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Biomedical subjects

P Haglind

Publications and source records attributed to P Haglind.

17 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1990

Estimation of symptomatic and asymptomatic Salmonella infections.

Since the surveillance of salmonellosis in Sweden is primarily passive, it can be assumed that most of the asymptomatic salmonella infections are never identified. We here report the proportion of asymptomatic and symptomatic salmonella infections in Swedish travellers to different geographic areas as well as in "contacts" to index cases with salmonellosis. In the 346 travellers studied Salmonellae were isolated equally often among those who remained healthy (10/216; 4.6%) as in those with intestinal symptoms (7/130; 5.4%). Similarly, most of the salmonella-infected "contacts" to index cases (11/15; 73%) had an asymptomatic infection. No difference in the mean duration of excreting Salmonella in the stool was found between carriers with symptomatic and asymptomatic infection. The literature concerning transmission of nontyphi Salmonellae from carriers was reviewed. Since person to person transmission is rarely noted, screening for carriers may be limited to food handlers and hospital personnel taking care of patients susceptible to low infective doses of Salmonella. Similarly, follow-up faecal cultures in individuals with notified salmonella infection may be restricted to these groups.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Environmental and health studies of farm workers in Swedish swine confinement buildings.

The relation between the health of workers and the environment in swine confinement buildings was investigated in a study of 57 workers on 30 swine farms in southern Sweden and 55 matched controls. Swine workers reported significantly higher frequencies of respiratory symptoms, more frequent colds and absence due to chest illness, and a history of pneumonia. The increased frequency of symptoms of respiratory disease was related to the number of years and percent of the day spent working with swine. Symptoms were also associated with respirable dust, total dust, endotoxin in total dust, and number of microbes in the air of the work environment. In a multiple regression analysis of the relation between 16 different environmental parameters to work period shifts of five pulmonary function parameters, endotoxin was found to be significantly related to the FEV1 in a dose dependent way.

Agricultural Workers' Diseases↗
PubMed1987

Occupational exposure and lung function measurements among workers in swine confinement buildings.

Previous studies have demonstrated that air in swine confinement buildings contains large amounts of dusts, highly contaminated with microorganisms and bacterial endotoxin. A study was undertaken to investigate the respiratory function of workers before and after the work shift in swine confinement buildings. Questionnaires were mailed to workers on swine farms. Dust levels were measured by personal sampling, and the micro-flora in the dust was determined. Work-related symptoms from the lung were frequent. Several workers who were smokers had forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) values lower than expected when they started work. Among a group of life-long nonsmoking workers the baseline forced vital capacity and FEV1 were not decreased. Changes in the FEV1 over the working shift were generally not found. It is suggested that exposure to dust in swine confinement buildings may lead to respiratory impairment but further studies on larger population samples and different exposure conditions are required.

Air Microbiology↗
PubMed1986

Exposure of cotton workers in an experimental cardroom with reference to airborne endotoxins.

Workers from cotton mills were exposed to cotton dust during carding in an experimental cardroom. Cotton from different geographical locations with varying amounts of endotoxin were used. Exposure levels ranged from 0.6 to 3.6 mg dust/m3 (from a vertical elutriator) and from 0.1 to 8.0 micrograms/m3 of endotoxin. No relationship was found between the decrease in FEV1 over the workshift and the amount of airborne dust. Airborne endotoxin correlated with the decrease in FEV1 and the increase in blood neutrophils. The FEV1 decrease was more pronounced among smokers. The data suggest that the amount of airborne endotoxin determines the risk for development of the acute symptoms in the byssinosis syndrome.

Air Pollutants, Occupational↗
PubMed1985

Endotoxin in cotton dust and respiratory function decrement among cotton workers in an experimental cardroom.

To study the various reactions of gram-negative bacteria and their endotoxins observed in workers exposed to cotton dust, experiments were undertaken where cotton mill workers carded cottons from different geographic locations, each containing different amounts of bacterial endotoxins. Exposure was determined as the vertical elutriator dust and endotoxin levels. Measurements were made of the forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and the number of blood neutrophils before and after work, and the prevalence of symptoms of byssinosis was recorded. There was a significant correlation between the vertical elutriator endotoxin levels and the group mean changes in FEV1 (p less than 0.01) but no correlation between vertical elutriator dust levels and changes in FEV1. There was also a dose-response relationship between the endotoxin levels and the presence of symptoms of byssinosis in the exposed workers as well as between endotoxin levels and an increase in blood neutrophils. This observation supports findings from several previous studies and suggests that endotoxin triggers the mechanisms responsible for the decrease in respiratory function in the byssinosis syndrome. Other constituents of cotton dust could also be of importance for this reaction.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Airborne endotoxins and humidifier disease.

