Gender differences in the effect of occupational endotoxin exposure on impaired lung function and death: the Shanghai Textile Worker Study

Details

• Personal Author:
  Cai T ; Christiani, David C. ; Dai HL ; Hang JQ ; Lai PS ; Lin X ; Su L ; Zhang FY ; Zheng BY
• Description:
  OBJECTIVE: Airborne endotoxin exposure has adverse and protective health effects. Studies show men have augmented acute inflammatory responses to endotoxin. In this longitudinal cohort study we investigated the effect of long-term exposure to endotoxin in cotton dust on health, and determined whether these effects differ by gender. METHODS: In the Shanghai Textile Worker Study, 447 cotton and 472 control silk textile workers were followed from 1981 to 2011 with repeated measures of occupational endotoxin exposure, spirometry and health questionnaires. Impaired lung function was defined as a decline in forced expiratory volume in one second to less than the 5th centile of population predicted. Death was ascertained by death registries. We used Cox proportional hazards models to assess the effect of endotoxin exposure on the time to development of impaired lung function and death. RESULTS: 128 deaths and 164 diagnoses of impaired lung function were ascertained between 1981 and 2011. HRs for the composite end point of impaired lung function or death was 1.47 (95% CI 1.09 to 1.97) for cotton vs silk workers and 1.04 (95% CI 1.01 to 1.07) per 10 000 endotoxin units (EU)/m(3)-years increase in exposure. HRs for all-cause mortality was 1.36 (95% CI 0.93 to 1.99) for cotton vs silk workers and 1.04 (95% CI 0.99 to 1.08) per 10 000 EU/m(3)-years. The risk associated with occupational endotoxin exposure was elevated only in men. CONCLUSIONS: Occupational endotoxin exposure is associated with an increase in the risk of impaired lung function and all-cause mortality in men. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Dust Endotoxins Gossypium Manufacturing And Industrial Facilities Occupational Health Respiratory Function Tests Safety Smokers Textile Industry Tobacco Products
• Keywords:
  Cigarette Smoking Cotton Dust Cotton Mill Workers Exposure Assessment Long Term Study Organic Dusts Spirometry Textiles Industry
• ISSN:
  1351-0711
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Massachusetts ; OSHA Region 1
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  118-125
• Volume:
  71
• Issue:
  2
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20043937
• Citation:
  Occup Environ Med 2014 Feb; 71(2):118-125
• Contact Point Address:
  Dr Peggy S Lai, Pulmonary and Critical Care Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA
• Email:
  lai.peggy.s@gmail.com
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2014
• NORA Priority Area:
  Manufacturing
• Performing Organization:
  Harvard University
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  19870701
• Source Full Name:
  Occupational and Environmental Medicine
• End Date:
  20220831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:8ea661f913e116d996d64f74379801320b4959dcf793aaf7e7eff3f4cae4d8061c981fc1b81baaa162846074727c3c71e31119d107e226884239cf1731b0931f
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/199803/cdc_199803_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 681.16 KB ]