Evaluation of nasal mucociliary functions with rhinoscintigraphy in coal workers' pneumoconiosis.
OBJECTIVE
To compare nasal mucociliary clearance (NMC) functions in coal workers with pneumoconiosis, coal workers without pneumoconiosis and healthy controls by using technetium-99m-labeled macroaggregated albumin rhinoscintigraphy.


METHODS
Sixty-five of the 86 coal workers were clinically documented as suffering from coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP group). CWP workers were divided into two groups according to smoking status: 44 smokers (CWP-S) and 21 nonsmokers (CWP-NS). Twenty-one workers without pneumoconiosis (NCWP group) were similarly divided into two groups: 12 smokers (NCWP-S) and 9 nonsmokers (NCWP-NS). Thirty-three healthy male volunteers were selected for the control group [15 smokers (control-S), 18 nonsmokers (control-NS)]. The half-time (t1/2) value for the clearance of the radiopharmaceutical was calculated for each patient.


RESULTS
Mean t1/2 values for CWP-S, CWP-NS, NCWP-S, NCWP-NS, control-S and control-NS were 25.10 +/- 7.75, 10.97 +/- 3.24, 14.68 +/- 4.98, 9.17 +/- 3.71, 19.15 +/- 5.04 and 15.08 +/- 5.11, respectively (p < 0.001, Kruskal-Wallis variance analysis). Further, mean t1/2 values of smokers versus nonsmokers in CWP, NCWP and control groups were compared, and it was found that although smoking prolonged nasal transport time in all three groups, the difference was significant only in the CWP group (p < 0.001, p < 0.023 and p < 0.027, respectively, Bonferroni-adjusted Mann-Whitney test).


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings demonstrated a synergistic detrimental effect of smoking with coal dust exposure on nasal transport time.
Department of Nuclear Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Zonguldak Karaelmas University, Kozlu-Zonguldak, Turkey. ipeksoy@hotmail.com
Irfan
I
Peksoy
Mehmet Birol
MB
Ugur
Remzi
R
Altin
Fikret
F
Cinar
Lokman
L
Uzun
Mehmet
M
Cabuk
Levent
L
Kart
D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003032:Coal Mining; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009079:Mucociliary Clearance / Q000502:physiology*; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011009:Pneumoconiosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000503:physiopathology*
D015415:Biomarkers