RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: Noise exposure is associated with elevated blood pressure, but the effects on susceptible workers have not been reported. This repeated-measure study investigated the effects of noise exposure on 24-h ambulatory blood pressure among hypertensive, pre-hypertensive, and normotensive adults. METHODS: We enrolled 113 volunteers in an occupational cohort in 2009. Individual noise exposure and personal blood pressure were measured simultaneously over 24âh on working and non-working days. Linear mixed-effects regressions were used to estimate the effects on SBP and DBP by controlling for potential confounders. RESULTS: Each A-weighted decibel (dBA) increase in a 30-min time-lagged exposure was associated with transient elevations of work-time SBP [0.30 (95% confidence interval: 0.06, 0.54) mmHg] on working days as well as sleep-time SBP [0.39 (0.12, 0.66) mmHg] and DBP [0.33 (0.14, 0.51) mmHg] on non-working days among 19 hypertensive adults. In contrast, 46 normotensive workers had transient increases in work-time SBP [0.16 (0.03, 0.29) mmHg] and DBP [0.25 (0.15, 0.34) mmHg] on working days as well as sleep-time SBP [0.17 (0.06, 0.29) mmHg] and DBP [0.21 (0.14, 0.29) mmHg] on non-working days caused by a 1-dBA increase in the current exposure. All groups had sustained increases in 24-h average ambulatory SBP and DBP induced by noise exposure on 2 days, but the hypertensive workers had the most pronounced increase in SBP. CONCLUSION: Hypertensive adults are more susceptible to noise exposure with a greater effect on ambulatory SBP. These results suggest a need for more protection for this subpopulation.
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Presión Sanguínea , Hipertensión/etiología , Ruido/efectos adversos , Exposición Profesional/efectos adversos , Adulto , Monitoreo Ambulatorio de la Presión Arterial , Estudios de Cohortes , Femenino , Humanos , Modelos Lineales , Masculino , Persona de Mediana EdadRESUMEN
The associations between occupational noise exposure and hypertension remain controversial because of the differences in study designs, exposure assessments, and confounding controls. This prospective study investigated the relationship between noise exposure and the 10-year risk of hypertension. A cohort of 578 male workers in Taiwan was followed from 1998 to 2008. All subjects were divided into high-, intermediate-, and low-exposure groups on the basis of noise exposure assessment. Cox regression models were used to estimate the relative risks of hypertension after adjustment for potential confounders. During the 7,805 person-years of follow-up, 141 hypertension cases were identified. Significant increases of 3.2 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.2, 6.2) mm Hg in systolic blood pressure and 2.5 (95% CI: 0.1, 4.8) mm Hg in diastolic blood pressure between the baseline and follow-up measurements were observed in the high-exposure group. Participants exposed to ≥85 A-weighted decibels (dBA) had a 1.93-fold (95% CI: 1.15, 3.22) risk of hypertension compared with those exposed to <80 dBA. There was a significant exposure-response pattern (P = 0.016) between the risk of hypertension and the stratum of noise exposure. Prolonged exposure to noise levels ≥85 dBA may increase males' systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels. This association may translate into a higher incidence of hypertension.
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Presión Sanguínea , Hipertensión/epidemiología , Hipertensión/etiología , Ruido en el Ambiente de Trabajo/efectos adversos , Enfermedades Profesionales/epidemiología , Enfermedades Profesionales/etiología , Adulto , Aeronaves , Consumo de Bebidas Alcohólicas/efectos adversos , Estudios de Cohortes , Intervalos de Confianza , Estudios de Seguimiento , Humanos , Hipertensión/fisiopatología , Incidencia , Industrias , Masculino , Enfermedades Profesionales/fisiopatología , Modelos de Riesgos Proporcionales , Estudios Prospectivos , Medición de Riesgo , Factores de Riesgo , Fumar/efectos adversos , Encuestas y Cuestionarios , Taiwán/epidemiologíaRESUMEN
Exposure to environmental noise has been associated with hypertension, but the related mechanism of vascular structural changes is unclear. This repeated-measure study investigated the effects of noise exposure on the 24-h ambulatory vascular structural properties in 66 adults aged 18-32 years. Individual noise exposure and personal vascular parameters were measured simultaneously in all subjects. Linear mixed-effects regressions were used to estimate the effects. A 1-A-weighted decibel (dBA) increase was significantly associated with the transient effects of 1.39 (95% confidence interval: 1.07, 1.79) %mL/mmHg in arterial compliance at nighttime but -1.70 (-2.05, -1.10) kdynes·s/cm(5) in arterial resistance during the daytime and -2.38 (-3.44, -1.64) kdynes·s/cm(5) in arterial resistance at nighttime among all subjects. Such effects were observed in arterial distensibility only during the daytime after the 30-min (-1.84 [-2.61, -1.29] %/mmHg) and 60-min (-2.06 [-2.95, -1.44] %/mmHg) time-lagged noise exposures. For 24-h environmental noise, a 1-dBA increment was significantly associated with a sustained increase of 1.25 (1.10, 1.42) %mL/mmHg in arterial compliance but a decrease of 2.12 (-2.51, -1.80) kdynes·s/cm(5) in arterial resistance. Environmental noise exposure may have transient and sustained effects on adult vascular properties.
