Abstract
ObjectivesThe increase in production of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) has led to growing concerns about health risks. In this study, we assessed the association between occupational exposure to MWCNTs and cardiovascular biomarkers.MethodsA cross-sectional study was performed among 22 workers of a company commercially producing MWCNTs (subdivided into lab personnel with low or high exposure and operators), and a gender and age-matched unexposed population (n=42). Exposure to MWCNTs and 12 cardiovascular markers were measured in participants’ blood (phase I). In a subpopulation of 13 exposed workers and six unexposed workers, these measures were repeated after 5 months (phase II). We analysed associations between MWCNT exposure and biomarkers of cardiovascular risk, adjusted for age, body mass index, sex and smoking.ResultsWe observed an upward trend in the concentration of endothelial damage marker intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), with increasing exposure to MWCNTs in both phases. The operator category showed significantly elevated ICAM-1 geometric mean ratios (GMRs) compared with the controls (phase I: GMR=1.40, P=1.30E-3; phase II: GMR=1.37, P=0.03). The trends were significant both across worker categories (phase I: P=1.50E-3; phase II: P=0.01) and across measured GM MWCNT concentrations (phase I: P=3.00E-3; phase II: P=0.01). No consistent significant associations were found for the other cardiovascular markers.ConclusionThe associations between MWCNT exposure and ICAM-1 indicate endothelial activation and an increased inflammatory state in workers with MWCNT exposure.
Funder
NanoNextNL
National Institutes of Health National Institutes of Health intramural research program
Subject
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Cited by
36 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献