Intima-media thickness of the common carotid artery in highway toll collectors.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the effects of exposure to exhaust particles on intima-media thickness of the common carotid artery in highway toll collectors.


METHODS
Sixty-one highway toll collectors (HTCs) between 24 and 56 years of age (mean, 36.2 +/- 7.3) and 48 controls between 24 and 64 years of age (mean, 42.6 +/- 10.6) were evaluated with gray-scale sonography to measure intima-media thickness (IMT) of the common carotid artery (CCA). Subgroups were categorized according to duration of exhaust exposure and further divided according to tobacco use.


RESULTS
CCA IMT was higher (0.8 +/- 0.2 mm) in HTCs than in the control group (0.6 +/- 0.1 mm; p < 0.001) and remained higher when subgroups with similar smoking habits were compared. In HTCs, IMT was greater when the number of years working in tollbooths was greater (p = 0.023). IMT was lower in HTCs with an exposure duration of < 10 years compared with a duration of 10-20 years (p = 0.017) or > 20 years (p value not significant).


CONCLUSIONS
Air pollution has a widely acknowledged negative effect on humans. This study confirms that exposure to exhaust particles might cause wall thickening of carotid arteries.
Erdogmus
Besir
B
Department of Radiology, Abant Izzet Baysal University, Duzce Medical School, Konuralp, 81620 Duzce, Turkey.
Yazici
Burhan
B
Annakkaya
Ali Nihat
AN
Bilgin
Cahit
C
Safak
Alp Alper
AA
Arbak
Peri
P
Tugay
Ali
A
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D012044:Regression Analysis; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D014463:Ultrasonography; D001335:Vehicle Emissions
D001335:Vehicle Emissions