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Vasos Sanguíneos/fisiología , Monitoreo Fisiológico , Ruido/efectos adversos , Adolescente , Adulto , Humanos , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
Diesel engine exhaust contains large numbers of submicrometer particles that degrade air quality and human health. This study examines the number emission characteristics of 10-1000 nm nonvolatile particles from a heavy-duty diesel engine, operating with various waste cooking oil biodiesel blends (B2, B10 and B20), engine loads (0%, 25%, 50% and 75%) and a diesel oxidation catalyst plus diesel particulate filter (DOC+DPF) under steady modes. For a given load, the total particle number concentrations (N(TOT)) decrease slightly, while the mode diameters show negligible changes with increasing biodiesel blends. For a given biodiesel blend, both the N(TOT) and mode diameters increase modestly with increasing load of above 25%. The N(TOT) at idle are highest and their size distributions are strongly affected by condensation and possible nucleation of semivolatile materials. Nonvolatile cores of diameters less than 16 nm are only observed at idle mode. The DOC+DPF shows remarkable filtration efficiency for both the core and soot particles, irrespective of the biodiesel blend and engine load under study. The N(TOT) post the DOC+DPF are comparable to typical ambient levels of ≈ 10(4)cm(-3). This implies that, without concurrent reductions of semivolatile materials, the formation of semivolatile nucleation mode particles post the after treatment is highly favored.
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Biocombustibles , Emisiones de Vehículos , Oxidación-Reducción , Tamaño de la Partícula , VolatilizaciónRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Qigong, similar to Tai Chi Chuan, is beneficial to health. In Taiwan, Waitankung, a type of Qigong, is as popular as Tai Chi Chuan. This population-based comparison study compares the health-related quality of life between people practicing Waitankung and their comparable community residents. METHODS: A total of 165 individuals practicing Waitankung were matched by age and sex with 660 general individuals for comparison. Information about health-related quality of life, measured by the SF-36, and other basic and health conditions was obtained from the questionnaires. This study used the linear mixed-effect regression model to examine the association between health-related quality of life and the practice of Waitankung. RESULTS: Compared with either sedentary individuals or individuals practicing other types of exercise, the Waitankung group scored higher for eight and five out of ten SF-36 components, respectively. The Waitankung group scored better in general health, vitality, and physical component summary compared to individuals participating in other types of exercise, even when considering the energy expended by exercise. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that Waitankung exercising is significantly associated with health-related quality of life. Waitankung may serve as an exercise choice for middle-aged and older people to improve overall quality of life.
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Ejercicios Respiratorios , Calidad de Vida , Anciano , Estudios Transversales , Femenino , Estado de Salud , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Encuestas y Cuestionarios , TaiwánRESUMEN
Exposure to pesticides has the capacity to cause mitochondrial dysfunction. An increase mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) content has also been suggested to relate with DNA damaging agent. In mitochondria, the manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) is a scavenger of reactive oxygen species, and the 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase (OGG1) is the major DNA glycosylase for the repair of 8-oxoG lesions. However, the alteration of mtDNA content elicited by pesticide exposure in people with genetic variations in MnSOD or OGG1 has not been investigated. In this study, the mitochondrial to nuclear DNA ratio was quantified in the peripheral blood of 120 fruit growers who experienced pesticide exposure and 106 unexposed controls by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (real-time qPCR). Questionnaires were administered to obtain demographic data and occupational history. The MnSOD and OGG1 genotypes were identified by the PCR based restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. After adjusting for confounding effects, multiple regression model revealed that subjects experiencing high or low pesticide exposure had a greater mtDNA content than that of controls. The OGG1 Ser-Ser genotype was also associated with an increased mtDNA content. No association between MnSOD genotype and mtDNA content was revealed. Thus, subjects experiencing pesticide exposure had greater mtDNA content and the OGG1 genotype may modulate mtDNA content in pesticide-exposed fruit growers.