The presence of humidifier disease in a printing factory was investigated with particular emphasis on airborne endotoxins. The water in the humidifier was contaminated with Pseudomonas. The amount of airborne endotoxin when the humidifier was operating was 0.13-0.39 microgram/m3. Twenty of the fifty workers investigated reported typical symptoms of fever, chills, and chest tightness when the humidifiers were operating. Symptoms were more frequent among non-smokers. The estimated inhaled dose of endotoxin was found to be sufficient to cause the observed symptoms. The determination of airborne endotoxins in future episodes of humidifier disease is recommended.

Air Pollution↗
PubMed1984

Exposure to cotton dust in an experimental cardroom.

Changes in respiratory function (FEV1) and polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) on nasal epithelium were studied in 68 students and 39 cotton mill workers in an experimental cardroom. The exposure was characterised by the vertical elutriator dust and endotoxin levels. A dose related decrease was found for FEV1 which was more pronounced in smoking workers. The thresholds for no FEV1 reaction were 0.58 mg/m3 dust and 0.17 micrograms/m3 endotoxin for students and 0.43 mg/m3 and 0.08 micrograms/m3 for smoking workers. The PMN increased in most of the experiments but no dose response relationship could be shown. In experiments with smoking workers or when washed cotton was carded a better correlation was obtained between FEV1 decrease and endotoxin levels than for dust levels.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Reactions during work shift among cotton mill workers.

Lung function and blood neutrophils were measured in 13 cotton mill workers on different days of the work week. Antigen was prepared from cotton dust and a radioallergosorbent (RAST) test made on serum and plasma. The exposure was determined as airborne dust and bacterial endotoxin using vertical elutriators and personal samplers. Reductions in FEV1 and increased blood neutrophils were found on Monday at an exposure level of 0.32 to 0.48 mg respirable dust/m3 and 0.19 to 0.28 micrograms endotoxin/m3. The changes in blood neutrophils correlated with endotoxin levels. The FEV1 decreases were present on Monday but not on Wednesday and Friday. The RAST ratios were low and not correlated with FEV1. No systematic changes in RAST ratios were present over the Monday shift. The results suggest that the importance of immunologic reactions other than type 1 should be investigated.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed1983

Is mild byssinosis associated with small airways disease?

Attempts were made to determine if, in the mild stage of byssinosis, there are changes located to small airways and if bronchial reactivity is increased. Twenty-two cotton workers from two cotton mills outside Gothenburg were studied, 6 non-smokers without a history of byssinosis and 16 mild byssinotics, 10 of whom were smokers. They were examined before a Monday shift and then re-examined after another Monday shift, one or two weeks later. Spirometry, lung volumes, the single-breath nitrogen wash-out test and the maximum expiratory flows after air and helium-oxygen breathing were obtained. The bronchial reactivity to methacholine was also assessed before and after shift. We found no indication of deteriorated test values in the non-smoking group regardless of symptoms of byssinosis. However, the reactivity to methacholine was clearly increased compared to a control group. We conclude that changes of small airways are probably not characteristic for mild byssinosis and therefore probably not the predominant location of byssinotic lung changes.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1982

Nasal antibodies against gram-negative bacteria in cotton-mill workers.

Antibody activity to cotton dust bacteria in the nasal secretions of cotton-mill cardroom workers was studied using the ELISA technique. Secretion samples were collected by inserting a roll of filter paper into the nasal cavities of the subjects. The amount of secretion was significantly less among cotton-mill workers than workers in a wood factory. No significant differences were seen between byssinotic and nonbyssinotic cotton-mill workers. No significant differences were observed between cotton and wood workers regarding antibody activity against Pseudomonas syringae and Enterobacter agglomerans. Workers tested before and after the shift showed no difference in amount of secretion or in antibody activity. Smokers had a lower antibody activity than nonsmokers.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

Prevalence of byssinosis in Swedish cotton mills.

The prevalence of byssinosis and of chronic bronchitis was studied in a questionnaire investigation among workers in bale opening areas, carding rooms, and spinning rooms in five Swedish cotton mills. Airborne dust and Gram-negative bacteria was measured. Nineteen per cent of the interviewed workers reported symptoms of light byssinosis (grade 1/2). The prevalence of symptoms was not related to the duration of employment, and cases of byssinosis were found among people who had worked in cotton mills for only a few years. A significantly higher proportion of male than female workers reported symptoms. No difference in the extent of byssinosis was found between smokers and non-smokers, but the prevalence was significantly higher among those workers who had ceased smoking. The prevalence of byssinosis was related to the number of airborne viable Gram-negative bacteria as well as to the dust level in the different mills.

Air Microbiology↗
PubMed1978

Humidifier fever and endotoxin exposure.

Three cases of humidifier fever were detected in an office environment. Flavobacteria were found in the contaminated water in a humidifier. After an experimental exposure, the three persons with previous symptoms suffered from fever and slight respiratory symptoms. A leucocytosis and an increase in the number of segmented white blood cells were found the day following the exposure. General immunoglobulins as well as antibodies to Flavobacterium and endotoxin were slightly elevated in the exposed group. The possibility that endotoxins may be the causative agent by means of an indirect complement activation is discussed.

Adult↗