RESPIRATORY AND IMMUNOLOGICAL FINDINGS IN BREWERY WORKERS

Background Occupational exposure of brewery workers to organic dusts s uch as hops, barley, and brewery yeast has the potential to change res piratory function and immunological status. Methods Ninety-seven male workers employed in a brewery plant were studied. The mean age of the workers in this plant was 40 years, the mean duration of their employm ent was 16 years. In addition, a group of 76 unexposed workers was stu died as a control. Respiratory symptoms were recorded. Lung function w as measured by recording maximum expiratory flow-volume (MEFV) curves. Immunological testing was performed on all brewery workers and some c ontrol volunteers using skin prick testing with hops, barley and yeast antigens as well as other nonoccupational allergens, and by determini ng total serum IgE levels. Results There was a significantly higher pr evalence of most of the chronic respiratory symptoms in brewery worker s compared to controls (P < 0.01). Occupational asthma, however was re corded in only 2 (2.1%) of the brewery workers. Logistic regression an alysis showed that smoking was the major studied factor responsible fo r the high prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms in workers. A la rge number of brewery workers complained of acute symptoms that develo ped during the work shift. Lung function tests were decreased compared to predicted. Multivariate analysis of these respiratory function par ameters suggested the importance of workplace exposure in explaining l ung function abnormalities. Significantly higher prevalences of positi ve skin prick tests were recorded in 37 brewery workers for molds hops , and barley than in controls increased serum levels of total IgE were documented in 34/97 (45.1%) brewery workers and in 1/76 (2.7%) of the control workers (P < 0.01). However, workers with positive skin prick tests had prevalences of chronic respiratory symptoms and lung functi on changes similar to those of workers with negative skin prick tests. Conclusion Our data suggest that both smoking and dust exposure in th e brewery industry may be responsible for the development of respirato ry impairment and immunological reactions. Am. J. Ind. Med. 35:68-75, 1999. (C) 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.