Rheumatoid arthritis in workers exposed to silica in the pottery industry
Susan Turner, Nicola Cherry
Centre for
Occupational and Environmental Health, Stopford Building, University of
Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
Correspondence to: Dr S Turner sue.turner{at}virgin.net
Accepted 17 March 2000
OBJECTIVE
To
investigate the relation between rheumatoid arthritis and occupational
exposure to silica in pottery and related industries.
METHODSMedical
records of 8325 men and women born 1916-45 and employed in pottery,
refractory material (aluminosilicate or silica), and sandstone
industries were examined to identify cases of rheumatoid arthritis.
Medical and employment histories were extracted for cases and matched
referents. Indices of duration, cumulative exposure, and mean silica
concentration were compiled. Conditional logistic regression was used
to investigate the relation between rheumatoid arthritis and indices of
exposure, having allowed for potential confounders of smoking,
employment in the coal mining industry, and number of pregnancies.
RESULTS58 Cases
of rheumatoid arthritis (43 men, 15 women) were identified. Cases had
significantly shorter duration of exposure than referents. There was no
significant difference between cases and referents in mean silica
concentration. Men who had worked in the coal mining industry were
particularly at risk (odds ratio 5.36, 95% confidence interval 1.92 to
15.03).
CONCLUSIONThere was
no evidence of increased risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis after
occupational exposure to silica at mean exposures within the current
United Kingdom exposure limits.
Keywords: rheumatoid arthritis; silica; occupation
© 2000 by Occupational and Environmental Medicine
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