Exposure to inhalable dust and endotoxin among Danish livestock farmers: results from the SUS cohort study.

Studies on personal dust and endotoxin concentrations among animal farmers have been either small or limited to a few sectors in their investigations. The present study aimed to provide comparable information on the levels and variability of exposure to personal dust and endotoxin in different types of animal farmers. 507 personal inhalable dust samples were collected from 327 farmers employed in 54 pig, 26 dairy, 3 poultry, and 3 mink farms in Denmark.

Total viable molds and fungal DNA in classrooms and association with respiratory health and pulmonary function of European schoolchildren.

Indoor molds are associated with adverse respiratory effects in children. Although schools are important exposure sources of molds, objective measurements were more often taken in homes. Our aim was to assess indoor molds in schools and related effects on schoolchildren health.

Sensitisation to common allergens and respiratory symptoms in endotoxin exposed workers: a pooled analysis.

Objective: To test the hypotheses that current endotoxin exposure is inversely associated with allergic sensitisation and positively associated with non-allergic respiratory diseases in four occupationally exposed populations using a standardised analytical approach.

Methods: Data were pooled from four epidemiological studies including 3883 Dutch and Danish employees in veterinary medicine, agriculture and power plants using biofuel. Endotoxin exposure was estimated by quantitative job-exposure matrices specific for the study populations.

Predictors of monoterpene exposure in the Danish furniture industry.

Objectives: Individuals who work with pine in the furniture industry may be exposed to monoterpenes, the most abundant of which are α-pinene, β-pinene, and Δ(3)-carene. Monoterpenes are suspected to cause dermatitis and to harm the respiratory system. An understanding of the predictors of monoterpene exposure is therefore important in preventing these adverse effects.

Remediating buildings damaged by dampness and mould for preventing or reducing respiratory tract symptoms, infections and asthma.

Background: Dampness and mould in buildings have been associated with adverse respiratory symptoms, asthma and respiratory infections of inhabitants. Moisture damage is a very common problem in private houses, workplaces and public buildings such as schools.

Objectives: To determine the effectiveness of remediating buildings damaged by dampness and mould in order to reduce or prevent respiratory tract symptoms, infections and symptoms of asthma.

New-onset asthma and the effect of environment and occupation among farming and nonfarming rural subjects.

Background: Many factors, including environmental exposures, have been related to the increase in the prevalence of asthma, but only few have been tested for in longitudinal studies.

Objective: We studied farming students to determine whether their environment during childhood and as adults was a factor determining subsequent onset of asthma.

Methods: From 1994 to 1998, new cases of asthma were identified by means of an annual posted questionnaire followed by a telephone interview in a prospective cohort consisting of 1964 farming-school students and 407 nonfarming subjects aged 16 to 26 years.

A possible role of chitin in the pathogenesis of asthma and allergy.

Chitin is the second most abundant polysaccharide in the world; it is found in insects, parasites and fungi. Chitinases break down chitin, and are a part of the defence mechanism against chitin-containing parasites in lower life forms. This review is based on the results of PubMed-searches using the search-terms: chitin, chitinase, allergy and asthma.

Levels of endotoxin in 390 Swedish homes: determinants and the risk for respiratory symptoms in children.

Endotoxins are microbiological agents which ubiquitously exist in an indoor environment, and are believed to be causal agents for a number of diseases. This study investigated the indoor levels and determinants of endotoxins and their impact on asthma and allergy diseases among Swedish pre-school children. House dust samples from 390 homes of 198 case children with asthma and allergy and 202 healthy control children were collected in the Dampness Building and Health (DBH) study.

Genetic influences on pulmonary function: a large sample twin study.

Heritability of forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV(1)), forced vital capacity (FVC), and peak expiratory flow (PEF) has not been previously addressed in large twin studies. We evaluated the genetic contribution to individual differences observed in FEV(1), FVC, and PEF using data from the largest population-based twin study on spirometry. Specially trained lay interviewers with previous experience in spirometric measurements tested 4,314 Danish twins (individuals), 46-68 years of age, in their homes using a hand-held spirometer, and their flow-volume curves were evaluated.

AGRICOH: a consortium of agricultural cohorts.

AGRICOH is a recently formed consortium of agricultural cohort studies involving 22 cohorts from nine countries in five continents: South Africa (1), Canada (3), Costa Rica (2), USA (6), Republic of Korea (1), New Zealand (2), Denmark (1), France (3) and Norway (3). The aim of AGRICOH, initiated by the US National Cancer Institute (NCI) and coordinated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), is to promote and sustain collaboration and pooling of data to investigate the association between a wide range of agricultural exposures and a wide range of health outcomes, with a particular focus on associations that cannot easily be addressed in individual studies because of rare exposures (e.g.

The relationship of glutathione-S-transferases copy number variation and indoor air pollution to symptoms and markers of respiratory disease.

Introduction: Exposure to particulate matter (PM) may induce inflammation and oxidative stress in the airways. Carriers of null polymorphisms of glutathione S-transferases (GSTs), which detoxify reactive oxygen species, may be particularly susceptible to the effects of PM.

Objectives: To investigate whether deletions of GSTM1 and GSTT1 modify the potential effects of exposure to indoor sources of PM on symptoms and objective markers of respiratory disease.

Genetic polymorphisms in antioxidative enzymes are associated to forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) in smokers independently of asthma.

Introduction: In this study, we hypothesised that the genotypes coding for low antioxidative enzyme activity are associated with asthma and reduced lung function.

Methods: Using the European Community Respiratory Health Survey protocol, we enlisted 1091 Danish subjects in this cross-sectional study. Asthma phenotypes were defined as asthma symptoms in combination with steroid usage, bronchial hyperresponsiveness and atopy.

