NIOSHTIC-2 Publications Search

Effects of zinc oxide welding fume inhalation.

Blanc PD

Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University of California School of Medicine, San Francisco, California 1993 Nov; :1-5

00232651

The purpose of this research was to determine whether inhalation of zinc-oxide (1314132) fourths causes a dose dependent inflammatory response in the lungs, to determine if pulmonary function changes correlate with such inflammatory changes, and to determine if cytokines are important in the development of metal fume fever. The study group included 23 volunteers who carried out 26 experimental welding procedures. The zinc-oxide welding fume inhalation was shown to be associated with a dose dependent, marked inflammatory cellular response in the lung whether or not clinical symptoms of metal fume fever were reported. Pulmonary function changes were negligible. The time course of increased cytokines, their correlations with one another and with polymorphonuclear leukocytes in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and the consistency of the findings with the known kinetics and actions of these cytokines supports the hypothesis that a network of cytokines is involved in the pathogenesis of metal fume fever. The authors suggest that understanding the mechanism of zinc-oxide effects may assist in understanding a group of illnesses representing an important clinical problem in occupational medicine. Zinc-oxide inhalation is seen as a useful model to study general mechanisms of cellular responses to inhaled toxicant in the human lung along with their pulmonary function and systemic manifestations.

NIOSH-Grant; Occupational-respiratory-disease; Zinc-compounds; Lung-function; Pulmonary-system-disorders; Pulmonary-function; Inhalation-studies

Cardiovascular Research Inst University of California PO Box 0924 San Francisco, CA 94143-0924

1314-13-2

19931101

Final Grant Report

157960

Grant

1994

Grant-Number-K01-OH-00079

OEP

Pulmonary-system-disorders

Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University of California School of Medicine, San Francisco, California

CA

University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California