GLASS BOTTLE WORKERS EXPOSED TO LOW-DOSE IRRITANT FUMES COUGH BUT DO NOT WHEEZE

Workers exposed to irritant fumes experience symptoms both during the acute episode and afterwards. High-dose irritant exposure fan result i n permanent asthma, but the effects of chronic low-dose irritant expos ure are not known. Glass bottle workers are exposed to irritant fumes, and have previously been reported to have an excess of symptoms. We d esigned a study to compare irritant-exposed glass bottle workers with hospital workers matched for socioeconomic group, area of residence, a ge, sex, smoking habit, and allergic history. Symptoms reported, spiro metry, flow cytometric indices of lymphocyte activation, and past medi cal and employment histories were compared. We also investigated the p revalence of bronchial hyperresponsiveness to inhaled methacholine and the cough response after inhalation of citric acid and capsaicin. Gla ss bottle workers showed an excess of upper respiratory tract symptoms , cough, and shortness of breath compared with matched hospital contro l workers. There was a significant excess of cough induced by citric a cid and capsaicin in the bottle workers. However, wheeze, baseline spi rometry, flow cytometry, and methacholine challenge were not significa ntly different between the two groups. These findings suggest that chr onic irritant exposure produces an excess of symptoms and increased co ugh sensitivity but not asthma.