Objectives: This work aimed to study respiratory disorders and pulmonary function tests among workers in a tobacco factory along with measurements of levels of serum IgE, and urinary cotinine and studying dust level inside the factory. Subjects & methods: The study was carried out on 79 randomly selected tobacco processing workers in a tobacco manufacturing factory in Menoufia Governorate and 80 voluntarily participating controls. Both groups matched for age, sex, residence, income and educational level and were subjected to a structured chest symptoms questionnaire, clinical chest examination, spirometric measurements and measurements of total serum IgE (IU/ml) and urinary cotinine (ng/ml) by Enzyme Immuno Assay (EIA). Environmental total and respirable dust was measured inside the factory. Results: Tobacco workers reported significantly higher respiratory symptoms and signs (cough, expectoration and wheezes), (P<0.05) as compared with controls and had lower mean values of predicted spirometric measurements (FVC, FEV1 and FEV1/FVC), Phigher among tobacco workers (75.06 + 43.69 and 1422.73 + 1265.59) than controls (57.43 + 38.55 and 84.33 + 82.89, respectively), P < 0.05. Smoker and non-smoker tobacco-exposed workers had statistically significantly lower mean percentage values of predicted of FVC, FEV1 and FEV1/FVC as compared with smoker and non-smoker controls, (P <0.05). In addition, urinary cotinine and serum Ig E were significantly higher among smoker and non-smoker exposed workers as compared with exposed and non-smoker controls. A negative weak and significant correlation between spirometric measurements and levels of serum Ig E is noted among tobacco workers. Conclusion: The respiratory impairments noted among tobacco processing workers might be due to their exposure to the work environment and sensitization to tobacco dust.
GM, A. R., MK, E., AA, M., MM, E. D., & R, L. (2010). RESPIRATORY DISORDERS AMONG WORKERS IN A TOBACCO FACTORY. Egyptian Journal of Occupational Medicine, 34(2), 255-266. doi: 10.21608/ejom.2010.725
MLA
Abdel Rasoul GM; El-Sobky MK; Michael AA; El Dalatony MM; Lucchini R. "RESPIRATORY DISORDERS AMONG WORKERS IN A TOBACCO FACTORY", Egyptian Journal of Occupational Medicine, 34, 2, 2010, 255-266. doi: 10.21608/ejom.2010.725
HARVARD
GM, A. R., MK, E., AA, M., MM, E. D., R, L. (2010). 'RESPIRATORY DISORDERS AMONG WORKERS IN A TOBACCO FACTORY', Egyptian Journal of Occupational Medicine, 34(2), pp. 255-266. doi: 10.21608/ejom.2010.725
VANCOUVER
GM, A. R., MK, E., AA, M., MM, E. D., R, L. RESPIRATORY DISORDERS AMONG WORKERS IN A TOBACCO FACTORY. Egyptian Journal of Occupational Medicine, 2010; 34(2): 255-266. doi: 10.21608/ejom.2010.725
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