title: Longitudinal pulmonary functional loss in cotton textile workers: a 5-year follow-up study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Occupational exposure to cotton dust causes several diseases affecting the lungs, but only limited information is available on effects of long-term exposure. In this study, we aimed to evaluate longitudinal changes in selected parameters of pulmonary function in textile workers.
  
  
  METHODS
  This prospective cohort study began with 196 textile workers in 2006 and was completed in 2011 with 49 workers. We used standardized tests for pulmonary function on participants on the first day of the workweek in June of 2006 and 2011. Environmental samples of cotton dust were gathered with a vertical elutriator. Loss of pulmonary function was assessed based on gender and smoking status.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean number of years participants worked in the textile factory was 7.61 ± 1.83 years, and the mean age was 35.3+5.8 years. The annual FEV1 loss of all workers was 53.2 ml, giving a ratio of annual FEV1 loss to baseline FEV1 of 1.4%. Pulmonary function parameters of all participants in 2011 were significantly lower than those in 2006 (for all, p<0.05). In both surveys, pulmonary function in current smokers was lower, but this difference was not significant (p>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides the first data on pulmonary functional loss in Turkish textile workers and supports the findings of other cohort studies that workers with long-term exposure to cotton dust may lose some pulmonary function. The ratio of annual FEV1 loss to baseline FEV1 appears to be a more accurate and comparable method than annual FEV1 loss for evaluating pulmonary functional loss.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chest Disease, Kahramanmaras Sutcu İimam University, Faculty of Medicine, Kahramanmaras, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hasan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kahraman
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Kahramanmaras Sutcu İimam University, Faculty of Medicine, Kahramanmaras, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mustafa Haki
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Sucakli
authors.affiliation: Department of Chest Disease, Inonu University, Faculty of Medicine, Malatya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Talat
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kilic
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Kahramanmaras Sutcu İimam University, Kahramanmaras, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Celik
authors.affiliation: Department of Chest Disease, Ondokuz Mayis University, Faculty of Medicine, Samsun, Turkey.
authors.forename: Nurhan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Koksal
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Sakarya University, Faculty of Medicine, Sakarya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hasan Cetin
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Ekerbicer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D032561:Cotton Fiber; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013783:Textile Industry; D014421:Turkey