April 2023 additions to NERDB

NERDB is the New and emerging risks database. This bibliographic database is an initiative of Nicole Palmen and Annet Lenderink with the support of Modernet and is currently powered by Airtable.

More information on this database is on the NERDB page

We will publish regular updates on new disease-exposure combinations we added to the database on the website. Currently, we have 380 entries. Ordered by the year in which the abstract is published

1977	1	2010	11
1988	1	2011	10
1991	1	2012	10
1995	3	2013	13
1997	1	2014	19
1999	2	2015	27
2002	1	2016	21
2005	2	2017	35
2006	1	2018	30
2007	2	2019	52
2008	5	2020	52
2009	3	2021	28
		2022	34
unknown year	6	2023	6

New entries:

Zhang M, Zhang M, Zeng Q, Lin D, Zhang N. Association of p-phenylenediamine exposure with alterations of pulmonary function, pruritus and health-related quality of life in hair dye factory workers: a cross-sectional study. Sci Rep. 2023 Feb 14;13(1):2623. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-29721-7. PMID: 36788348; PMCID: PMC9929233.

P-Phenylenediamine (PPD) is a common component of hair dye, which can cause skin contact allergy and asthma with impaired pulmonary function. However, the adverse effects of occupational exposure to different dose PPD was rarely mentioned.

We recruited 124 workers from a hair dye factory to explore the association of occupational PPD exposure on pulmonary function, pruritus and health related quality of life (HRQL).

We categorized exposure to PPD into 3 levels: lower exposure group (< 0.00001 mg/m³); middle exposure group (0.00001-0.00033 mg/m³); higher exposure group (0.00033-0.047 mg/m³).

The HRQL and subjective pruritus of the workers were assessed by the short form 36 health survey (SF-36) and Visual analogue scale (VAS) of pruritus, respectively.

In the high PPD-exposed group, the percentage of FEV1 (FEV1%) was lower in higher exposure group compared with lower exposure group. The FEV1/FVC was also lower in comparison to the higher exposure and middle exposure groups (p < 0.05). PPD levels were negatively correlated with vitality and mental health (p < 0.01).

The structural equation model showed the positive effects of PPD on VAS level (β = 0.213, p < 0.001), and indicated partly negative effects of PPD on the total score of SF-36 (β = – 0.465, p = 0.002), respectively.

Our results indicate that occupational exposure to PPD might be associated with pulmonary function impairment, poor HRQL, and subjective pruritus of the workers.

Walters GI, Huntley CC. Novel occupational causes of hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol. 2023 Apr 1;23(2):85-91. doi: 10.1097/ACI.0000000000000894. Epub 2023 Jan 20. PMID: 36752361.

Purpose of review: Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) remains a challenging diagnosis, and a cause is not established in up to 50% of cases. This paper aims to update clinicians on traditional and novel occupational causes of HP, and clinical tools for identifying of causative exposures and antigens.

Recent findings: Metalworking fluid has become the most frequently cited occupational cause of HP, though geographical variations in exposures exist. Occupational HP is usually associated with work-related symptoms. Systematically derived questionnaires and compendia for HP have been developed for use in cryptogenic disease, though have previously lacked validation; these may help identify inciting antigens or relevant occupational exposures.

Summary: Clinicians should enquire about job roles and work-relatedness of symptoms when considering a diagnosis of HP. Outbreaks of metalworking fluid associated HP from around the world are well described, so clinicians should remain vigilant. The usual classification for causative antigen includes animal and plant proteins, fungi, bacteria, low-molecular weight chemicals and metals; however novel occupational exposures and work processes are frequently reported.

Witt C, Kienast C, Bölke G, Hoffmann C, Roehle R, Bender O, Nowak D, Tauber R, Gunga HC, Hoffmann P, Coats AJS, Liebers U. Long-term indoor gunshot exposure of special police forces induces bronchitic reactions and elevated blood lead levels-The Berlin shooting range study. J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle. 2023 Feb;14(1):452-463. doi: 10.1002/jcsm.13147. Epub 2022 Dec 20. PMID: 36539958; PMCID: PMC9891938.

Background: Gunshot emissions contain toxic elements that can harm those frequently exposed, such as police officers. Several years ago, police indoor firing ranges were closed by the Berlin municipality in response to police officer health complaints, and an investigation was launched into the possible respiratory health risks of frequent gunshot emission exposure. We, therefore, conducted an exploratory cross-sectional study to investigate clinical and functional parameters of respiratory health as well as the burden of trace elements in policemen with long-term high exposure to indoor gunshot emissions, compared to low-exposure and control groups.