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ADN Glicosilasas/genética , ADN Mitocondrial/análisis , Frutas , Exposición Profesional/efectos adversos , Plaguicidas/toxicidad , Polimorfismo Genético , Adulto , Agricultura , Estudios Transversales , Femenino , Genotipo , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Superóxido Dismutasa/genéticaRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: The association between occupational noise exposure and hypertension is inconsistent because of an exposure bias caused by outer-ear measurements of noise levels among workers. This study used hearing loss values (HLVs) measured at 4 kHz and 6 kHz in both ears as a biomarker to investigate the chronic effects of noise exposure on hypertension in 790 aircraft-manufacturing workers. METHODS: Participants were divided into a high hearing loss (HL) group (n = 214; average HLVs ≥ 30 decibel [dB] at 4 kHz or 6 kHz bilaterally; 83.1 ± 4.9 A-weighted decibel [dBA]), a median HL group (n = 302; 15 ≤ average HLVs < 30 dB at 4 kHz or 6 kHz bilaterally; 83.1 ± 4.4 dBA) and a low HL group (n = 274; average HLVs < 15 dB at 4 kHz or 6 kHz bilaterally; 82.2 ± 5.1 dBA) based on the results of pure tone audiometry. Multivariate logistic regressions were used to estimate the risk of hypertension between groups. RESULTS: The prevalence rates of hypertension were significantly higher in the high HL (43.5%; p = 0.021) and median HL (42.1%; p = 0.029) groups than in the low HL group (33.2%). The high HL and median HL workers had 1.48-fold (95% confidence interval [95%CI] = 1.02-2.15; p = 0.040) and 1.46-fold (95%CI = 1.03-2.05; p = 0.031) higher risks of hypertension relative to the low HL workers. Employment duration was significantly and positively correlated with the risk of hypertension among workers with average HLVs ≥ 15 dB at 4 kHz (p < 0.001) and 6 kHz (p < 0.001) bilaterally. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that high-frequency hearing loss is a good biomarker of occupational noise exposure and that noise-induced hearing loss may be associated with the risk of hypertension.
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Pérdida Auditiva de Alta Frecuencia/epidemiología , Hipertensión/etiología , Ruido en el Ambiente de Trabajo/efectos adversos , Enfermedades Profesionales/epidemiología , Aeronaves , Biomarcadores , Estudios Transversales , Pérdida Auditiva de Alta Frecuencia/etiología , Pérdida Auditiva Provocada por Ruido/epidemiología , Pérdida Auditiva Provocada por Ruido/etiología , Humanos , Hipertensión/epidemiología , Modelos Logísticos , Masculino , Enfermedades Profesionales/etiología , Exposición Profesional/efectos adversos , Prevalencia , Factores de Riesgo , TaiwánRESUMEN
This study aimed to determine the concentration of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and investigate the impacts of traffic and industrial activities on the concentration of VOCs near the Central Taiwan Science Park (CTSP) in Taiwan during 2005. Twelve-hour canister sampling was performed at 10 sites near CTSP every season. Samples were analyzed by gas chromatography with a mass-selective detector. The traffic flow rate, industrial production rates, and meteorological information were also collected to assess their impacts on VOC concentrations using multiple linear regression models. The major components determined in the atmosphere were toluene (29.4-218.8 microg m(-3)), acetone (30-71.3 microg m(-3)), m/p-xylene (7.8-51.7 microg m(-3)), and ethanol (16.4-47.8 microg m(-3)); only ethanol revealed a pattern of increasing concentration from spring to winter. The log-transformed mean concentrations of toluene, acetone, and ethanol were significantly associated with the production rates of the optoelectronic companies after adjustment for traffic flow and meteorological factors (P < 0.05). There was no significant association between the total traffic flow rate and any log-transformed mean concentrations of VOCs. Each $1 million (U.S.) increase in optoelectronic sales was significantly associated with increasing mean concentrations of 1.29 +/- 1.08 microg m(-3) for toluene, 1.13 +/- 1.05 microg m(-3) for acetone, and 1.25 +/- 1.09 microg m(-3) for ethanol. The authors' findings suggest that optoelectronic industrial activities are still the predominant source for VOC emissions surrounding this industrial park.
