EFFECTS WITHIN THE WEEK ON FORCED VITAL CAPACITY ARE CORRELATED WITH LONG-TERM CHANGES IN PULMONARY-FUNCTION - REANALYSIS OF STUDIES ON CARPAINTERS EXPOSED TO ISOCYANATE

Objectives-To examine if car painters who work with polyurethane paint s that contain hexamethylenediisocyanate (HDI) and hexamethylenediisoc yanate biuret trimer (HDI-BT) develop acute as well as chronic impairm ent of lung function. Methods-In this study data were reanalysed from two earlier studies on a group of car painters to see if a decrease in lung function within the week is a marker of vulnerability in those w orkers. Data on changes in forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expi ratory volume in one second (FEV(1)) within the week were available fo r 20 car painters who were also examined six years later. Results-10 m en showed a decline in FVC within the week. There were no significant differences in age, duration of employment, exposures during the follo w up period, or smoking between car painters who had decline in lung f unction within the week and car painters who had not. A significant co rrelation was found between the change in FVC within the week and the long term (six year) change in FVC, standardised for the effects of ag ing and smoking, and adjusted for the number of peak exposures. Conclu sions-The results suggest that the decrease in FVC within the week mig ht serve as a guide to identify car painters at risk of a further decr ement in lung function above the effects of aging, smoking, and exposu re.