Wood smoke in a controlled exposure experiment with human volunteers.

Exposure to wood smoke in the general population is increasing and concurrently, also our awareness. This article describes a wood-smoke generating system for studying human exposure to wood smoke and symptoms related to this exposure. Twenty nonsmoking atopic human participants with normal lung function and normal bronchial reactivity were randomly exposed for 3 h at three different exposure conditions; clean filtered air (control exposure) and wood smoke with a characteristic particulate matter (PM) concentration of 200 µg/m³ (low) and 400 µg/m³ (high) under controlled environmental conditions.

Management of occupational asthma: cessation or reduction of exposure? A systematic review of available evidence.

Reduction of exposure to sensitising agents causing occupational asthma has been proposed as an alternative to total avoidance in order to minimise the adverse socio-economic impact of the condition. The aim of this systematic review was to compare the effects of these two management options on asthma and socio-economic outcomes. A bibliographic search was conducted to identify studies examining the outcome of workers with occupational asthma after reduction or cessation of exposure to the causal agent.

Reflections on the state of research: indoor environmental quality.

Unlabelled: More than 30 years after the First International Indoor Climate Symposium, ten researchers from the USA, Slovakia, Sweden, and Denmark gathered to review the current status of indoor environmental research. We initiated our review with discussions during the 1-day meeting and followed that with parallel research and writing efforts culminating with internal review and revision cycles. In this paper, we present our choices for the most important research findings on indoor environmental quality from the past three decades followed by a discussion of the most important research questions in our field today.

Moulds in floor dust - a particular problem in mechanically ventilated rooms? A study of adolescent schoolboys under the Danish moulds in buildings program.

Objective: To test the hypothesis that the association between levels of mould in floor dust and prevalence of potentially building-related symptoms may depend on the type of ventilation.

Methods: This stratified cross-sectional study is part of the Danish moulds in buildings program (DAMIB), including 503 adolescent schoolboys aged 13-17 years at 15 schools. Besides assessing symptom prevalences in questionnaires, we measured numerous potential risk factors in the school buildings.

Does the use of biofuels affect respiratory health among male Danish energy plant workers?

Objectives: To study asthma, respiratory symptoms and lung function among energy plant employees working with woodchip, straw or conventional fuel.

Methods: Respiratory symptoms in 138 woodchip workers, 94 straw workers and 107 control workers from 85 heating- or combined heating and power plants were collected by questionnaire. Spirometry, metacholine provocation tests and skin prick tests were performed on 310 workers.

The cohort of young Danish farmers - A longitudinal study of the health effects of farming exposure.

Working in agriculture poses a serious risk for development of respiratory diseases, especially when working in animal housing. Animal workers are exposed to a mixture of organic and inorganic dust together with fumes and gases, including allergens and microbial-associated molecular patterns with a potentially major impact on respiratory health and the immune system. Exposure to microbial agents in animal housing is associated with an increased prevalence of respiratory symptoms, including bronchial hyperresponsiveness, accelerated lung function decline, and neutrophil-mediated inflammation.

Immunoglobulin E-mediated sensitization to pine and beech dust in relation to wood dust exposure levels and respiratory symptoms in the furniture industry.

Objectives: Wood dust exposure may cause Immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated allergic diseases. Our objectives were to estimate pine and beech dust sensitization rates among woodworkers and a reference group, explore the association between exposure and sensitization and between sensitization and respiratory symptoms, and finally investigate the impact of proteinogenic specific IgE (sIgE) epitopes on respiratory symptoms.

Methods: In a Danish study among 52 furniture factories and 2 reference factories, we evaluated the workers' asthma and rhinitis status using questionnaires and blood samples collected from 1506 woodworkers and 195 references.

Non-malignant respiratory diseases and occupational exposure to wood dust. Part II. Dry wood industry.

This paper reviews the literature on associations between dry wood dust exposure and non-malignant respiratory diseases. Criteria for inclusion are epidemiological studies in English language journals with an internal or external control group describing relationships between dry wood dust exposure and respiratory diseases or symptoms. Papers took into consideration smoking and when dealing with lung function age.

Non-malignant respiratory diseases and occupational exposure to wood dust. Part I. Fresh wood and mixed wood industry.

This paper reviews associations in literature between exposure to wood dust from fresh wood and non-malignant respiratory diseases. Criteria for inclusion are epidemiological studies in English language journals with an internal or external control group describing relationships between wood dust exposure and respiratory diseases or symptoms. The papers took into account smoking, and when dealing with lung function took age into consideration.

Association of indoor air pollution with rhinitis symptoms, atopy and nitric oxide levels in exhaled air.

Background: Exposure to particulate matter (PM) outdoors can induce airway inflammation and exacerbation of asthma in adults. However, there is limited knowledge about the effects of exposure to indoor PM. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of exposure to indoor sources of PM with rhinitis symptoms, atopy and nitric oxide in exhaled air (FeNO) as a measure of airway inflammation.

Indoor exposure to environmental cigarette smoke, but not other inhaled particulates associates with respiratory symptoms and diminished lung function in adults.

Background And Objective: Exposure to particulate matter (PM) can induce airway inflammation and exacerbation of asthma. However, there is limited knowledge about the effects of exposure to indoor sources of PM. We investigated the associations between self-reported exposure to indoor sources of PM and lower airway symptoms and lung function.

Impact of cross-reactive carbohydrate determinants on wood dust sensitization.

Background: Occupational wood dust exposure can induce allergy and may be one cause of respiratory health problems among woodworkers.

Objective: The objective was to determine the prevalence and quantitative level of specific immunoglobulin E (sIgE) to beech and pine wood in exposed workers. Wood sensitization was specified with regard to cross-reactivity and was correlated to the reported symptoms.