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Contaminantes Atmosféricos/análisis , Residuos Industriales/análisis , Emisiones de Vehículos/análisis , Compuestos Orgánicos Volátiles/análisis , Monitoreo del Ambiente , Estaciones del Año , Taiwán , Tiempo (Meteorología)RESUMEN
Independent exposure to noise, N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), or toluene has been associated with cardiovascular effects, but the combined effects are not clear. This study investigated ambulatory systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in workers co-exposed to noise, DMF, and toluene. Twenty workers in a synthetic leather manufacturing company were recruited as study subjects. Personal noise exposure and ambulatory blood pressure were measured concomitantly for 24 hr; airborne co-exposure to DMF and toluene during the working period was also analyzed to identify solvents exposure. Linear mixed-effects regressions were used to estimate effects on ambulatory blood pressure by controlling potential confounders. Four high-combined-exposure workers (83 +/- 8 dBA; DMF: 3.23 +/- 2.15 ppm, toluene: 1.09 +/- 1.13 ppm) had the higher means of 16 +/- 7 mmHg in 24-hr DBP (p = 0.027) and 21 +/- 8 mmHg in working-time DBP (p = 0.048) than seven low-combined-exposure workers (73 +/- 12 dBA; DMF: 0.41 +/- 0.02 ppm, toluene: 0.12 +/- 0.01 ppm). Three high-noise-exposure workers (84 +/- 7 dBA) also had a marginal increase of 13 +/- 6 mmHg in DBP at work (p = 0.076) compared with the control group. No significant differences in SBP and DBP were found between six high-solvent-exposure workers (DMF: 1.24 +/- 1.25 ppm, toluene: 2.63 +/- 1.29 ppm) and office workers during any periods. After the Bonferroni correction, there were no significant differences in ambulatory blood pressure between three high-exposure groups and the low-exposure groups. Our findings suggest no interactive effects of co-exposure to noise, DMF, and toluene on workers' ambulatory blood pressure.
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Formamidas/análisis , Hipertensión/etiología , Ruido en el Ambiente de Trabajo/efectos adversos , Exposición Profesional/efectos adversos , Tolueno/análisis , Adulto , Monitoreo Ambulatorio de la Presión Arterial , Estudios de Casos y Controles , Dimetilformamida , Humanos , Persona de Mediana Edad , Industria TextilRESUMEN
Evidence has accumulated concerning the adverse effects of noise on hearing acuity, but it is not clear whether working shifts may decelerate the effects of hearing loss. The objective of this study is to assess the effects of shift work on hearing loss in a noisy work environment. A sample of 218 male workers recruited at a semiconductor factory with no known occupational hazards that affected hearing acuity other than noise was chosen. The subjects worked either in an eight-hour or 12-hour shift. A standardized audiometric procedure was performed by a qualified audiologist to measure pure-tone hearing thresholds at 0.5 kHz, 1 kHz, 2 kHz, 3 kHz, 4 kHz, 6 kHz and 8 kHz in both ears. Using multiple linear regression adjusted for age, smoking habits, and work duration, the results showed that the severity of hearing loss in both ears was significantly lower in subjects who worked a 12-hour shift. In conclusion, working a 12-hour shift followed by a day off is best for workers and hearing protection should be provided in high noise areas.
