Chest
Clinical InvestigationsPulmonary Function in Pi M and MZ Grainworkers
Section snippets
Subjects
In a province-wide survey, we studied 1,395 or approximately 80 percent of male grain workers from the Saskatchewan country grain elevators.14 Among the 1,395, 35 had the Pi MZ phenotype as determined by acid starch gel electrophoresis and crossed Immunoelectrophoresis.15 Twenty-nine agreed to participate in the current study; of the remaining six, one had died, three could not be located, and two refused to participate. A case-matched control subject could not be identified for one, leaving a
Results
Mean age, height, weight, graindust exposure, and smoking data are summarized in Table 1. As expected, there were no differences in values between the two groups. The prevalence of symptoms, positive skin tests, and roentgenographic abnormalities suggestive of COPD are shown in Table 2. Roentgenographic abnormalities included diffuse vascular deficiency, depressed diaphragm, and hyperinflation. There were no significant differences in prevalence of symptoms or skin test positivity. There was a
Discussion
Cotton et al12 have shown in a case-matched study of smoking and nonsmoking grainworkers and community control subjects that both working in the country grain elevators and smoking are associated with reduced lung function, and that these two factors behave in an additive fashion. We have carried out our study on a group of men all of whom were exposed to grain dust in the grain elevators, and thus, have an increased risk of lung dysfunction.
As well, 22 of the 28 pairs of men studied were
Acknowledgments
The authors wish to express their appreciation to the following organizations and individuals for their assistance in carrying out this study; The Saskatchewan Wheat Pool, Pioneer Grain, United Grain Growers and Federal Grain, individual members of the Saskatchewan Grain Handlers Union and their families, Drs. J. Rankin and G. doPico for permission to use their questionnaire, Miss Debbie Hall for assistance with data analysis, Mrs. Ruth Day, Mrs. Jacquie Bramley and Mrs. Lesley McBain for
References (0)
Cited by (13)
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2001, Respiration PhysiologyIntermediate α<inf>1</inf>-antitrypsin deficiency PiSZ: A risk factor for pulmonary emphysema?
1998, Respiratory MedicineCOPD in individuals with the piMZ alpha-1 antitrypsin genotype
2017, European Respiratory Reviewα<inf>1</inf>-antitrypsin deficiency and lung disease: Risk modification by occupational and environmental inhalants
2005, European Respiratory JournalThe protease inhibitor PI*S allele and COPD: A meta-analysis
2005, European Respiratory Journal
This study was supported by Health and Welfare Canada Grant No. 6608-1083-40 and MRC Grant No. 8657.
Manuscript received August 9; revision accepted November 19.