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Exposure and nasal inflammation in workers heating polyurethane.

Littorin, Margareta LU ; Welinder, Hans LU ; Skarping, Gunnar LU ; Dalene, Marianne LU and Skerfving, Staffan LU (2002) In International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health 75(7). p.468-474
Abstract
AbstractOBJECTIVE. To test the hypothesis that exposure to thermal-degradation products of polyurethane (PUR), particularly isocyanates, induced nasal inflammation.METHODS. Thirty-eight workers -14 with a history of work-related nasal symptoms (WRS/Nose), and 15 referents without such history - exposed to sprayed and heated PUR glue, were studied with regard to biomarkers of isocyanate exposure [4,4'-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (4,4'-methylenediphenyl diisocyanate; MDI) and 2,4- and 2,6-toluene diisocyanate (TDI), determined as 4,4'-diphenylmethane (U-MDX) and 2,4- and 2,6-toluene (U-2,4 and U-2,6-TDX) diamine in hydrolysed urine and nasal lavage fluid (NAL)], inflammation [albumin; eosinophilic cationic protein (ECP); myeloperoxidase... (More)
AbstractOBJECTIVE. To test the hypothesis that exposure to thermal-degradation products of polyurethane (PUR), particularly isocyanates, induced nasal inflammation.METHODS. Thirty-eight workers -14 with a history of work-related nasal symptoms (WRS/Nose), and 15 referents without such history - exposed to sprayed and heated PUR glue, were studied with regard to biomarkers of isocyanate exposure [4,4'-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (4,4'-methylenediphenyl diisocyanate; MDI) and 2,4- and 2,6-toluene diisocyanate (TDI), determined as 4,4'-diphenylmethane (U-MDX) and 2,4- and 2,6-toluene (U-2,4 and U-2,6-TDX) diamine in hydrolysed urine and nasal lavage fluid (NAL)], inflammation [albumin; eosinophilic cationic protein (ECP); myeloperoxidase (MPO) and cells in NAL], serum IgG specific for MDI (S-IgG-MDI) and TDI (S-IgG-TDI), and nose symptoms. Nine unexposed office workers were also examined.RESULTS. The exposure to sprayed and heated PUR glue, especially when heated by gun, was associated with the presence of biomarkers of isocyanate exposure in urine; after work the levels [median (range)] in all workers were: U-MDX 0.32 (</=0.1-1.5); U-2,6-TDX 0.33 (</=0.1-0.71) micro g/g creatinine. Also, 5/38 workers had detectable levels in NAL. Furthermore, the biomarkers of inflammation in NAL - albumin ( P</=0.05; Kendall), MPO ( P=0.01), and neutrophils ( P</=0.01) - showed similar patterns of relationships with the exposure to glue heated by guns. After work, workers who had complained of WRS/Nose had higher levels of albumin (medians 3.5 vs. 1.9 mg/l; P=0.05, Mann-Whitney U-test) and MPO (14 vs. 11 micro g/l; P</=0.05) in NAL than those who had had no such complaints. U-2,6-TDX, as well as S-IgG-MDI and S-IgG-TDI, were associated with increased levels of the inflammation biomarkers, U-2,6-TDX also with the symptoms. As expected, acute symptoms after exposure were associated with the inflammation biomarkers.CONCLUSIONS. The present data indicate that thermal degradation products of PUR induced a 'chronic' rhinitis. At exposure, there was an accentuation of symptoms; the signs of acute inflammation were less obvious. (Less)
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type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
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in
International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health
volume
75
issue
7
pages
468 - 474
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • wos:000178057100004
  • pmid:12172893
  • scopus:0036765318
ISSN
1432-1246
DOI
10.1007/s00420-002-0337-1
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
93a93652-949d-4d2f-b9fc-35fd9a2df0de (old id 109860)
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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12172893&dopt=Abstract
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 17:04:54
date last changed
2022-03-15 04:59:57
@article{93a93652-949d-4d2f-b9fc-35fd9a2df0de,
  abstract     = {{AbstractOBJECTIVE. To test the hypothesis that exposure to thermal-degradation products of polyurethane (PUR), particularly isocyanates, induced nasal inflammation.METHODS. Thirty-eight workers -14 with a history of work-related nasal symptoms (WRS/Nose), and 15 referents without such history - exposed to sprayed and heated PUR glue, were studied with regard to biomarkers of isocyanate exposure [4,4'-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (4,4'-methylenediphenyl diisocyanate; MDI) and 2,4- and 2,6-toluene diisocyanate (TDI), determined as 4,4'-diphenylmethane (U-MDX) and 2,4- and 2,6-toluene (U-2,4 and U-2,6-TDX) diamine in hydrolysed urine and nasal lavage fluid (NAL)], inflammation [albumin; eosinophilic cationic protein (ECP); myeloperoxidase (MPO) and cells in NAL], serum IgG specific for MDI (S-IgG-MDI) and TDI (S-IgG-TDI), and nose symptoms. Nine unexposed office workers were also examined.RESULTS. The exposure to sprayed and heated PUR glue, especially when heated by gun, was associated with the presence of biomarkers of isocyanate exposure in urine; after work the levels [median (range)] in all workers were: U-MDX 0.32 (&lt;/=0.1-1.5); U-2,6-TDX 0.33 (&lt;/=0.1-0.71) micro g/g creatinine. Also, 5/38 workers had detectable levels in NAL. Furthermore, the biomarkers of inflammation in NAL - albumin ( P&lt;/=0.05; Kendall), MPO ( P=0.01), and neutrophils ( P&lt;/=0.01) - showed similar patterns of relationships with the exposure to glue heated by guns. After work, workers who had complained of WRS/Nose had higher levels of albumin (medians 3.5 vs. 1.9 mg/l; P=0.05, Mann-Whitney U-test) and MPO (14 vs. 11 micro g/l; P&lt;/=0.05) in NAL than those who had had no such complaints. U-2,6-TDX, as well as S-IgG-MDI and S-IgG-TDI, were associated with increased levels of the inflammation biomarkers, U-2,6-TDX also with the symptoms. As expected, acute symptoms after exposure were associated with the inflammation biomarkers.CONCLUSIONS. The present data indicate that thermal degradation products of PUR induced a 'chronic' rhinitis. At exposure, there was an accentuation of symptoms; the signs of acute inflammation were less obvious.}},
  author       = {{Littorin, Margareta and Welinder, Hans and Skarping, Gunnar and Dalene, Marianne and Skerfving, Staffan}},
  issn         = {{1432-1246}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{7}},
  pages        = {{468--474}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health}},
  title        = {{Exposure and nasal inflammation in workers heating polyurethane.}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00420-002-0337-1}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s00420-002-0337-1}},
  volume       = {{75}},
  year         = {{2002}},
}