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Pérdida Auditiva Provocada por Ruido/prevención & control , Ruido en el Ambiente de Trabajo/efectos adversos , Admisión y Programación de Personal , Adulto , Estudios Transversales , Monitoreo del Ambiente , Pérdida Auditiva Provocada por Ruido/etiología , Humanos , Masculino , Ruido en el Ambiente de Trabajo/estadística & datos numéricosRESUMEN
Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that environmental noise exposure is associated with hypertension in middle-aged and older populations, but the relationship in the young subpopulation and between the genders is still unclear. This panel study investigated effects of environmental noise exposure on 24-h ambulatory blood pressure in 60 adults aged 18-32 years. Individual noise exposure and personal blood pressure were measured simultaneously for 30 males and 30 females. Linear mixed-effects regression models were applied to estimate effects. Total subjects (56.6+/-16.5A-weighted decibels (dBA)) had transient elevations of 1.15 (95% CI=0.86-1.43)mmHg SBP and 1.16 (0.93-1.38)mmHg DBP at daytime, as well as 0.74 (0.21-1.26)mmHg SBP and 0.77 (0.34-1.20)mmHg DBP at nighttime, significantly associated with a 5-dBA increase in noise exposure. Such effects on SBP and DBP still persisted at the 30- and 60-min time-lagged noise exposure. Per 5-dBA increase in 24-h average noise exposure was significantly associated with sustained increments of 1.15 (0.76-1.54)mmHg SBP and 1.27 (0.96-1.58)mmHg DBP in males (57.4+/-16.0dBA), as well as the higher levels of 1.65 (1.36-1.94)mmHg SBP and 1.51 (1.27-1.75)mmHg DBP in females (55.9+/-17.0dBA). We found that environmental noise exposure may have elevated effects on adults' blood pressure. Young females are more susceptible to noise exposure than males.
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Presión Sanguínea/fisiología , Exposición a Riesgos Ambientales/efectos adversos , Hipertensión/etiología , Ruido/efectos adversos , Adolescente , Adulto , Monitoreo Ambulatorio de la Presión Arterial , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Análisis de Regresión , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
OBJECTIVES: Independent exposure to noise or organic solvents is reported to be associated with cardiovascular effects, but the effect of joint exposure is unclear. The present study aimed to investigate effects of noise, a mixture of organic solvents (N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) and toluene) and their interaction on hypertension. METHODS: We recruited 59 volunteers working in a synthetic leather manufacturing company during 2005-2006. Both personal noise exposure and airborne co-exposure to DMF and toluene at work were measured and used to calculate the mixed hazard index (HI). Multivariate logistic regressions were conducted to estimate between-group differences of hypertension by controlling for potential confounders. RESULTS: We found that 18 co-exposure workers (82.22 +/- 2.70 dBA and a mixed HI of 0.53 +/- 0.20) had the highest prevalence of hypertension (55.6%) compared to 15 solvent-exposure workers (a mixed HI of 0.32 +/- 0.18; 46.7%), 9 noise-exposure workers (84.13 +/- 2.30 dBA; 44.4%) and 17 low-exposure workers (11.8%). The adjusted odds ratio (OR) of hypertension compared to low-exposure workers increased from 7.9 times (95% confidence interval (CI)=0.9-66.3; p=0.06) in solvent-exposure workers and 9.1 times (OR=9.1, 95% CI=1.0-81.1; p<0.05) in noise-exposure workers to 13.5 times (95% CI=1.5-117.8; p<0.05) in co-exposure workers. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that co-exposure to noise, DMF and toluene is associated with hypertension in synthetic leather workers. Simultaneous exposure to noise and a mixture of organic solvents may have a sub-additive effect on the risk of hypertension.
