truncating variant in CEP162, a centrosome and microtubule-associated protein required for transition zone assembly during ciliogenesis and neuronal differentiation in the retina, caused late-onset retinitis pigmentosa in 2 unrelated families. The mutant CEP162-E646R*5 protein was expressed and properly localized to the mitotic spindle, but it was missing from the basal body in primary and photoreceptor cilia.

Sputum Inflammatory Patterns Are Associated With Distinct Clinical Characteristics in Patients with Occupational Asthma Independently of the Causal Agent.

Background And Objectives: Background: Clinical heterogeneity in sensitizer-induced occupational asthma (OA) and its relationship to airway inflammatory profiles remain poorly elucidated. Objectives: To further characterize interactions between induced sputum inflammatory patterns, asthma-related outcomes, and the high- or low-molecular-weight category of causal agents in a large cohort of patients with OA.

Methods: We conducted a multicenter, retrospective, cross-sectional study of 296 patients with OA confirmed by a positive specific inhalation challenge who completed induced sputum assessment before and 24 hours after challenge exposure.

No inflammatory effects after acute inhalation of barium sulfate particles in human volunteers.

Background: Most threshold limit values are based on animal experiments. Often, the question remains whether these data reflect the situation in humans. As part of a series of investigations in our exposure lab, this study investigates whether the results on the inflammatory effects of particles that have been demonstrated in animal models can be confirmed in acute inhalation studies in humans.

Workplace-related inhalation test - Specific inhalation challenge: S2k Guideline of the German Society for Occupational and Environmental Medicine e.V. (DGAUM), the German Society for Pneumology and Respiratory Medicine e.V. (DGP) and the German Society for Allergology and Clinical Immunology e.V. (DGAKI).

Not available.

Occupational immediate type allergy to soapnut and quillaja bark.

A 58-year-old non-atopic chemical worker complained about work-related asthma and rhinoconjunctivitis about 4 years after exposure to quillaja bark and soapnut. Bronchial hyperresponsiveness was demonstrated after withdrawal of medication for 12 hours. Skin prick tests with extracts from quillaja bark and soapnut from the workplace were positive, but ImmunoCAP was positive only with quillaja bark, probably due to the low protein content of the extract from soapnut.

Unusual allergen in a butcher with respiratory symptoms.

A 37-year-old butcher developed respiratory symptoms during sausage and chicken production in a large company. In addition to various spices, the enzyme transglutaminase was a possible cause. The lung function test showed mild partial reversible airway obstruction and severe bronchial hyperresponsiveness.

Occupational diisocyanate asthma of a female professional driver - the importance of allergological diagnostics.

Diisocyanates continue to be one of the most frequent causes of occupational asthma worldwide. They are still indispensable in industrial use as components of coatings, glues, and polyurethane foams. In Germany, respiratory diseases due to diisocyanates can be compensated by the statutory accident insurance (according to BK-Nr.

Health effects after inhalation of micro- and nano-sized zinc oxide particles in human volunteers.

Inhalation of ZnO particles can cause inflammation of the airways and metal fume fever. It is unclear if different sizes of the particles alter these effects. However, various studies report higher biological activity of other nano-sized particles compared to microparticles.

Heart rate variability and cardiac repolarization after exposure to zinc oxide nanoparticles in healthy adults.

Background: Exposure to airborne zinc oxide (ZnO) particles occurs in many industrial processes, especially in galvanizing and welding. Systemic inflammation after experimental inhalation of ZnO particles has been demonstrated previously, but little is known about the impact on the cardiovascular system, particularly on the autonomic cardiac system and the risk of arrhythmias. In this study we investigated the short-term effects of ZnO nanoparticles on heart rate variability (HRV) and repolarization in healthy adults in a concentration-dependent manner at rest and during exercise in a controlled experimental set-up.

Airway inflammation after inhalation of nano-sized zinc oxide particles in human volunteers.

Background: Workers in the zinc production and processing of galvanized sheet steel are exposed to a complex mixture of particles and gases, including zinc oxide (ZnO) that can affect human health. We aimed to study the effects of short-term controlled exposure to nano-sized ZnO on airway inflammatory markers in healthy volunteers.

Methods: Sixteen subjects (8 females, 8 men; age 19-42, non-smokers) were exposed to filtered air and ZnO nanoparticles (0.

Phenotyping Occupational Asthma Caused by Acrylates in a Multicenter Cohort Study.

Background: While acrylates are well-known skin sensitizers, they are not classified as respiratory sensitizers although several cases of acrylate-induced occupational asthma (OA) have been reported.

Objective: To evaluate the characteristics of acrylate-induced OA in a large series of cases and compare those with OA induced by other low-molecular-weight (LMW) agents.

Methods: Jobs and exposures, clinical and functional characteristics, and markers of airway inflammation were analyzed in an international, multicenter, retrospective cohort of subjects with OA ascertained by a positive inhalation challenge to acrylates (n = 55) or other LMW agents (n = 418) including isocyanates (n = 125).

Serial fractional exhaled nitric oxide measurements off and at work in the diagnosis of occupational asthma.

Background: Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) before and after specific inhalation challenge has been postulated as an additional tool in the diagnosis of occupational asthma (OA), but little is known about serial FeNO measurements at home and at work. The aim of the present study was to assess the contribution of serial measurements of FeNO off and at work toward the diagnosis of OA.

Methods: Forty-one subjects with suspected (n = 35) or diagnosed (n = 6) OA performed FeNO measurements once daily during a 2-week holiday and a subsequent 2-week work period.