Secondary |
Merget |
1999 |
Germany |
LMW |
Metals |
Platinum |
Platinum refinery workers (Includes cohort reported by Merget, 1994) |
Occupational asthma |
Transfer to low exposure area, removal from exposure (FU median: 54 months) |
83 of 130 eligible subjects (Participation rate: 64%) |
Asthma symptoms were reported by all subjects who continued exposure at follow-up (n=9), but were reported by only 37 of 74 subjects who transferred; no difference found between subjects who transferred within production area (n=16), subjects who transferred within plant (n=39), and subjects who left the plant (n=19). Total IgE was higher in those who continued expsosure compared to the other groups (p<0.002). Lung function and nonspecific bronchial hyperresponsiveness were comparable between all the exposure groups. |