title: Impact of occupational cadmium exposure on spirometry, sputum leukocyte count, and lung cell DNA damage among Indian goldsmiths.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cadmium is frequently used in manual jewelry industries. Although its toxicity on lung function is well-known, the mechanism is not well-understood.
  
  
  METHODS
  Among 26 goldsmiths exposed to cadmium (mean age 35.9 ± 5.0 years) and 17 referent workers without direct exposure (36.6 ± 6.6 years), we measured blood and urinary cadmium concentration and performed spirometry and quantified leukocytes and comet formation in the cells from spontaneously expectorated sputum samples.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The goldsmiths had higher cadmium concentration in urine (mean 6.14 ± 1.63 vs. 0.47 ± 0.17 μg/dl) and blood (0.90 ± 0.23 vs. 0.02 ± 0.007 μg/dl) than the referents, which were inversely associated with FEV1 /FVC. Cadmium exposure also resulted in higher neutrophils (%) and lower macrophage (%) prevalence in the sputum and also caused substantial DNA damage in the lung cells among the goldsmiths than the referents (69 vs. 14%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Altered lung function among cadmium-exposed goldsmiths was associated with enhanced inflammatory response and increased cellular DNA damage in the lungs.
authors: Ergonomics & Occupational Physiology Laboratory, Department of Physiology, University of Kalyani, Kalyani, India.|Molecular Respiratory Research Laboratory, Chest Research Foundation, Pune, India.
authors: Subhabrata
authors: S
authors: Moitra
authors: Immunology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India.
authors: Kaustav
authors: K
authors: Chakraborty
authors: Immunology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India.
authors: Arindam
authors: A
authors: Bhattacharyya
authors: Ergonomics & Occupational Physiology Laboratory, Department of Physiology, University of Kalyani, Kalyani, India.
authors: Subhashis
authors: S
authors: Sahu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002104:Cadmium / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity* / Q000652:urine; D004249:DNA Damage; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D055498:Jewelry / Q000633:toxicity*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013147:Spirometry; D013183:Sputum / Q000187:drug effects*; D044465:White People
chemical_list: D002104:Cadmium
keywords: cadmium; comet assay; jewelry industry; occupational exposure; sputum