Methods: We conducted lung function tests and collected blood and urine samples from Berlin police officers and government employees who were divided into three subject groups based on exposure to gunshot emissions: high exposure (n = 53), low exposure (n = 94) and no exposure (n = 76). Lung function was examined using body plethysmography. Blood and urine samples were tested via inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for the presence of common gunshot powder elements (antimony, lead and manganese). Exposure and symptoms were assessed using records as well as questionnaires.

Results: Higher exposure was associated with more respiratory symptoms during gun shooting practice (64% vs. 21%, P < 0.001) compared to the low-exposure group. Headache, cough, discoloured mucous and shortness of breath were also more common as were some other symptoms. The cough symptomatology of the high-exposure group also persisted significantly longer (median: 0.67 vs. 0.01 days, range: 0 to 5 days, P = 0.029) compared to the low-exposure group. They also showed a lower forced expiratory volume in 1 s/forced vital capacity quotient (Tiffeneau index), P = 0.018 between the three groups and P = 0.005 for the high-exposure group, a possible marker of early, subclinical bronchial obstruction. We observed increased blood lead concentrations depending on subject’s age (+1.2% per year, 95% confidence interval: 0.5-1.9%, P < 0.001) and cumulative gunshot exposure (+0.34% per 100 000 shots, 0.02-0.66%, P = 0.037).

Conclusions: These first results suggest that long-term exposure to indoor gunshot emissions induces bronchitic reactions due to repeated irritation of the airways. Higher levels of exposure lead to more negatively impacted lung function and higher blood lead levels with the possible reason that more frequent exposure may mean shorter regeneration phases for the respiratory mucous membrane. We recommend a reduction of exposure to gunshot emissions in order to decrease symptoms and avoid any-even small-deterioration in spirometry.

Ceppi, M., Smolkova, B., Staruchova, M., Kazimirova, A., Barancokova, M., Volkovova, K., … & Dusinska, M. (2023). Genotoxic effects of occupational exposure to glass fibres-A human biomonitoring study. Mutation Research/Genetic Toxicology and Environmental Mutagenesis, 885, 503572.

Highlights

• Exposure of workers to glass fibres was associated with increased levels of DNA damage and higher sensitivity to H₂O₂.
• DNA damage was influenced by catalase activity and glutathione S-transferase levels measured in peripheral blood.
• XRCC1 variants rs3213245 and rs25487 were associated with a decrease in the risk of high DNA oxidation damage.
• Glass fibre exposure did not affect the levels of chromosome aberrations or micronuclei in exposed workers.

As part of a large human biomonitoring study, we conducted occupational monitoring in a glass fibre factory in Slovakia. Shopfloor workers (n = 80), with a matched group of administrators in the same factory (n = 36), were monitored for exposure to glass fibres and to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The impact of occupational exposure on chromosomal aberrations, DNA damage and DNA repair, immunomodulatory markers, and the role of nutritional and lifestyle factors, as well as the effect of polymorphisms in metabolic and DNA repair genes on genetic stability, were investigated.

The (enzyme-modified) comet assay was employed to measure DNA strand breaks (SBs) and apurinic sites, oxidized and alkylated bases. Antioxidant status was estimated by resistance to H₂O₂-induced DNA damage. Base excision repair capacity was measured with an in vitro assay (based on the comet assay).

Exposure of workers to fibres was low, but still was associated with higher levels of SBs, and SBs plus oxidized bases, and higher sensitivity to H₂O₂. Multivariate analysis showed that exposure increased the risk of high levels of SBs by 20%. DNA damage was influenced by antioxidant enzymes catalase and glutathione S-transferase (measured in blood). DNA repair capacity was inversely correlated with DNA damage and positively with antioxidant status. An inverse correlation was found between DNA base oxidation and the percentage of eosinophils (involved in the inflammatory response) in peripheral blood of both exposed and reference groups. Genotypes of XRCC1 variants rs3213245 and rs25487 significantly decreased the risk of high levels of base oxidation, to 0.50 (p = 0.001) and 0.59 (p = 0.001), respectively.

Increases in DNA damage owing to glass fibre exposure were significant but modest, and no increases were seen in chromosome aberrations or micronuclei. However, it is of concern that even low levels of exposure to these fibres can cause significant genetic damage.