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Presión Sanguínea/fisiología , Hipertensión/inducido químicamente , Ruido en el Ambiente de Trabajo/efectos adversos , Exposición Profesional/efectos adversos , Solventes/efectos adversos , Administración por Inhalación , Adulto , Estudios Transversales , Dimetilformamida , Femenino , Formamidas/administración & dosificación , Formamidas/efectos adversos , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Exposición Profesional/análisis , Solventes/administración & dosificación , Taiwán , Tolueno/administración & dosificación , Tolueno/efectos adversosRESUMEN
Humic acid (HA) in well water used by the inhabitants for drinking is one of the possible etiological factors for blackfoot disease (BFD). Moreover, within BFD endemic areas cancers occur at significantly higher rates than in areas free of BFD. In this study, the genotoxic potential of HA is assessed using human peripheral blood lymphocytes. The cells were exposed to HA (0-200 microg/mL for 2 h), and the induction of DNA primary damage in cellular DNA was evaluated by single-cell gel electrophoresis (comet assay). HA-induced DNA damage was decreased by superoxide (O(2)(-)), hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)), and reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavengers (superoxide dismutase, catalase, and Trolox), and nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitors (N(G)-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester and N(G)-methyl-l-arginine). Moreover, formamidopyrimidine-DNA glycosylase (Fpg) and endonuclease III (Endo III), known to catalyze the excision of oxidized bases, increase the amount of DNA migration in HA-treated cells. Pretreatment of the cells with both the Ca(2+)-chelator BAPTA and EGTA completely inhibited HA-induced DNA damage, indicating that HA-induced changes in Ca(2+)-homeostasis are the predominant pathways for the HA induction of genotoxicity. Furthermore, sister chromatid exchange was found in the HA-treated lymphocytes. Our findings suggest that HA can induce oxidative DNA damage and genotoxicity in human lymphocytes.
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Daño del ADN , Sustancias Húmicas/toxicidad , Contaminantes del Agua/toxicidad , Catalasa/farmacología , Células Cultivadas , Quelantes/farmacología , Cromanos/farmacología , Ensayo Cometa , Daño del ADN/efectos de los fármacos , ADN-Formamidopirimidina Glicosilasa/farmacología , Desoxirribonucleasa (Dímero de Pirimidina)/farmacología , Ácido Egtácico/farmacología , Proteínas de Escherichia coli/farmacología , Humanos , Linfocitos/efectos de los fármacos , NG-Nitroarginina Metil Éster/farmacología , Fenantrolinas/farmacología , Intercambio de Cromátides Hermanas , Superóxido Dismutasa/farmacología , omega-N-Metilarginina/farmacologíaRESUMEN
INTRODUCTION: Assessing an individual's level of Yang deficiency (Yang-Xu) by its manifestations is a frequent issue in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) clinical trials. To this end, an objective, reliable and rigorous diagnostic tool is required. This study aimed to develop a first final version of the Yang-Xu Constitution Questionnaire. METHODS: We conducted 3 steps to develop such an objective measurement tool: 1) the research team was formed and a panel of 26 experts was selected for the Delphi process; 2) items for the questionnaire were generated by literature review and a Delphi process; items were reworded into colloquial questions; face and content validity of the items were evaluated through a Delphi process again; 3) the difficulty of the questionnaire was evaluated in a pilot study with 81 subjects aged 20-60 years. RESULTS: The literature review retrieved 35 relevant items which matched the definition of 'constitution' and 'Yang-Xu'. After a first Delphi process, 22 items were retained and translated into colloquial questions. According to the second part of the Delphi process, the content validity index of each of the 22 questions ranged between 0.85-1. These 22 questions were evaluated by 81 subjects, 2 questions that were hard to tell the difference were combined; 3 questions were modified after the research team had discussed the participants' feedback. Finally, the questionnaire was established with 21 questions. CONCLUSIONS: This first final version of a questionnaire to assess Yang-Xu constitution with considerable face and content validity may serve as a basis to develop an advanced Yang-Xu questionnaire.
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Constitución Corporal , Técnica Delphi , Deficiencia Yang/diagnóstico , Adulto , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
This study determined the effects of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) on fetal growth by measuring neonatal birth outcomes and the extent of maternal DNA damage, and investigating the relationships among gene polymorphisms, genotoxicity, and pregnancy outcomes of expectant mothers who had exposed to tobacco smoke. This prospective study enrolled 685 pregnant women who completed an initial questionnaire at three central Taiwan hospitals between 2003 and 2004. Genotype analyses of CYP1A1, GSTT1, GSTM1, and NAT2 were performed from 421 women. A total of 398 women completed the follow-up analysis and successfully delivered a live single baby (n=384). Comet assay was performed for 18 smokers, 143 ETS-exposed subjects and 130 non-smokers to measure DNA damage. Analytical findings indicated that the levels of DNA damage among smokers and ETS-exposed subjects were significantly higher than that of non-smokers. DNA damage score in the ETS-exposed group was 84.3+/-44.3 and 63.5+/35.0 [corrected] for the nonsmoking group (p<0.001). Risk of DNA damage (DNA strand breakage, sister chromatid exchange, cell transformation and escalation of cytotoxicity) for subjects exposed to ETS was 7.49 times (adjusted odds ratio; 95% CI, 1.27-44.20) [corrected] greater than that of non-exposed to tobacco smoke at home. Average birth weight of neonates born to subjects with extremely serious DNA damage (within the 90th percentile, DNA damage score >or =129.5) was 141 g lighter than that of those with DNA damage score <129.5 (p=0.068) [corrected] The degree of DNA lesion was not related to metabolic polymorphic genes. The results of this study suggest that comet assay are reliable biomarkers for monitoring pregnant women exposed to tobacco smoke and indicate fetal growth effects from environmental exposure to tobacco smoke.
