RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Immunological effects among workers who handle engineered nanoparticles
JF Occupational and Environmental Medicine
JO Occup Environ Med
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP 868
OP 876
DO 10.1136/oemed-2016-104111
VO 74
IS 12
A1 Deborah Catherine Glass
A1 Mahjabeen Mazhar
A1 Sue Xiang
A1 Pamela Dean
A1 Pamela Simpson
A1 Brian Priestly
A1 Magdalena Plebanski
A1 Michael Abramson
A1 Malcolm Ross Sim
A1 Martine Dennekamp
YR 2017
UL http://oem.bmj.com/content/74/12/868.abstract
AB Objective To determine whether exposure of workers handling engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) may result in increased inflammation and changes in lung function.Methods A prospective panel study compared changes in several markers of inflammation for ENP handling and non-ENP handling control workers. Nanoparticle exposure was measured during ENP handling and for controls. Lung function, fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), C-reactive protein (CRP), blood cell counts and several serum cytokines were measured at baseline, at the end of the shift and at the end of the working week.Results Nanoparticle exposure was not higher when ENPs were being handled; nanoparticle counts were higher in offices and in ambient air than in laboratories. There were no differences at baseline in lung function, FeNO, haemoglobin, platelet, white cell counts or CRP levels between those who handled nanoparticles and those who did not, with or without asthmatic participants. There were statistically significant increases in sCD40 and sTNFR2 over the working day for those who handled ENPs. The changes were larger and statistically significant over the working week and sCD62P also showed a statistically significant difference. The changes were slightly smaller and less likely to be statistically significant for atopic than for non-atopic participants.Conclusions Even at low ENP exposure, increases in three cytokines were significant over the week for those who handled nanoparticles, compared with those who did not. However, exposure to low and transient levels of nanoparticles was insufficient, to trigger measurable changes in spirometry, FeNO, CRP or blood cell counts.