Health insurance claims of petrochemical company employees.

This paper describes a morbidity data base for epidemiologic studies which uses information from health insurance claims. Strengths of the data base include completeness and relatively low cost. A limitation is the length of time needed for all claims to be received and processed: rates generated using current information are lower than they will be after all claims are processed.

Smoking habits of oil refinery employees.

Smoking habits of White male employees of a large oil company were analyzed. There were only slight differences in smoking habits between refinery and nonrefinery employees. Salaried employees, both at refineries and elsewhere, smoked much less than hourly employees.

The relationship of total serum IgE and blocking antibody in trimellitic anhydride--induced occupational asthma.

Clinical and immunologic evaluations were performed on workers who manufacture trimellitic anhydride (TMA), a chemical used widely in the plastics industry. Serum samples of 29 workers exposed to TMA dust and fumes were assayed for total IgE, as well as specific IgE and total antibody binding to radiolabeled trimellityl human serum albumin (TM-HSA). Fifteen workers were determined to have significant specific IgE to TM-HSA (greater than or equal to 1 ng of 125I-TM-HSA bound per milliliter).

Syndromes in workers exposed to trimellitic anhydride. A longitudinal clinical and immunologic study.

A longitudinal study of workers involved in the manufacture of trimellitic anhydride has been in progress since 1977. Trimellitic anhydride is a low-molecular-weight, reactive chemical used in the manufacture of plastics. Initial studies done in 1976 defined three syndromes due to inhalation of trimellitic anhydride: asthma-rhinitis, a late respiratory systemic syndrome, and an irritant response.

The industrial physician and occupational lung disease.

Prevention and management of chronic occupational illnesses requires that they first be recognized as such. This appears to be particularly difficult in the case of occupational lung disease and doubly so in the case of occupational immunologic lung disease. It took years to recognize asbestosis, byssinosis, and other chronic lung diseases as being occupational in origin.

Clinical and immunologic evaluation of trimellitic anhydride workers in multiple industrial settings.

This article described our clinical and immunologic experience in assessing workers exposed to trimellitic anhydride (TMA) in three industrial settings. Since 1977 we have had engaged in a prospective study of workers involved at the site of manufacture of TMA. These studies demonstrate that serologic measurements of total antibody to trimellityl human serum albumin (TM-HSA) and IgE antibody to TM-HSA are predictive of the development of an immunologically mediated respiratory illness and are useful in monitoring workers removed from TMA exposure, in identifying asymptomatic workers who may be at risk in the future, and in defining the nature of sensitization of the work force.

Human antihapten antibodies in trimellitic anhydride inhalation reactions. Immunoglobulin classes of anti-trimellitic anhydride antibodies and hapten inhibition studies.

Inhalational exposure to trimellitic anhydride (TMA) produces an immediate-type asthmatic or a late respiratory systemic syndrome in certain workers after a latent period of work exposure. TMA has been found to react with proteins to produce a hapten-protein complex (trimellitate [TM] protein) or become hydrolyzed in aqueous, alkaline solutions to produce a salt, NaTM. Using a solid-phase radioimmunoassay technique, antibodies of different Ig classes were detected against TM-protein conjugates.