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Peso al Nacer/efectos de los fármacos , Daño del ADN , Exposición a Riesgos Ambientales , Contaminantes Ambientales/efectos adversos , Predisposición Genética a la Enfermedad , Contaminación por Humo de Tabaco/efectos adversos , Tabaquismo/genética , Adulto , Aberraciones Cromosómicas , Ensayo Cometa , Enzimas/sangre , Enzimas/genética , Femenino , Genotipo , Humanos , Recién Nacido , Polimorfismo Genético , Embarazo , Resultado del Embarazo , Estudios Prospectivos , Fumar/efectos adversos , Encuestas y Cuestionarios , Tabaquismo/etiologíaRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: Previous studies have shown health benefits of T'ai Chi Chuan (TCC). In Taiwan, TCC is a form of exercise that is widely practiced by the elderly. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the effects of TCC on the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in the senior population. METHODS: Subjects who regularly practiced TCC in Taiwan were selected by random sampling and included 140 seniors (77 males and 63 females, aged 40-70 years). The questionnaire was separated into 2 parts: demographic information and the SF-36 questionnaire, which used 8 domains to evaluate the subjects' HRQOL. The results were compared with those of 560 age- and sex-matched control subjects that were taken from the general population (308 males and 252 females). Multiple regression analysis was used to compare the quality of life in each of the 8 domains between the 2 groups. RESULTS: The TCC group showed significantly higher quality-of-life scores than the control group in each of the 8 domains with the exception of the bodily pain scales. Using multiple linear regression adjusted for covariates, the TCC group had significantly higher scores in physical functioning, physical roles, general health, vitality, and social-functioning scales than the control group. In most of the domains in both the TCC group and the control group, quality of life became worse with increased age, whereas the scores in vitality and social-functioning domains of the TCC group showed a reverse trend; they remained unchanged or even improved with increased age. CONCLUSIONS: Our study supports the hypothesis that TCC improves quality of life among the elderly in Taiwan, but further study must be conducted to more conclusively show the link between TCC and health-related QOL.
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Anciano/estadística & datos numéricos , Conocimientos, Actitudes y Práctica en Salud , Estado de Salud , Satisfacción Personal , Calidad de Vida , Taichi Chuan , Adulto , Estudios Transversales , Femenino , Promoción de la Salud , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Encuestas y Cuestionarios , TaiwánRESUMEN
The levels of serum selenium in 2755 individuals (1424 males, 1331 females) in Taiwan were determined by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. The average selenium concentration in serum was 110.9 microg/l with a standard deviation of 21.5 microg/l, ranging from 40.5 to 186 microg/l. The observation was higher than those recently reported in European regions but comparable to those observed in the USA or seleniferous regions. Serum selenium level did not vary with the gender, educational levels of the subjects and smoking habits. Serum selenium content seemed drop considerably if one is older than 39 years old. Age and alcohol consumption had statistically significant difference with serum selenium concentration.
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Selenio/sangre , Adulto , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Vigilancia de la Población , Encuestas y Cuestionarios , TaiwánRESUMEN
It has been shown that humic acid (HA), a phenolic polymer, exhibits pro-oxidant and cytotoxic effects. In this study, HA induction of apoptosis was studied using cultured human premyelocytic leukemia HL-60 cells. Treatment at a range of HA concentrations (50-400 microg/ml) resulted in dose-and time-dependent sequences of events marked by apoptosis, as demonstrated through by apoptotic features such as loss of cell viability, chromatin condensation, and internucleosomal DNA fragmentation. This HA-induced apoptosis in the HL-60 cells was mainly associated with the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria. Furthermore, apoptosis in the HL-60 cells was accompanied by the activation of caspase-3 and the specific proteolytic cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), a major component in the apoptotic cell death mechanism. Although the HA-induced apoptosis was associated with Bax protein levels, negligible Bcl-2 reduction was observed. Analysis of the data reported herein reveals that HA exerts antiproliferative action and growth inhibition on HL-60 cells through induction of apoptosis, which may have anticancer properties potentially useful for the development of new drug products.
