Exhaled nitric oxide measurement in workers in a microwave popcorn production plant.
Airways obstruction in microwave-popcorn workers has been attributed to inhalation of flavoring agents. Two former workers at a microwave-popcorn plant were found by lung biopsy to have bronchiolitis obliterans. The study's aim was to determine whether exhaled nitric oxide (FENO) levels were associated with exposure levels, respiratory symptoms, or airways obstruction. A questionnaire, spirometry, and FENO measurements were completed by 135 workers. The FENO levels of workers with high flavoring exposures (n = 107) were compared with those of workers with low exposures (n = 28) and healthy external controls (n = 31). FENO levels were significantly lower in the high-exposure group (p < 0.05). There is no indication that FENO is useful as a marker of lung injury in a flavoring-exposed worker population with a substantial lung disease burden, but the finding of low FENO in the high-exposure group should not be dismissed.
Akpinar-Elci
Muge
M
CDC/NIOSH Division of Respiratory Diseases Studies, Morgantown, West Virginia 26505, USA. melci@cdc.gov
Stemple
Kimberly J
KJ
Elci
Omur Cinar
OC
Dweik
Raed A
RA
Kreiss
Kathleen
K
Enright
Paul L
PL
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000633:toxicity; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D001944:Breath Tests; D001989:Bronchiolitis Obliterans / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005421:Flavoring Agents / Q000633:toxicity; D005511:Food Handling; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008872:Microwaves; D008875:Middle Aged; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D003313:Zea mays
D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D015415:Biomarkers; D005421:Flavoring Agents; D009569:Nitric Oxide