Occupational Exposure to Crystalline Silica and Risk of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Population-Based, Case-Control Study in the Southeastern United States

Details

• Personal Author:
  Cohen PL ; Cooper GS ; Dement, John M. ; Dooley MA ; Gilkeson GS ; Hoppin JA ; Nylander-French LA ; Parks CG ; Sanderson, Wayne T. ; Savitz DA ; St-Clair EW ; Treadwell EL ; Cohen PL ; Cooper GS ; Dement, John M. ; Dooley MA ; Gilkeson GS ; Hoppin JA ; Nylander-French LA ; Parks CG ; Sanderson, Wayne T. ; Savitz DA ; St-Clair EW ; Treadwell EL
• Description:
  Crystalline silica may act as an immune adjuvant to increase inflammation and antibody production, and findings of occupational cohort studies suggest that silica exposure may be a risk factor for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We undertook this population-based study to examine the association between occupational silica exposure and SLE in the southeastern US. SLE patients (n = 265; diagnosed between January 1, 1995 and July 31, 1999) were recruited from 4 university rheumatology practices and 30 community-based rheumatologists in 60 contiguous counties. Controls (n = 355), frequency-matched to patients by age, sex, and state of residence, were randomly selected from driver's license registries. The mean age of the patients at diagnosis was 39 years; 91% were women and 60% were African American. Detailed occupational and farming histories were collected by in-person interviews. Silica exposure was determined through blinded assessment of job histories by 3 industrial hygienists, and potential medium- or high-level exposures were confirmed through followup telephone interviews. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were estimated by logistic regression. More patients (19%) than controls (8%) had a history of medium- or high-level silica exposure from farming or trades. We observed an association between silica and SLE (medium exposure OR 2.1 [95% CI 1.1-4.0], high exposure OR 4.6 [95% CI 1.4-15.4]) that was seen in separate analyses by sex, race, and at different levels of education. These results suggest that crystalline silica exposure may promote the development of SLE in some individuals. Additional research is recommended in other populations, using study designs that minimize potential selection bias and maximize the quality of exposure assessment. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Aluminum Silicates Antibodies Occupational Health Safety Silicon Dioxide Skin Skin Diseases
• Keywords:
  Antibody-response Autoimmunity Exposure-levels Exposure-methods Immune-system Immune-system-disorders Silica-dusts Silicates Skin-diseases Skin-disorders Skin-infections

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• ISSN:
  0004-3591
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article ; Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  North Carolina ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 4 ; OSHA Region 5 ; South Carolina
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) ; National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSHEFS - Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies ; DSHEFS - Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health ; Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America ; North America
• Volume:
  46
• Issue:
  7
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20022875
• Citation:
  Arthritis Rheum 2002 Jul; 46(7):1840-1850
• Contact Point Address:
  Christine G. Parks, PhD, Epidemiology Branch, A3-05, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, PO Box 12233, Durham, NC 27709-12233
• Email:
  parks@niehs.nih.gov
• CAS Registry Number:
  Quartz (SiO2) (CAS RN 14808-60-7) ; Quartz (SiO2) (CAS RN 14808-60-7)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2002
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Arthritis and Rheumatism
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:061b45654d149bb2657fa3c7c00950490ff8984fc5abca308224bb88b57606a669191f1adbf38c4ae351336020a9b64ba44533d9649e223353985319ecbb8c9b
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/199503/cdc_199503_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 88.43 KB ]