Skórska Czesława, Golec Marcin, Mackiewicz Barbara, Góra Anna, Dutkiewicz Jacek
Department of Occupational Biohazards, Institute of Agricultural Medicine, Jaczewskiego 2, 20-090 Lublin, Poland.
Ann Agric Environ Med. 2005;12(2):247-52.
The aim of the present study was to determine the health status of farmers cultivating valerian (Valeriana officinalis L.) and occupationally exposed to dust from this plant. A group of 75 valerian growing farmers were examined. As a reference group, 50 urban dwellers, not exposed to any kind of organic dust were examined. All people were interviewed for the presence of work-related symptoms and subjected to physical and spirometric examinations. Skin prick tests were conducted with 4 microbial antigens associated with organic dust and 3 herbal extracts, precipitin tests with 12 microbial antigens and 4 herbal extracts and tests for specific inhibition of leukocyte migration with 4 microbial antigens. 30.7 % of the valerian farmers reported occurrence of work-related symptoms. No significant differences were found between the spirometric values in the group of valerian farmers and the reference group. Valerian farmers showed a low frequency of positive skin reactions to all tested antigens (0-4.0 %), not significantly greater compared to reference group. The frequency of positive precipitin reactions to the antigen of Gram-negative bacterium Pantoea agglomerans was very high in valerian farmers (45.5 %) with 3-fold concentrated sera and significantly greater compared to the reference group (p < 0.001). The positive precipitin response of valerian farmers to other microbial and herbal antigens was much lower or absent and did not show any difference compared to reference group. In the test for specific inhibition of leukocyte migration, the highest frequencies of positive reactions in valerian farmers were noted with Pantoea agglomerans and Saccharopolyspora rectivirgula (15.0 % each), in both cases significantly greater compared to reference group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the farmers growing valerian showed a moderate frequency of work-related symptoms and low reactivity to most microbial and herbal allergens. They exhibited an increased immunologic response to Gram-negative bacterium Pantoea agglomerans which appears to be the most important risk factor associated with valerian dust.
本研究的目的是确定种植缬草（缬草属植物缬草）并职业性接触该植物粉尘的农民的健康状况。对75名种植缬草的农民进行了检查。作为对照组，对50名未接触任何有机粉尘的城市居民进行了检查。所有人员均接受了关于工作相关症状的访谈，并接受了体格检查和肺功能检查。用4种与有机粉尘相关的微生物抗原和3种草药提取物进行皮肤点刺试验，用12种微生物抗原和4种草药提取物进行沉淀试验，并用4种微生物抗原进行白细胞迁移特异性抑制试验。30.7%的缬草种植农民报告出现了工作相关症状。缬草种植农民组和对照组的肺功能值之间未发现显著差异。缬草种植农民对所有测试抗原的皮肤阳性反应频率较低（0-4.0%），与对照组相比无显著差异。缬草种植农民对革兰氏阴性菌成团泛菌抗原的沉淀阳性反应频率非常高（45.5%），血清浓缩3倍，与对照组相比显著更高（p<0.001）。缬草种植农民对其他微生物和草药抗原的沉淀阳性反应要低得多或不存在，与对照组相比没有差异。在白细胞迁移特异性抑制试验中，缬草种植农民对成团泛菌和直丝糖多孢菌的阳性反应频率最高（均为15.0%），在这两种情况下均显著高于对照组（p<0.05）。总之，种植缬草的农民出现工作相关症状的频率中等，对大多数微生物和草药过敏原的反应性较低。他们对革兰氏阴性菌成团泛菌表现出增强的免疫反应，这似乎是与缬草粉尘相关的最重要风险因素。
