Fifteen Year Follow-Up Study of VC and FEV1 in Dust-Exposed Workers.

Abstract

A baseline survey of 3457 male workers exposed to various forms of dust from 11 medical facilities throughout Japan was carried out in 1978 or 1979. We completed the present follow-up study 15 years later on 693 of the men. Vital capacity (VC) and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV 1 ) were analyzed as indices of lung function. We examined factors that affected both baseline and interval changes in VC and FEV 1 by stepwise multiple regression analysis. In the cross-sectional data analysis of baseline, height, profusion rate (PR) and age were selected as predictor variables for VC and FEV 1 , additionally duration of working for FEV 1 . It indicated that baseline VC decreased by 84.0 ml with each increase in PR classification. Similarly, baseline FEV 1 decreased by 146.6 ml with increasing PR. Baseline VC and FEV 1 were both positively influenced by subject height. In the longitudinal analysis, baseline PR, age and smoking habits were selected for predictor variables for decline of VC and FEV 1 . It indicated a negative influence of baseline PR classification on VC and FEV 1 changes ( 5.0 and 7.5 ml/y, respectively). Smoking decreased VC and FEV 1 by 6.1 and 5.8 ml/y, respectively.

Relationship between Chest X-ray Findings and Pulmonary Function Tests in Dust Workers

“…There are a large number of reports on the effect of smoking in reducing pulmonary function in pneumoconiosis 22,25,29,[31][32][33][34][35][36][37] . In this study, smoking habit was not analyzed, since a survey on smoking was not included in the pneumoconiosis health examination.…”

Serum Heme Oxygenase-1 as a Marker of Lung Function Decline in Patients With Chronic Silicosis

“…We evaluated possible independent factors affecting rapid FEV 1 decline, including age, height, smoking history, occupational history, profusion score, and serum markers such as CRP. 19 These factors were analyzed by univariate analysis as dichotomous independent variables, using the following contrasts: age, ≥74 versus <74 years (median for whole group); height, ≤160 versus >160 cm (median); weight, ≤57 versus >57 kg (median); age at first exposure, ≤20 versus >20 years (median); duration of exposure, ≥19 versus <19 years (median); pack-years of smoking, ≥38 versus <38 (median); profusion score, ≥8.0 versus <8.0 (median); the partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood (PaO 2 ), ≥77. 20 Near-significant predictors (P < 0.1) were included in a multiple logistic regression analysis to identify significant independent predictors for rapid decline in FEV 1 .…”

“…but the disease still ranked second (7.7%) among compensated occupational diseases. 19 In the United States, epidemiological reports have documented increased prevalence and rapid progression of pneumoconiosis among coal miners since 2000. 29 Therefore, newly identified biomarkers of progressive silicosis could be useful, especially in developing countries, which experience difficulties in the standardization of quality or in the interpretation of chest radiography and spirometry.…”