Abstract
The present study was undertaken to test the hypothesis that chronic, low-level paraquat exposure causes restrictive lung function with gas transfer impairment. Three hundred thirty-eight Costa Rican farm workers from banana, coffee, and palm oil farms completed a questionnaire, spirometry, and a test of single-breath carbon monoxide diffusing capacity. Subjects 40 years of age or older, without other medical risk factors, completed maximal cardiopulmonary exercise tests. Most (66.6%) were paraquat handlers; 24.8% of handlers and 27.3% of nonhandlers reported current cigarette smoking. In linear regression models, cumulative paraquat exposure was not an independent predictor of VA, carbon monoxide diffusing capacity, peak oxygen uptake, FVC, or oxygen pulse peak. However, the ventilatory equivalent for CO2, although within normal range, was significantly higher with increased cumulative paraquat exposure. Oxygen desaturation greater than 5% from rest to peak exercise had an odds ratio of 1.7 (95% confidence interval = 0.9-3.0) with the cumulative paraquat exposure index in models adjusted for age, weight, and smoking status. The association of paraquat exposure with ventilatory equivalent and oxygen desaturation suggests that paraquat may be associated with subclinical gas exchange abnormalities, but overall these findings are consistent with no clinically significant increases in interstitial thickening or restrictive lung disease among this population.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 773-779 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine |
| Volume | 170 |
| Issue number | 7 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Oct 1 2004 |
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Keywords
- Agriculture
- Exercise test
- Interstitial lung disease
- Occupational exposure
- Respiratory function tests
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine
Cite this
Pulmonary function and exercise-associated changes with chronic low-level paraquat exposure. / Schenker, Marc B.; Stoecklin, Maria; Lee, Kiyoung; Lupercio, Rafael; Zeballos, R. Jorge; Enright, Paul; Hennessy, Tamara; Beckett, Laurel A.
In: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Vol. 170, No. 7, 01.10.2004, p. 773-779.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Pulmonary function and exercise-associated changes with chronic low-level paraquat exposure
AU - Schenker, Marc B.
AU - Stoecklin, Maria
AU - Lee, Kiyoung
AU - Lupercio, Rafael
AU - Zeballos, R. Jorge
AU - Enright, Paul
AU - Hennessy, Tamara
AU - Beckett, Laurel A.
PY - 2004/10/1
Y1 - 2004/10/1
N2 - The present study was undertaken to test the hypothesis that chronic, low-level paraquat exposure causes restrictive lung function with gas transfer impairment. Three hundred thirty-eight Costa Rican farm workers from banana, coffee, and palm oil farms completed a questionnaire, spirometry, and a test of single-breath carbon monoxide diffusing capacity. Subjects 40 years of age or older, without other medical risk factors, completed maximal cardiopulmonary exercise tests. Most (66.6%) were paraquat handlers; 24.8% of handlers and 27.3% of nonhandlers reported current cigarette smoking. In linear regression models, cumulative paraquat exposure was not an independent predictor of VA, carbon monoxide diffusing capacity, peak oxygen uptake, FVC, or oxygen pulse peak. However, the ventilatory equivalent for CO2, although within normal range, was significantly higher with increased cumulative paraquat exposure. Oxygen desaturation greater than 5% from rest to peak exercise had an odds ratio of 1.7 (95% confidence interval = 0.9-3.0) with the cumulative paraquat exposure index in models adjusted for age, weight, and smoking status. The association of paraquat exposure with ventilatory equivalent and oxygen desaturation suggests that paraquat may be associated with subclinical gas exchange abnormalities, but overall these findings are consistent with no clinically significant increases in interstitial thickening or restrictive lung disease among this population.
AB - The present study was undertaken to test the hypothesis that chronic, low-level paraquat exposure causes restrictive lung function with gas transfer impairment. Three hundred thirty-eight Costa Rican farm workers from banana, coffee, and palm oil farms completed a questionnaire, spirometry, and a test of single-breath carbon monoxide diffusing capacity. Subjects 40 years of age or older, without other medical risk factors, completed maximal cardiopulmonary exercise tests. Most (66.6%) were paraquat handlers; 24.8% of handlers and 27.3% of nonhandlers reported current cigarette smoking. In linear regression models, cumulative paraquat exposure was not an independent predictor of VA, carbon monoxide diffusing capacity, peak oxygen uptake, FVC, or oxygen pulse peak. However, the ventilatory equivalent for CO2, although within normal range, was significantly higher with increased cumulative paraquat exposure. Oxygen desaturation greater than 5% from rest to peak exercise had an odds ratio of 1.7 (95% confidence interval = 0.9-3.0) with the cumulative paraquat exposure index in models adjusted for age, weight, and smoking status. The association of paraquat exposure with ventilatory equivalent and oxygen desaturation suggests that paraquat may be associated with subclinical gas exchange abnormalities, but overall these findings are consistent with no clinically significant increases in interstitial thickening or restrictive lung disease among this population.
KW - Agriculture
KW - Exercise test
KW - Interstitial lung disease
KW - Occupational exposure
KW - Respiratory function tests
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=4644269206&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=4644269206&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1164/rccm.200403-266OC
DO - 10.1164/rccm.200403-266OC
M3 - Article
C2 - 15229097
AN - SCOPUS:4644269206
VL - 170
SP - 773
EP - 779
JO - American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
JF - American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
SN - 1073-449X
IS - 7
ER -