Relation of Antibody Titer to Symptoms and Exposure of Danish Textile Mill Workers

Torbon Sigsgaard and Meryl H. Karol


 
ABSTRACT

We have previously reported detection of antibodies to a cotton dust glycoprotein in the sera of Danish textile mill workers. The antibodies were detected in cotton mill workers but not in workers exposed to wool dust or dust from man-made fibers. This finding raised the possibility that the antibody response could be used as a biomarker for cotton dust exposure. The current study explored the relationship between the antibody titer, years of dust exposure, smoking history, lung function, and respiratory symptoms in 206 cotton mill workers, 57 wool mill workers and 89 individuals working with man-made fibers. Only the lgG class of antibodies was measured. All antibody titers were low (loss than 100 by ELISA). Smoking was found not to be associated with the presence of anti-cotton dust antibodies. There was no difference in the percent of antibody positive workers when comparing those employed one year or less, with those employed greater than, one year. Symptoms did not correlate with antibody presence, however, there was a significant negative association between the presence of antibody and predicted FEV(1) as well as a cross-shift fall in FEV(1). These results indicate that in the mills studied, lgG antibodies of low titer were detected to cotton dust and correlated inversely with measures of lung function.



Reprinted from 1993 Proceedings Beltwide Cotton Conferences pp. 285 - 287
©National Cotton Council, Memphis TN

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Document last modified Sunday, Dec 6 1998