Biomarkers of XXXX in workers exposed to compost and sewage dust.

@entity650 @entity2002 @entity32 @entity4725 @entity2071 @entity1851
PURPOSE: The association between exposure during handling of sewage and compost and the serum concentration of inflammatory biomarkers was studied. METHODS: A total of 44 workers exposed to sewage dust, 47 workers exposed to compost dust and 38 referents from the administrative staff participated. Microbial aerosols were collected by personal inhalable samplers. The concentrations of bacterial cells, spores from fungi and bacteria (actinomycetes) and endotoxins were determined by fluorescence and scanning electron microscopy and the Limulus assay. @entity2002 , D-dimer, @entity2071 , @entity4725 and @entity650 were determined by ELISA and @entity1851 ( @entity1851 ) by HS-MicroCRP assay in blood samples collected post-shift. RESULTS: The exposure to dust ranged from 0.02 to 11  mg/m(3), endotoxins from 1 to 3160 EU/m(3) and bacteria from 0 to 209  *  10(6)  cells/m(3). Fungal (0-41  *  10(6)  spores/m(3)) and actinomycetes spores (0-590  *  10(6) actinomycetes spores/m(3)) were observed only at compost plants. The exposed workers had significantly higher @entity2002 (arithmetic mean 3.3  mg/ml) and @entity1851 (geometric mean 1.5  mg/L) compared to the referents (2.8 and 1.0  mg/L, respectively). The serum concentration of @entity1851 was negatively associated with forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) in   % of predicted. Exposure to inhalable dust and bacteria was positively associated with the serum concentration of @entity2071 . CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that exposure to bacteria and dust when handling sewage and compost may initiate an @entity32 shown by an increase in serum concentration of @entity2071 . The higher concentrations of @entity2002 and @entity1851 in exposed workers compared to the referents may reflect a low-grade systemic @entity32 .
