title: Partial protection by respirators on airways responses following exposure in a swine house.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Exposure to swine dust leads to an intense airway inflammation and increased bronchial responsiveness. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effect of a respiratory protection device during exposure in a swine house.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-two subjects, 11 with a respirator, were exposed. Symptoms, body temperature, nasal lavage, and a bronchial metacholine challenge were performed before and 7 hr after exposure. For exposure assessment a nasal sampler was evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The subjects with a respirator showed an attenuated inflammatory nasal response. An increase in bronchial responsiveness was observed in both groups, significantly greater in the unprotected group. The use of respirators reduced endotoxin exposure by more than 90% (assessed by nasal samplers).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of a respirator attenuated the inflammatory response compared with an unprotected group. The minor effect on bronchial responsiveness suggests that gases and/or ultrafine particles may also be important factors.
authors.affiliation: Lung and Allergy Research, The National Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, P.O. Box 287, S-17177 Stockholm, Sweden. lena.palmberg@imm.ki.se
authors.forename: Lena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Palmberg
authors.forename: Britt-Marie
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Larsson
authors.forename: Britt-Marie
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Sundblad
authors.forename: Kjell
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Larsson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis / Q000517:prevention & control; D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D004391:Dust; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D017817:Nasal Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012134:Respiratory Protective Devices; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D004391:Dust