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Apoptosis/efectos de los fármacos , Sustancias Húmicas , Antineoplásicos Fitogénicos/farmacología , Apoptosis/fisiología , Western Blotting , Caspasa 3 , Caspasas/metabolismo , División Celular/efectos de los fármacos , Supervivencia Celular/efectos de los fármacos , Citocromos c/metabolismo , Fragmentación del ADN/efectos de los fármacos , Electroforesis en Gel de Agar , Células HL-60 , Humanos , Etiquetado Corte-Fin in Situ , Óxido Nítrico/metabolismo , Paclitaxel/farmacología , Poli(ADP-Ribosa) Polimerasa-1 , Poli(ADP-Ribosa) Polimerasas , Proteínas/metabolismo , Proteínas Proto-Oncogénicas/biosíntesis , Proteínas Proto-Oncogénicas c-bcl-2/biosíntesis , Proteína X Asociada a bcl-2RESUMEN
The aim of this study was (1) to investigate the correlation between external exposure to N, N-dimethylformamide (DMF) and urinary excretion of DMF and N-methylformamide; (2) to assess whether the correspondence between the current occupational exposure limit setting and recommended urinary biological exposure index is substantial; and (3) to evaluate whether coexposure to toluene, methyl ethyl ketone, and ethyl acetate has an effect on urinary excretion of DMF and N-methylformamide (NMF). Urinary DMF and NMF were significantly correlated (P < 0.01) with one another and also significantly correlated with airborne DMF (P < 0.01) over the range of 1.55 to 152.8 mg/m. Urinary DMF can be considered a complementary marker for short-term exposure. Urinary concentration of NMF and DMF, corresponding to the 8-hour exposure to airborne DMF at 30 mg/m, was estimated to 38.4 mg/L or 39.4 mg/g creatinine for NMF and to 0.92 mg/L or 0.96 mg/g creatinine for DMF.
Asunto(s)
Dimetilformamida/análisis , Dimetilformamida/farmacocinética , Exposición Profesional , Industria Textil , Acetatos/efectos adversos , Adulto , Butanonas/efectos adversos , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Solventes/efectos adversos , Tolueno/efectos adversos , UrinálisisRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the correlations of genetic polymorphism of genotypes delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD), blood lead levels (BLLs), zinc protoporphyrin (ZPP), sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs), and high SCE frequency cells (HFCs) in lead workers. METHODS: Three groups of lead workers were included in the study: high lead exposure group (26 workers), low lead exposure group (31 workers) and control group (30 controls who lived in an area uncontaminated by lead). Blood samples were taken from all subjects and analyzed for lead levels, ALAD genotype and SCE levels. RESULTS: Occupationally exposed workers had significantly higher BLLs, ZPP and hemoglobin levels than the controls. There were no differences among the three groups regarding percentages of ALAD 1-1 and ALAD 1-2 genotypes, but the ALAD 2-2 genotype was not detected in any of the three groups. There were no significant differences among the three groups for BLLs, ZPP and hemoglobin levels based on ALAD 1-1 and ALAD 1-2. Average SCE values in the high lead exposure group were significantly greater than those in the control group (6.2 vs 5.2 SCEs/cell, P < 0.05). HFC analysis revealed a significantly higher HFC percentage (53.9%) in the high lead exposure group than in the low lead exposure group (16.1%) and the control group (10%). There appeared to be an interaction effect on HFC percentages between smoking and lead exposure. When multiple regression analysis was used, the factors that affected SCE levels were lead exposure and smoking, but ALAD genotypes did not have any significant effect. CONCLUSIONS: A significant association existed between both SCE and HFC levels and lead exposure. However, different ALAD genotypes were not found to be associated with levels of blood lead and ZPP in the three groups.