TY - JOUR
T1 - Immunological findings in hemp workers
AU - Zuskin, Eugenija
AU - Kanceljak, Bozica
AU - Schachter, E. Neil
AU - Witek, Theodore J.
AU - Maayani, Saul
AU - Goswami, Satindra
AU - Marom, Zvi
AU - Rienzi, Nicholas
N1 - Funding Information:
An asthma-like disease among hemp workers has been described in the Spanish literature under the name of cannabosis (Barbero Carnicero and Flores Marco, 1944). This disease resembles byssinosis, an occupational airway disease known to occur among cotton and flax workers. Velvart and Stavrovska (1963) reported respiratory disease in hemp workers and found that the severity of the disease was related to the amount of dust in the workplace. Bouhuys et al. (1967) reported that respiratory findings among hemp workers constitute a serious and disabling problem. There are only a few studies examining the importance of immunological find- 1 The research was supported in part by Grant No. YF 733 from the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD; Grant No. RO1-OHO 2593-O1A1 from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Center for Disease Control, Atlanta, GA; and by the Henry and Catherine Gaissman and the Miller Foundations, New York, NY.
PY - 1992/12
Y1 - 1992/12
N2 - Immunological status and its relation to respiratory findings were studied in 42 female textile workers occupationally exposed to hemp dust and in 49 female control workers. Skin prick tests with hemp or flax dust extracts from different parts of the mill in hemp workers demonstrated the following frequencies of positive tests to antigens: a mixture of hemp and flax extracts (64%), followed by flax extracts (48%), hemp from combing machines (41%), hemp from carding marchines (38%), hemp from spinning and weaving machines (33%), and hemp from softening machines (20%). The prevalence of positive skin tests to hemp or flax allergens in control workers was consistently lower, ranging from 21 to 5%. Increased total serum IgE was recorded in 35.7% of hemp workers compared to only 5.0% of control workers (P < 0.05). Hemp workers with positive skin tests had significantly higher prevalences of chronic respiratory symptoms than those with negative skin tests. There were, however, no differences for acute symptoms between workers with positive and negative skin tests. Across-shift changes and baseline lung function were not different when compared by immunologic status. We showed additionally that a water-soluble extract of hemp dust causes a dose-related contraction of nonsensitized guinea pig tracheal smooth muscle when studied in vitro. Our results suggest that frequent immunologic abnormalities can be documented in hemp workers but, with the exception of chronic respiratory symptoms, in general, these do not correlate with respiratory findings.
AB - Immunological status and its relation to respiratory findings were studied in 42 female textile workers occupationally exposed to hemp dust and in 49 female control workers. Skin prick tests with hemp or flax dust extracts from different parts of the mill in hemp workers demonstrated the following frequencies of positive tests to antigens: a mixture of hemp and flax extracts (64%), followed by flax extracts (48%), hemp from combing machines (41%), hemp from carding marchines (38%), hemp from spinning and weaving machines (33%), and hemp from softening machines (20%). The prevalence of positive skin tests to hemp or flax allergens in control workers was consistently lower, ranging from 21 to 5%. Increased total serum IgE was recorded in 35.7% of hemp workers compared to only 5.0% of control workers (P < 0.05). Hemp workers with positive skin tests had significantly higher prevalences of chronic respiratory symptoms than those with negative skin tests. There were, however, no differences for acute symptoms between workers with positive and negative skin tests. Across-shift changes and baseline lung function were not different when compared by immunologic status. We showed additionally that a water-soluble extract of hemp dust causes a dose-related contraction of nonsensitized guinea pig tracheal smooth muscle when studied in vitro. Our results suggest that frequent immunologic abnormalities can be documented in hemp workers but, with the exception of chronic respiratory symptoms, in general, these do not correlate with respiratory findings.
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/0027058814
U2 - 10.1016/S0013-9351(05)80041-6
DO - 10.1016/S0013-9351(05)80041-6
M3 - Article
C2 - 1464288
AN - SCOPUS:0027058814
SN - 0013-9351
VL - 59
SP - 350
EP - 361
JO - Environmental Research
JF - Environmental Research
IS - 2
ER -