A pilot respiratory health assessment of nail technicians: symptoms, lung function, and airway inflammation.
BACKGROUND
Recent surveys suggest nail technicians, particularly artificial nail applicators, have increased respiratory symptoms and asthma risk.


METHODS
We examined lung function (n = 62) and a marker of airway inflammation, i.e., exhaled nitric oxide (ENO) (n = 43), in a subset of nail technician and control participants in a pilot health assessment.


RESULTS
Bivariate analysis of technicians demonstrated that job latency was inversely correlated with FEV1 percent predicted (FEV1PP) (r = -0.34, P = 0.03) and FVCPP (r = -0.32, P = 0.05). Acrylic gel contact hours were inversely correlated with FEV1PP (r = -0.38, P = 0.02) and FVCPP (r = -0.47, P = 0.003). Current smoking was inversely and significantly (P <or= 0.05) associated with ENO in bivariate analysis. Log 10 ENO levels were directly correlated with job latency (P = 0.012) and gel nail application (P = 0.026) in multivariable analyses.


CONCLUSIONS
These positive pilot respiratory test results warrant additional future investigation.
Reutman
Susan R
SR
Biomonitoring and Health Assessment Branch (BHAB), Division of Applied Research and Technology (DART), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Cincinnati, Ohio 45226-1998, USA. swr0@cdc.gov
Rohs
Amy M
AM
Clark
John C
JC
Johnson
Belinda C
BC
Sammons
Deborah L
DL
Toennis
Christine A
CA
Robertson
Shirley A
SA
MacKenzie
Barbara A
BA
Lockey
James E
JE
D000328:Adult; D001505:Beauty Culture; D001944:Breath Tests; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009262:Nails; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000032:analysis; D016272:Occupational Health; D010865:Pilot Projects; D013147:Spirometry; D055815:Young Adult
D009569:Nitric Oxide