The effects of silica exposure on upper airways and eyes in denim sandblasters.
OBJECTIVE
Silicosis due to denim (or jean) sandblasters is newly described cause of silicosis. In such cases lungs are severely affected due to heavy exposure to silica without serious protection. We aimed to investigate whether silica had an effect on the upper airways and eyes.


METHODS
The study included the patients recently diagnosed with silicosis. For comparisons, a control group was constituted. Firstly, a questionnaire was performed to obtain demographic and exposure characteristics of the cases. Later, routine nasal examination by endoscope and routine eye examination by slit-lamp microscope were performed to investigate presence of rhinitis and/or adenoid vegetation and eye findings associated with dust exposure, respectively, in both patient and control groups. Punch biopsies of the adenoid tissue were obtained using an endoscopic telescope with the patient under local anesthesia and sent for histopathologic examination. In addition, nasal pH and mucociliary clearance were investigated. Both pH and saccharin nasal transport time (SNTT) measurements were performed by two physicians, who reached a final consensus.


RESULTS
The study group consisted of 83 male silicotics with an average age of 23 +/- 6 years, and the control group consisted of 84 age and gender matched healthy individuals. Their mean exposure time was 40 +/- 26 months. On routine nasal examination, silicotics had higher rates of rhinitis (28.9% versus 16.7%) mostly ipsilaterally (p = 0.01), adenoid vegetation (32.5% versus 13.3%/, p < 0.05), conjunctival hyperaemia (70% versus 45%, p < 0.001), pingueculae (68% versus 23%, p < 0.01), papillar formation (40% versus 28%), and higher nasal pH values (7.9 +/- 0.7 versus 6.9 +/- 0.6, p < 0.001), higher SNTT values (19.9 +/- 2.9 versus 10.9 +/- 1.9, p < 0.001) compared with the controls.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of our study suggest that upper airways and eyes are considerably affected in the patients with silicosis. Thus, appropriate protection is required to prevent the development of such problems in denim sandblasters.
Yoruk
Ozgur
O
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Ataturk University Medical Faculty, Erzurum, Turkey. dryoruk_40@hotmail.com
Ates
Orhan
O
Araz
Omer
O
Aktan
Bulent
B
Alper
Fatih
F
Sutbeyaz
Yavuz
Y
Altas
Enver
E
Erdogan
Fazli
F
Ucuncu
Harun
H
Akgun
Metin
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D004724:Endoscopy; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008297:Male; D009668:Nose Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012829:Silicosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013783:Textile Industry; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology