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Objectives The aim was to identify, appraise, and synthesize the scientific evidence of the relationship between potential occupational sensitizing exposures and the development of asthma based on systematic reviews. Methods The study was conducted as an overview of systematic reviews. A systematic literature search was conducted for systematic reviews published up to 9 February 2020. Eligibility study criteria included persons in or above the working age, potential occupational sensitizing exposures, and outcomes defined as asthma. Potential occupational sensitizing exposures were divided into 23 main groups comprising both subgroups and specific exposures. Two reviewers independently selected studies, extracted study data, assessed study quality, and evaluated confidence in study results and level of evidence of the relationship between potential occupational sensitizing exposures and asthma. Results Twenty-seven systematic reviews were included covering 1242 studies and 486 potential occupational sensitizing exposures. Overall confidence in study results was rated high in three systematic reviews, moderate in seven reviews, and low in 17 reviews. Strong evidence for the main group of wood dusts and moderate evidence for main groups of mites and fish was found. For subgroups/specific exposures, strong evidence was found for toluene diisocyanates, Aspergillus, Cladosporium , Penicillium, and work tasks involving exposure to laboratory animals, whereas moderate evidence was found for 52 subgroups/specific exposures. Conclusions This overview identified hundreds of potential occupational sensitizing exposures suspected to cause asthma and evaluated the level of evidence for each exposure. Strong evidence was found for wood dust in general and for toluene diisocyanates, Aspergillus, Cladosporium , Penicillium, and work tasks involving exposure to laboratory animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated a number of biomarkers, associated with systemic inflammation as well as genotoxicity, in 53 young and healthy subjects participating in a course to become firefighters, while wearing personal protective equipment (PPE). The exposure period consisted of a 3-day training course where the subjects participated in various live-fire training exercises. The subjects were instructed to extinguish fires of either wood or wood with electrical cords and mattresses. The personal exposure was measured as dermal polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations and urinary excretion of 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP). The subjects were primarily exposed to particulate matter (PM) in by-stander positions, since the self-contained breathing apparatus effectively prevented pulmonary exposure. There was increased dermal exposure to pyrene (68.1%, 95% CI: 52.5%, 83.8%) and sum of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (ΣPAH; 79.5%, 95% CI: 52.5%, 106.6%), and increased urinary excretion of 1-OHP (70.4%, 95% CI: 52.5%; 106.6%) after the firefighting exercise compared with the mean of two control measurements performed 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after the firefighting course, respectively. The level of Fpg-sensitive sites in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was increased by 8.0% (95% CI: 0.02%, 15.9%) compared with control measurements. The level of DNA strand breaks was positively associated with dermal exposure to pyrene and ΣPAHs and urinary excretion of 1-OHP. Fpg-sensitive sites were only associated positively with PAHs. Biomarkers of inflammation and lung function showed no consistent response. In summary, the study demonstrated that PAH exposure during firefighting activity was associated with genotoxicity in PBMCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background When handling patients, nursing assistant (NA) students and nurse students are frequently exposed to risk factors for low back pain (LBP) including sudden loads and twisting and bending of the spine. Furthermore, LBP is a major cause of sickness absence. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]