Airway hyperreactivity in the electroceramic industry.
Seventy-four female shift workers employed in the oxide ceramics industry were examined: a group of 38 workers from the press workshop and a group of 36 controls from the mounting workshop from the same factory. The two groups did not differ by age, years of employment, smoking habit or height. Persons with atopic constitution and serious respiratory disease were excluded from the study. Interstitial lung disease was eliminated by X-ray examinations. All subjects underwent a clinical examination and completed a questionnaire. Measurements of ventilatory lung functions demonstrated no difference between the groups; lung function values were normal. Non-specific airway reactivity was expressed as PC50 Rt i.e. 50% increase in resistance in relation to the value measured after inhalation of the physiological solution. A significant difference was found for PC50 Rt between the exposed and control workers during (P < 0.001) and outside working hours (P < 0.01). Significantly different PC50 Rt values were also established within the group of exposed workers as well as within that of control workers during and outside working hours (P < 0.014 and P < 0.0018 respectively). The majority of hyperreactive persons were workers from the press workshop (n = 17) when measurements were performed during working hours. For early detection of respiratory diseases in workers employed in the oxide ceramics industry preemployment examinations and regular check-ups aiming to determine non-specific airway reactivity are suggested as necessary.