Airway inflammation and ammonia exposure among female Palestinian hairdressers: a cross-sectional study
| Autor: | Khaldoun Nijem, Liv Ingunn Bjoner Sikkeland, Mayes Kasem, Espen Bjertness, Petter Kristensen, Berit Bakke, Marit Skogstad, Maysaa Nemer, Johny Kongerud, Øivind Skare |
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| Rok vydání: | 2015 |
| Předmět: |
Adult
medicine.medical_specialty Neutrophils Cross-sectional study Respiratory Tract Diseases Nitric Oxide Barbering Beauty Culture Young Adult Ammonia Occupational Exposure Internal medicine Humans Medicine Respiratory system Inflammation biology business.industry C-reactive protein Sputum Public Health Environmental and Occupational Health Middle Aged Arabs Occupational Diseases C-Reactive Protein Cross-Sectional Studies Air Pollution Indoor Case-Control Studies Immunology Exhaled nitric oxide biology.protein Breathing Absolute neutrophil count Female medicine.symptom business Body mass index Biomarkers |
| Zdroj: | Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 72:428-434 |
| ISSN: | 1470-7926 1351-0711 |
| DOI: | 10.1136/oemed-2014-102437 |
| Popis: | Objectives Little is known about the working conditions and airway inflammation in hairdressers in Palestine. We aimed to investigate if hairdressers in Palestine have a higher level of airway inflammation as compared to a control group. We also assessed the hairdressers’ physical working conditions and exposure to ammonia gases at the hair salons. Lastly, we investigated the association between ammonia levels and inflammation markers in the airways and the blood. Methods Our study participants were 33 non-smoking hairdressers (aged 19–50 years) and 35 non-smoking control subjects (aged 18–49 years). Both groups answered a questionnaire on respiratory symptoms, and performed lung function and exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) tests. Blood and sputum samples were collected from all participants and air concentration levels of ammonia were measured in 13 salons. Results Hairdressers had a higher level of sputum neutrophil count (absolute numbers/mg sputum (median (25th–75th centiles)) compared to controls, 376 (183–980) and 182 (96–358), respectively. Hairdressers also had significantly elevated eNO and blood C reactive protein (CRP) levels compared to the control subjects, controlled for age and body mass index. Exposure measurements showed that the hairdressers in salons with scarce ventilation were exposed to ammonia concentration, ranging from 3 to 61 mg/m 3 . Conclusions Compared to unexposed controls, the hairdressers had signs of neutrophilic airway inflammation, higher eNO levels and higher CRP. The hairdressers were exposed to high concentrations of ammonia from hairdressing chemicals and their working conditions were unsatisfactory. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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