title: Plasma catecholamine levels and neurobehavioral problems in Indian firefighters.
abstract: Firefighting is a stressful and hazardous job. Persons engaged in firefighting are highly exposed to work-related stress as well as to smoke containing a host of chemicals potentially harmful to human health. In order to elucidate whether firefighting affects neuroendocrine and behavioral responses of firefighters, plasma catecholamine (CA) levels and the prevalence of neurobehavioral symptoms in 62 firefighters (all males, mean age 43 yr) and 52 control subjects matched for age and sex were examined in this study. Self-reported neurobehavioral symptoms data were obtained from a questionnaire survey and personal interview. Concentrations of epinephrine (E), norepinephrine (NE) and dopamine (DA) in plasma were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. Compared with matched controls, the firefighters showed higher prevalence (p<0.05) of neurobehavioral symptoms such as burning sensation in the extremities, tingling and numbness, transient loss of memory, and depression, but no significant difference was recorded in the prevalences of anxiety, vertigo and dizziness. The firefighters demonstrated a more than two-fold (p<0.05) rise in plasma levels of E and NE, but the plasma DA level was relatively unchanged. Controlling age and smoking as possible confounders, firefighting was found to be associated with raised E (OR=2.15; 95% CI, 0.98-4.52), and NE levels (OR=2.24 95% CI, 1.22-3.61). In conclusion, the job of firefighting appears to be associated with stimulation of sympathetic activity and a rise in the prevalence of neurobehavioral symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Experimental Hematology Unit, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute, Kolkata, India. manasrray@rediffmail.com
authors.forename: Manas R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Ray
authors.forename: Chandreyi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Basu
authors.forename: Sanghita
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Roychoudhury
authors.forename: Sampa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Banik
authors.forename: Twisha
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lahiri
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000097:blood*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005390:Fires; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D020258:Neurotoxicity Syndromes / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D002395:Catecholamines